Santa Cristina / St. Christina

4.5

A small, typical ski village next to Selva, with ski-in hotels, some affordable options and the Saslong above it.

Stayed here
The Saslong downhill run above Santa Cristina, below Sassolungo1,428 m
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Forecast at 1800 m today: low / high, modelled snow depth, and new snow in the last 24 hours.

Terrain4.5
Snow4.5
Lifts4.5
Village5.0
Mountain food5.0
Après3.0
Families5.0
Value4.5
Best for
Experts
Intermediates
Families
Beginners

Is Santa Cristina a good base for skiing?

Yes, especially for keen skiers on a budget. Santa Cristina (St. Christina) is your typical ski village: a few shops, hotels and restaurants, and not much going on beyond that. It's so close to Selva that the two are practically one area, linked by buses.

What it gets right is position. You're close to the Sella Ronda, still within easy reach of the Alpe di Siusi, and there are some ski-in places to stay and some affordable ones. For a week of skiing, it's our joint pick with Selva.

The skiing

Above the village runs the Saslong, the World Cup downhill, open to everyone when it isn't closed for racing. The old red Saslong gondola runs right above it. Don't miss the Gardena Ronda Express, the underground funicular that takes you through the mountain between Col Raiser and the Saslong finish area. It's a very cool experience, and not something you see often in ski resorts.

Day routes

Ski from Santa Cristina

5 day routes from here, with how to start each one from Santa Cristina.

Sella Ronda orange (clockwise)

Full dayRed runsIntermediate and up
  • Dantercepies gondola
  • Passo Gardena
  • Colfosco and Corvara
  • Passo Campolongo
  • Arabba
  • Passo Pordoi
  • Down to Plan Frataces
  • Passo Sella
  • Back to Val Gardena

From here: Up to Ciampinoi on the Saslong gondola and chair, then down to Selva for the Dantercepies.

The circuit around the Sella group, clockwise. It's our preferred direction: a bit steeper and faster than the green, though the difference isn't big. The long, wide red from the Pordoi side down to Plan Frataces, near Canazei, is one of the best runs of the day.

Start before 10:00 and cross the last pass before 15:30. That's the official advice, and missing a link means a long taxi ride home.

Sella Ronda green (anticlockwise)

Full dayRed runsIntermediate and up
  • Ciampinoi
  • Plan de Gralba
  • Passo Sella
  • Down to Plan Frataces
  • Passo Pordoi
  • Arabba
  • Passo Campolongo
  • Corvara and Colfosco
  • Passo Gardena
  • Back to Selva

From here: Up to Ciampinoi on the Saslong gondola and chair.

The same circuit the other way round, through the Città dei Sassi boulder field under the Sassolungo. The red down from Passo Sella to Plan Frataces is long, wide and scenic, with an amazing vibe.

Same timing as the orange: start before 10:00 and cross the last pass before 15:30.

Marmolada and Punta Rocca

Longest dayBlack runsGood skiers who keep the pace
  • Sella Ronda to Arabba
  • Lifts to Passo Padon
  • Down to Malga Ciapela
  • Marmolada cable car, 3 sections
  • Punta Rocca 3,265 m
  • La Bellunese
  • Back to Arabba
  • Finish the Sella Ronda

From here: Up to Ciampinoi, then either Sella Ronda direction. Leave by 9:00.

The big one. Ride either Sella Ronda direction to Arabba, cross to Malga Ciapela and take the three-section cable car up the Marmolada, with restaurants and souvenir shops on the way. From the observation deck at Punta Rocca you see the Marmolada glacier and the whole Sella group in front of you, often with the clouds below. Then ski La Bellunese down, about 12 km, long, steep and bumpy, and finish the Sella Ronda you started. If you have time, the Porta Vescovo detour from Arabba adds a couple of nice reds through the forest.

The difficulty is pace. Leave by 9:00 (10:00 at the latest, and only if you're well prepared), have lunch in or near Arabba, ideally after the Marmolada, and leave Punta Rocca by 14:30 at the very latest, only if you're fast and skip lunch. It can be very windy at the top even on a clear day.

Alpe di Siusi, the far point

Shortest dayBlue runsAll levels
  • Cable car from Ortisei
  • Alpe di Siusi plateau
  • Compatsch
  • Puflatsch lift
  • The Puflatsch black
  • Back across the plateau

From here: Within easy reach, a little further than from Ortisei.

Across the valley from Seceda lies the Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Europe's largest high-alpine meadow. The runs are mostly basic blues, so beginners and intermediates will love it. Strong skiers should head for the far edge near Compatsch: the combined gondola-and-chair lift goes up to the Puflatsch (Bullaccia) plateau at about 2,100 m, where you ski along the top on a red and turn left onto a short black. It's very steep, streamlined and usually well groomed, a chance to just full send it and check your top speed in your app.

Alta Badia: Corvara to Santa Croce

Full dayBlue runsRelaxed, suits less experienced skiers
  • Corvara
  • Col Alt gondola
  • Piz La Ila
  • Red or black to La Villa
  • Through to Badia
  • La Crusc gondolas
  • Santa Croce 2,045 m
  • Same way back

From here: Orange Sella Ronda as far as Corvara.

A nice, easy day trip with lots of blues. From Corvara, take the Col Alt gondola and ski down into the valley where many pistes meet: a good place to just ski and explore. Cross to Piz La Ila and take the red or the black down to La Villa (both are good), ski through towards Badia, then two gondola sections take you up to Santa Croce, the furthest point, by its pilgrimage church. Ski the same way back.

From Val Gardena, Corvara is half a Sella Ronda away, so count the time to get back over Passo Gardena.

All Dolomiti Superski day routes

Getting there

Take the train from Milan to Bolzano (Bozen), usually changing at Verona; it's a very good link. From Bolzano, and from Chiusa or Bressanone, regional buses run up the valley, so you don't need a car or a private transfer. Bolzano and Bressanone (Brixen) are both sizeable Alpine towns and nice to walk around if you have an hour between trains.