3 Peaks Dolomites Ski Resort Italy
Three Peaks Dolomites ski resort (a.k.a. Drei Zinnen or Tre Cime Dolomiti, f.k.a. Sesto Dolomites) is beautifully situated near Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the northern part of the Dolomiti. Surrounded by Monte Elmo to the north plus spectacular Croda Rossa & other true Dolomites peaks to the south, the main ski area is centred on the fantastic town of Sesto (a.k.a Sexten). As well as allegedly having the steepest black run in Italy, 3 Peaks is now fully linked with modern ski lifts all the way around the valley. From the flanks of the Croda Rossa, up & over Monte Elmo then down to Versciaco, modern gondolas & chairs move skiers with ease. At Versciaco a walkway links directly to a train station with services every 30min direct to Kronplatz ski resort & the rest of the Europe.
So aside from massive confusion as to what to call the resort & whether to pronounce names in Italian or German, 3 Peaks-Drei Zinnen-Sesto Dolomites is a great ski destination. (FYI German is the more accepted language in the valley, but part of the resort, Val Comelico, is in the province of Belluno so Italian is the way to go there - make sense?)
Pros & Cons for Drei Zinnen Dolomites Ski Resort
Pros
- Wonderful access by train direct to the lifts at Versciaco.
- Modern & comfortable lift infrastructure.
- Great intermediate piste trails.
- Excellent children's & beginner areas in traditional settings.
- Delightfully authentic town (Sesto - Sexten) at the resort base.
- Slopes uncrowded except for weekends.
- Several high-quality bars & restaurants in the region.
- Exceptional base facilities at Punka.
- Gorgeous cross-country skiing areas.
Cons
- On mountain rifugi are relatively disappointing comparative to other Dolomites locations.
- Limited off-piste terrain (but there is a lot of backcountry with a little imagination!).
- Very little for expert skiers & snowboarders.
- Local ski buses from Sesto to the lifts can be quite crowded (just walk - it is not far!).
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Quiet après scene (but some lovely bars).
- High ratio of lifts to pistes (needs more trails!).
- Base areas are spread over a wide distance.
- Lift pass price is getting well into the expensive end of Italian skiing!
- Ikon Pass is now valid in the resort for up to a week.
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Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
It can be said of skiing 3 Peaks - Drei Zinnen that the early bird catches the worm. Deserted slopes on a powder morning greeted the Powderhounds. The lift infrastructure is probably over the top for the amount of terrain, but you won’t hear any complaints from the comfort of your 'carriage'. Good to know before you go is that this is a ski resort in multiple parts. The main ski area centred on Monte Elmo-Croda Rossa has a tad under 90km of ski trails, 20 major ski lifts including 6 gondolas, and a tad over 1,000m of skiable vertical. And whilst these stats are certainly not to be sneezed at, they are less than the statistics usually allocated to this ski resort (115km of trails, 31 lifts etc.) which include the various disconnected sectors in the region (Monte Baranci at Innichen etc).
Check out the ski trail map for Tre Cime Dolomites below.
Three Peaks has numerous long, quality pistes. The trails from Monte Elmo to Versciaco on one side (up to 7km long) and into Sesto-Sexten on the other side are all excellent. The steepest groomed piste in Italy is here as well (below the Croda Rossa) & whilst it is steep & fast, it is at best, underwhelming.
Lift infrastructure is unbelievable when one considers the amount of piste runs & lack of people in the resort. A series of new gondolas has finally fully interlinked the ski resort around Sesto - Sexten. Plans to lift & piste connect Val Comelico to Sexten are well underway & will dramatically increase the skiing whilst simultaneously reduce the reliance on buses around the Kreuzbergpass. The plan to connect the resort via the 2,538m Hochgruben to the Austrian town of Sillian will be an absolute game-changer.
There are delightful children's facilities & terrain throughout the resort at Versciaco & Waldheim near Sexten (Sesto) villages, plus away from the valley at San Candido (Innichen) & Dobbiaco (Toblach).
International visitors may be pleased to know that Ikon Pass is valid in 3-Peaks & the Dolomites, but with certain conditions/limitations. Of course, the Dolomiti Superski pass is also valid.
For detailed information on ski lifts, terrain, trail maps & lift passes, see our 3 Peaks Skiing & Snowboarding page.
Snow & Weather
The location of the 3 Peaks-Drei Zinnen in the northern Dolomites & close to the Austrian Alps places the resort in the best of both worlds. The area gets snow from storms that benefit the Dolomites, plus gets additional 'overflow' from storms that hit the Alps but don't quite make it further south. With the exception of Marmolada, the resort gets more snow than most of the Dolomites ski resorts .
The low elevation base at Three Peaks is not helpful, exposing the resort in 'warmer' winters. However, snow making capacity is impressive & the piste trails will always be in great condition during the season, just maybe not the off-piste!
Where is 3 Peaks-Drei Zinnen Italy?
3 Peaks Dolomites ski resort is in the northern Dolomites (Dolomiten, Dolomiti) of Italy, close to the Austrian border. It is 170km north of Venice & 144km southeast of Innsbruck. 3 Peaks & its main town of Sesto (a.k.a. Sexten) is easily accessible via public train & bus, however private transfers direct from the nearest airports of Innsbruck (INN), Venice (VCE) & Munich (MUC) is the quicker option.
Search & book all private transfers to Sesto.
Once in country, the train is the best (& recommended) transport method to the ski resort from Innsbruck, Munich and other Dolomites locations like Bolzano & Brunico. The train station at Versciaco links directly to the ski lifts via an overpass.
Search & book train tickets to Versciaco or Innichen via Fortezza.
For more information on how to get there, see our Travel to 3 Peaks page.
Sesto / Sexten Accommodation
3 Peaks - 3 Zinnen ski resort is spread across several valleys with numerous outlying & disconnected lifts & trails. Disregarding the outliers, the main centre for the ski resort is the village of Sesto - Sexten with its satellite hamlets of Moos & Bad Moos. On the other side of Helm, Versciaco - Vierschach serves as a convenient (& quiet) alternate base near the lifts & train station. Over the Passo Monte Croce, Padola & its small ski area is over 15km away as the crow flies & also provides a range of traditional Italian lodgings.
High altitude accommodation is limited within the ski resort, but the new Rotwandwiesen Chalets at 1,900m elevation will change all that. Another non-village lodging option located in a spectacular setting is the Hotel Dolomitenhof. Stopping & drinking in the views is an everyday ritual here.
Sesto - Sexten has a thriving small-town centre, shops, services, bars, historic church & grounds plus numerous accommodation options. Whilst the town centre is a away from the cable car base, a short walk or free bus ride will see you there in no time. The best central accommodation is the Zur Post Hotel & Apartments. Further out toward the Helm cable car, the Hotel Waldheim provides the perfect traditional lodgings with ski-in convenience to the back of the hotel!
In the hamlet of Bad Moos, the area’s best pool & spa hotel, Sport & Kurhotel Bad Moos, is located at the base of the Croda Rossa gondola. Between Bad Moos & the Waldheim ski lifts, the Hotel Lanterna Verde provides wonderful rooms & restaurant.
There are a number of top-quality options at Versciaco - Vierschach, but the new JOAS Natur Hotel is a standout. Ski to the door!
Search & book all 3 Peaks-Drei Zinnen (Sesto-Sexten) ski accommodation.
In the near future when fully lift connected to the main ski area, the village of Padola at the base of the Val Comelico ski area will be a wonderfully "Italian" village location from which to ski 3 Peaks. Padola has a good variety of hotels, guesthouses & apartments. Between Padola & Sexten at Kreuzbergpass (Passo Monte Croce) the Hotel Kreuzberg Monte Croce provides an isolated haven high in the ski area, directly opposite a ski lift & trails connecting to both ends of the resort.
Search & book all Padola - Val Comelico ski accommodation.
Alternatively, one can easily stay at nearby Brunico or Kronplatz ski resort & take the train to ski Three Peaks as an easy day trip.
Search & book all Brunico/Brunick accommodation.
Ski Rentals Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals are available in 3 convenient locations via our local partners (centrally in the resort at Sexten/Moos, at the base of the ski lifts in Versciaco/Vierschach, & in nearby Dobbiaco/Toblach) . Receive a discount when you search & book via our 3-Peaks Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
On or off-piste ski lessons & resort guiding can make all the difference to a stay at 3 Peaks Sesto-Sexten. For more info & options, compare, search & book via our 3 Peaks/Drei Zinnen/Sesto-Sexten Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Activities
The Sesto-Sexten valley & the surrounding ski resort has a vast range of non-ski winter activities. A vast network of winter walking trails exists along the valleys or up to scenic points & mountain huts. The cross-country trails all the way to Dobbiaco are world class. Sledding trails off Croda Rossa & at San Candido are fun for everyone. A train trip & visit to wonderful Brunico - Bruneck with its old town & castle is a great day out. You can even check Italy's only reindeer herd & feed them on the Croda Rossa.
In Sesto-Sexten a walk up to the church & through cemetery is an intriguing insight into history. Note the frescoes in the portico as you enter the church grounds - death visits everyone regardless of their status!
Review
The Powderhounds have reviewed 3 Peaks Dolomites twice, but a few seasons ago now. We are looking forward to returning when their ambitious new ski lift infrastructure program is fully realised with a link into Austria near Sillian, but maybe this is too much a wait in hope and we will have to return sooner. Click on the review link in the left column to read our sparkling repartee!
See how 3-Peaks and the other Dolomites ski resorts compare to the rest of the Italian ski resorts on the Italy ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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