Trentino-Alto Adige · Trento
Canazei
A Ladin village at 1,465 meters at the head of Val di Fassa, ringed by Marmolada, Sella and Sassolungo and the Sellaronda circuit.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Visiting
- Best time
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- By car
- 1 h 4 min from Bolzano
- Population
- 1,915
- J2°
- F5°
- M6°
- A10°
- M14°
- J19°
- J22°
- A22°
- S17°
- O12°
- N6°
- D2°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Why come
Canazei sits at 1,465 meters at the head of the Val di Fassa, one of the thirty highest towns in Italy, ringed by the Marmolada, the Sella Group and the Sassolungo. The commune includes the hamlets of Alba, Gries and Penia, which run together with the central village along the upper Avisio river. Eight in ten residents speak Ladin as their first language, part of the small Dolomitic minority recognized by the autonomous statute, and the local Folk Group preserves the costumes, music and language traditions of the valley.
The Belvedere and Ciampac lifts leave from the village itself, Col Rodella rises from neighbouring Campitello, and the Marmolada cable car runs from Malga Ciapèla beyond the Fedaia Pass, all within the Dolomiti Superski circuit. The Pordoi cable car climbs to the Terrazza delle Dolomiti at 2,950 meters for a full view of the surrounding peaks, including the Marmolada at 3,343 meters, the highest summit in the Dolomites and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009.
How to get there
From Treviso (TSF), about 2 h 37 min by car.
Verona (VRN) is about 2 h 46 min away.
By car from the center of Bolzano 1 h 4 min or Trento 1 h 38 min.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Marmolada
Highest summit in the Dolomites at 3,343 meters, reached by cable car from Malga Ciapèla beyond the Fedaia Pass, with the largest glacier in the Dolomites on its northern face.
Passo Pordoi
Dolomite road pass at 2,239 meters with a cable car to Sass Pordoi at 2,950 meters, called the Terrazza delle Dolomiti for its 360-degree view.
Belvedere Ski Area
Main winter base of Canazei, gondola-linked to the Sellaronda circuit and the lift system across the four Ladin valleys of the Sella group.
Sassolungo
Distinctive long-toothed massif north of the village, reached from the Sella Pass and visible from most of the lifts above Canazei.
Penia
Easternmost hamlet of the commune along the Avisio, the last village before the road climbs to the Fedaia Pass and the Marmolada cable car.
From the guides
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
Alla LocandaRistorante
A spot in the Michelin Guide, at Alla Locanda.
El PaelWine Bar
El Pael holds two Gambero Rosso bottles.
Locanda degli Artisti Art HotelRistorante
Two Gambero Rosso forks (80/100), at Locanda degli Artisti Art Hotel.
1 more place the guides name in Canazei
Wine & DineRistorante
Wine & Dine holds a spot in the Michelin Guide.
Before you sit down: how to order at a restaurant, how to spot a tourist trap, what aperitivo is and how the Italian bar works.
Living here
Could you live here?
Canazei is at the end of the road.
- A village of 1,915. The nearest town of 5,000 people, Cortina d'Ampezzo, is 1 h 14 min away: past our 15-minute rule, which makes this the end of the road.
- Bolzano/Bozen, a city of 106,568, is 1 h 4 min by car. Further than our 30 to 60 minutes, a long way for the hospital visit or the monthly shopping.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 1,915, down 1% since 2015
- Nearest city Bolzano, 1 h 4 min drive
- Nearest national health service hospital Bressanone, 26 km as the crow flies · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €4,400 to €5,300 per m² to buy, €12.00 to €13.00 per m² a month to rent
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- Remote
- Pharmacy in town
- Full fibre reaches 87% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 3, low hazard
- Venice Marco Polo airport (VCE), 2 h 35 min drive, the nearest with scheduled flights
- Regional capital Bolzano, 1 h 4 min drive
If you are moving here
Who lives here
10% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Romania, Albania and Moldova, against 9% across Italy. There are 199 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 65% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. Trento province ranks 1st of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
The nearest emergency room is in Bressanone, 26 km as the crow flies. The nearest major one is in Bolzano, 32 km away. The nearest children's emergency room is in Bolzano, 32 km away. The nearest IB school is Realgymnasium Bozen, 32 km as the crow flies.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
Trento has its own property tax, IMIS, in place of IMU. 7% pensioner tax: this town is not in a qualifying area.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Trentino-Alto Adige spends about €2,620 a month, €500 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €302 a year for water, on the Trentino-Alto Adige average. In Trento, the provincial capital, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.41, a meal in a pizzeria €13.90 and a man's haircut €24.84.
Climate and risk
It is in climate zone F, the coldest of Italy's six, with no national limit on when the heating runs. 67% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate medium for floods. 3% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
MARMOLADA
The Queen of the Dolomites at 3,343 meters, reached by cable car from Malga Ciapèla, with the largest glacier in the range and a heavy First World War history.
SELLARONDA
Lift-linked ski circuit around the Sella Group, with Canazei as one of the four Ladin valley bases for the loop across Gardena, Badia and Livinallongo.
LADIN
Around eighty per cent of residents speak Ladin as their mother tongue, part of the Dolomitic minority protected by the regional statute of autonomy.
Common questions
- What is Canazei known for?
- Canazei is a Ladin village at 1,465 meters at the head of Val di Fassa, ringed by Marmolada, Sella and Sassolungo and the Sellaronda circuit.
- Where is Canazei?
- Canazei is a comune in the province of Trento, in Trentino-Alto Adige, at 1465 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Canazei?
- The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Venice Marco Polo (VCE), about 2 h 35 min by car.
- How long is the drive from Bolzano to Canazei?
- About 1 h 4 min by car.
- When is the best time to visit Canazei?
- Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 22 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 19 rain days.
- Which other towns are like Canazei?
- Moena, Falcade and San Vito di Cadore.
- How many people live in Canazei?
- 1,915 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is Canazei a good place to live?
- By the rules in our Where to Move in Italy series, Canazei is at the end of the road: the nearest town of 5,000 people, Cortina d'Ampezzo, is 1 h 14 min away. The nearest city, Bolzano/Bozen, is 1 h 4 min away by car. The nearest national health service hospital is in Bressanone, 26 km as the crow flies. Full fibre reaches 87% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Recognized as
The numbers
- Elevation: 1465 m
- Population: 1,915
- Surface area: 67.02 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
The ranked lists
Lists Canazei appears in
- The best high-altitude villages with a serious restaurant in Trentino-Alto AdigeTrentino-Alto Adigeabove 800 mserious restaurant6 towns · smallest 820 residents
- The best small ski towns with a serious restaurant in Trentino-Alto AdigeTrentino-Alto Adigeski areaserious restaurantsmall6 towns · smallest 1,446 residents
- The best small towns that eat well in the province of TrentoTrento provinceeats wellsmall7 towns · smallest 266 residents
- The best ski towns that eat well in the province of TrentoTrento provinceski areaeats well8 towns · smallest 266 residents
- The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of TrentoTrento provinceserious restaurant8 towns · smallest 820 residents
- The 9 best small high-altitude villages that eat well in Trentino-Alto AdigeTrentino-Alto Adigeabove 800 meats wellsmall9 towns · smallest 266 residents
Similar
Towns like Canazei
What all six share with Canazei: high in the mountains · under 3,000 people · mountain towns above 1,000 metres
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