Cimasappada: Historic Hamlet and Trails

Cimasappada combines a distinctive location above the Sappada valley with historic buildings, an ethnographic museum, and several documented routes. If you would like to get to know a place not only as a starting point, but also through its preserved architecture and local history, Cima Sappada offers several clearly distinct points of interest for this purpose.

Historic Buildings in Cima Sappada

The historic hamlet of Cima Sappada preserves characteristic architecture and historic buildings such as an old dairy, a smokehouse, and the Museo Giuseppe Fontana. The old Zepodar Sende dairy is located in the heart of this historic hamlet. Another striking example is Spanglar’s House, a fully preserved log house dating from the late 18th century.

The Chiesa di Sant'Osvaldo in Cima Sappada is also part of the area’s historical landmarks. It was built in 1732 and rebuilt on a larger scale in 1773. The rebuilding took place 41 years after the church was first constructed. Its façade features a portico open on three sides. This means that the church is described not only through its history of construction and renovation, but also through a specific architectural detail that you can observe when viewing the building.

The Museo Etnografico Giuseppe Fontana

The Museo Etnografico Giuseppe Fontana is located in Borgata Cima Sappada in a former school building. It offers a complete tour ranging from the natural environment to the identity of the community that settled and became integrated there. The tour ends with carnival masks, including the solemn figure of the Rollate. In this way, the museum takes visitors from the area’s natural foundations through its community to a particular expression of regional tradition.

Routes to Rifugio Monte Siera, Malga Tuglia, and the Piani del Cristo

The route from Cima Sappada to Rifugio Monte Siera follows CAI Trail 321 and takes about one hour. The stated time is explicitly approximate and should therefore not be understood as an exact duration.

A longer route starts in Borgata Cima Sappada and leads to Malga Tuglia. It follows CAI Trails 320–230, is 9.12 km long, is rated T/E, and takes a total of three hours. At three hours, the Malga Tuglia route takes approximately two hours longer than the roughly one-hour route to Rifugio Monte Siera. In addition, a nature trail leads from Cima Sappada to the Piani del Cristo. These three destinations offer different ways to view the area and its surroundings via trails, each with its own description.

Further Destinations for Orientation

For further comparison, you can also consider Dont, Paderno, Gosaldo, Triches, Valle Di Cadore, Chies D'alpago, Nevegal and Soverzene.

For the broader travel overview: Belluno.