Sella Pass

The Sella Pass (German: Sellajoch; Ladin: Jëuf de Sela or Jouf de Sela; Italian: Passo Sella) in the Dolomites connects Selva in Val Gardena with Canazei in the Val di Fassa and is one of the four Dolomite passes that lead around the Sella. While the Sella Pass is 2,218 metres high at its highest point, the pass that runs alongside it reaches as high as 2,240 metres.

In winter, the Sella Pass is a wonderful skiing area that belongs to the Dolomiti Superski skiing association. If you do the Sellaronda on skis, you will pass by here. In the summer months, the Sella Pass is the starting point and destination of numerous hiking trails. Climbers also appreciate the Sella Pass, as it offers access to numerous via ferratas, popular climbing areas and the Sassolungo Pass.

Archaeological findings indicate that the Sella Pass was inhabited as early as the Stone Age. Today there are numerous huts, restaurants and hotels in this busy place. The pass is worth a visit at any time of the year, especially because of the uniquely beautiful views it offers. For reasons of nature conservation, you are kindly asked to arrive at the Sella Pass on foot, by bicycle or by public transport.

Cittá Dei Sassi

Under the Sassolungo is the Cittá Dei Sassi, where there are countless boulders of all shapes and sizes suitable for climbing, scaling and playing on. This area is very popular with climbers and boulderers. A hiking trail leads through the Cittá Dei Sassi to the Comici Hut. The Sassolungo circuit also takes you to this really special place.

Sassolungo Pass

The Sassolungo Pass is also part of the Sassolungo circuit. It is famous above all for the historic cable car, a basket lift, which leads up to the Toni Demetz Hut, from where you can access the Oskar Schuster via ferrata. Climbers enter the normal route from the Sassolungo Pass, which leads up to the Sassolungo. There is a via ferrata in the pass but in winter you can also discover the place on a ski tour.

Around the Sella Pass, there is a huge hiking area with fabulous paths for every level of difficulty. If you are spending your holiday in Val Gardena or one of the neighbouring valleys, it is advisable to ask the local tourist office about popular hiking trails and guided tours. From Val Gardena, for example, the hike around the Sassolungo Group or the small Sassolungo circuit is very popular, leading past the Sella Pass.

From the Sella Pass you can reach several via ferratas after a short ascent: The Forcella Sassolungo, the via ferrata in the pass of the Sassolungo, requires experience and stamina but rewards you with magnificent views. This via ferrata can be combined with the Oskar Schuster via ferrata. Also recommended is the difficult Mesules via ferrata, which has a history of over one hundred years. The Col Rodella via ferrata, on the other hand, is also ideal for beginners.

The Sella Pass is a popular destination for excursions. Here you will find numerous hotels, huts and restaurants that invite you to rest and relax. We have compiled the most important information about the huts, popular restaurants and hotels on the Sella Pass, where you can spend your holiday in the middle of the Dolomites.

Toni Demetz Hut

The Toni Demetz Hut is open from mid-June to early October and is a refuge that is particularly popular with mountaineers and climbers. Here in the Sassolungo Pass you have access to numerous via ferratas and can join the normal route to the Sassolungo. If you want to leave early in the morning, it is advisable to spend the night in the hut, which was built in 1954, and enjoy a hearty breakfast. The restaurant serves homemade South Tyrolean cuisine.

Salei Hut

In the Salei Hut, you can spend a relaxing luxury holiday at a 4-star level. The hut is located 2,225 metres above sea level between Val Gardena and the Val di Fassa – directly on the Sellaronda. In addition to a restaurant and a lounge bar, the hut offers you a spacious spa area with a pool and a sauna landscape from which you can enjoy a wonderful view. A separate entrance is available for hotel guests.

Fienile Monte

At 2,260 metres above sea level, you will find an exclusive gourmet restaurant: Fieniele Monte. The chalet, furnished with great attention to detail, is only open during the winter season and is located in the middle of the slopes of the Col Rodella - Sella Pass ski area. If you'd like to enjoy selected wines, exquisite gourmet cuisine and an exceptional atmosphere during your skiing holiday, this chalet is the right place for you.

Carlo Valentini Hut

The Carlo Valentini Hut (Passo Sella Hut), built in 1884, is located at an altitude of 2,218 metres, very close to the Sella Pass. Thanks to its convenient location near the ski slopes of the Sellaronda, the hut, which is open all year round, is a popular stopover for winter sports enthusiasts, hikers and mountaineers looking for refreshments and rest. You can reach the hut by car. In addition to a restaurant, there are rooms of various sizes with space for a total of 45 people.

Malga Sella

The cosy Sella Alp at the Sella Pass is open in winter from mid-December to the beginning of April and in summer from mid-June to mid-October. Here you can enjoy delicious South Tyrolean cuisine in a traditional ambience, with many ingredients coming from the farm. The Malga Sella is particularly popular with families.

Friedrich August Hut

The Friedrich August Hut was still a small barn in the 1980s but has since developed into a wonderful mountain hut with a restaurant and rooms. It is located in the Col Rodella ski area in the Sassolungo Group. The rooms are stylishly furnished with lots of wood and spare no comfort. In winter there are delicious pizzas from the wood-burning oven, while in summer you can order South Tyrolean dishes à la carte. The Friedrich August Hut even has its own cattle farm.

Miara Hut

The Miara Hut is located on the Sella Pass and offers you a fantastic view. In this uniquely beautiful location, you will find a restaurant serving South Tyrolean and Italian cuisine. The delicious pizzas served here are particularly popular with guests young and old. The hut is open in winter from December to April and in summer from June to October from 8 am to 6 pm each day.

Rodella 2222

Rodella 2222 is a cosy hut on the Sella Pass. In the middle of the ski slope that leads from Col Rodella to the Val di Fassa, you can enjoy excellent cuisine with local products. The hut has been in family hands since the 1950s and has been passed on from one generation to the next. In 2017, Rodella 2222 was extensively renovated and now features a modern look from December to April and from July to October daily from 9 am to 6 pm.

Sandro Pertini Hut

The Sandro Pertini Hut is open from June to September and is located 2,300 metres above sea level directly on the famous Friedrich August path no. 557. It is located on the south side of the Sassolungo Group and offers you a unique view of the Marmolada and the Val di Fassa. Accommodations offer space for 14 overnight guests. During opening hours, warm cuisine with Ladin dishes is served all day long.

The Sella Pass is a wonderful destination that you can reach not only by car but also very easily on foot, by mountain bike, by public transport and by cable car. This way you can explore the UNESCO-protected natural landscape in the Dolomites sustainably.

Driving to the Sella Pass

In the summer months, a lot is going on at the Sella Pass. If you still want to travel by car, you should plan enough time. At the Sella Pass there are only a few paid parking spaces available and parking on the side of the road is not permitted. In winter, you should check daily whether the Sella Pass is open or closed. You do not have to pay a toll.

Walking to the Sella Pass

The most environmentally friendly way to reach the Passo Sella is on foot. And it's beautiful, too, because numerous wonderful hiking trails lead to this popular excursion destination in the Dolomites. From Selva, you can choose between several easy hiking trails that offer you wonderful panoramic views of the surrounding peaks. A convenient alternative is the lifts, which allow you to save yourself many metres in altitude. From Plan de Gralba and Monte Pana, among others, they lead you to pleasant hiking trails in the direction of the Sella Pass.

Biking to the Sella Pass

With a mountain bike or an e-bike, you can reach the Sella Pass in a sporty way. You can easily rent the right bike at one of the bike rentals in Val Gardena. At most of the huts on the Sella Pass there are charging stations for e-bikes, where you can recharge your battery and, of course, recharge yourself.

By cable car to the Sella Pass

As there is no cable car leading directly up to the Sella Pass, you have to conquer this excursion destination first! From Val Gardena, you can take several cable cars and lifts with the Gardena Card, such as Ciampinoi, Piz Seteur or Cittá Dei Sassi, between which there are short but wonderful hiking trails.

Sella Pass: Bus connections

From Val Gardena, there are several bus connections to the Sella Pass. During peak hours, bus line 471 runs every 15 minutes from Val Gardena to Sella Pass. It may be necessary to change at Plan de Gralba to lines 350 or 352. Is the bus already full? Enjoy the break and just wait for the next one. By the way, with the Gardena Card, you can use all public transport in the region for an unlimited period.

Take a virtual trip to the Sella Pass! Whether you are reminiscing or looking forward to your next trip to the Dolomites – the live cams at Piz Seteur, the Piz Sella webcam and the Salei webcam provide you with wonderful live feeds.