Passo Rolle: Landscape, Trails and History

Passo Rolle connects San Martino di Castrozza with the other Dolomite valleys. From Predazzo, State Road 50 leads into Paneveggio Nature Park and runs for about 15 kilometres to just beyond Passo Rolle. The focus is on mountain scenery, trails and cultural history: activities range from snowshoe hikes to a longer bike ride.

Landscape at the Pass and in Val Venegia

At Passo Rolle, quartz-bearing porphyries of the Lagorai range, in colours ranging from red through reddish brown to green, meet the pale, towering sedimentary peaks of the Pale di San Martino in spectacular fashion. Cimon della Pala rises above Passo Rolle to 3,186 metres. Large parts of the Pale di San Martino and Lagorai Orientale Natura 2000 sites can be explored in the area.

Val Venegia is crossed by the Rio Travignolo. The trail through the valley opens up wide panoramic views of the Pale di San Martino. After crossing a broad plateau, it climbs in sweeping turns to Baita Segantini. This lets you combine the scenery with a specific destination, rather than separating the views of the peaks from the walk itself.

Hikes and lakes

The Passo Rolle–Laghi di Colbricon route is an easy snowshoe hike from Malga Rolle to the lakes. It passes through part of Paneveggio Forest and offers views of the Pale di San Martino and the Lagorai. The easy rating applies to this route; winter conditions vary.

From Passo Rolle, you can comfortably walk to Baita Segantini by following trail marker 710; the walk takes about 40 minutes to an hour. The Trekking del Cristo Pensante starts there. The route passes through tunnels and military installations from the First World War and reaches a large iron cross and a statue of Christ the Thinker. The walking time to Baita Segantini gives you an indication of how long it takes to reach the starting point; it should not be confused with the duration of the trek.

The two Laghi di Colbricon are of glacial origin and lie at 1,909 and 1,922 metres respectively, near Rifugio Colbricon. The route to the lakes can be extended to San Martino di Castrozza; allow about two hours of walking. From there, a scheduled bus takes approximately 15 minutes to return to the Passo Rolle car park. Check the timetable when planning your trip.

History at the Pass

The artist Alfredo Paluselli built Baita Segantini in 1936 and lived there in solitude for 35 years. From Passo Rolle, the hut is reached via a three-kilometre gravel road; a shuttle bus also runs in summer. The construction date, Paluselli’s life story and today’s route to the hut are different aspects of the same place: the hut links a specific historical figure with a destination that is also included in several tours.

A Mesolithic site lies beside the Laghetti del Colbricon and is considered the first evidence of human presence at high altitude after the Last Glacial Maximum. Five Mesolithic sites have been identified in the Passo Rolle area, including sites near Malga Rolle. The site by the lakes and the other locations in the area give the landscape a long human history that stands alongside its visible trails and peaks.

Trenches and positions from the First World War are still visible along the trails around Passo Rolle. The Seggiovia Paradiso chairlift goes up to the ridge of Tognazza. From there, the positions on Monte Cavallazza and the Sentiero della Pace to the Laghetti di Colbricon can be reached. The Trekking del Cristo Pensante also takes you past military installations from this period, along with tunnels and the large iron cross and statue of Christ the Thinker.

Cycling and seasonal activities

For experienced cyclists, the scenic Paneveggio Expert Bike route runs through Val Venegia to Baita Segantini and Passo Rolle. It is about 22 kilometres long, involves around 600 metres of elevation gain and takes approximately four hours. These details help you assess the bike ride as a separate outing; it should not be confused with the shorter walking times to the trek’s starting point or for continuing on to San Martino.

There is also a challenging black ski run at Passo Rolle, with significant gradients and a compact snow cover, suitable for experienced skiers. It operates seasonally; check operating information before your visit. This gives you a choice of very different reasons to stay in Passo Rolle: a snowshoe hike, historic trails, a bike ride or skiing.

Discover more destinations: Castello-Molina Di Fiemme, Coredo, Monte Mezza, Revò, Ronzo-Chienis, Pergine Valsugana, Sfruz, Grauno.

For the main travel overview: Trentino.