Cimasappada: Borgata, Museum and Routes

When looking for a hotel in Cimasappada, you can first consider whether architectural history and the museum or a particular route should be the focus of your stay. Historic buildings, the exhibits at the Museo Etnografico and different trail details offer various starting points. This allows you to shape your plans around the topics that interest you most while you are there.

Borgata and architectural history

The historic Borgata of Cima Sappada preserves characteristic architecture and surviving buildings such as an old dairy, a smokehouse and the Museo Giuseppe Fontana. The old Latteria Zepodar Sende is located in the heart of the Borgata. Spanglar’s House in Cima Sappada is a fully preserved log house dating from the late 18th century. The church provides another specific connection to architectural history: the Chiesa di Sant'Osvaldo was built in 1732 and rebuilt on a larger scale in 1773. Its façade features a portico open on three sides.

The church can be placed in context through its two historical dates; the log house represents a different type of construction and a different period. Visitors interested in architecture can take these differences into account when planning their trip, without treating the buildings as a single complex. The dairy and smokehouse, in turn, are surviving buildings that form part of the historic Borgata’s characteristic streetscape.

Museum: environment, community and carnival

The Museo Etnografico Giuseppe Fontana is located in Borgata Cima Sappada in a former school building. Its full tour leads from the natural environment to the identity of the community that settled and integrated there. The themes thus connect the environment with the history of the community. At the end are carnival masks, including the serious figure of the Rollate. The sequence offers a distinct cultural focus alongside the buildings of the Borgata: it ranges from the environment, through the identity of the community, to the masks at the end of the tour.

Comparing location and routes

Cima Sappada is situated in a commanding, scenic position above the entire Sappada valley. For planning excursions, several routes have specific details available, including starting point, trail number, distance, elevation gain or duration. The Sentiero n. 319 starts in Cima Sappada at an altitude of 1,291 metres and covers an elevation gain of 315 metres over 1.7 kilometres.

The route from Cima Sappada to Rifugio Monte Siera follows CAI trail 321 and takes about one hour. The route to Malga Tuglia is listed as taking three hours in total. These times allow for a rough comparison of the time required: the estimate for Monte Siera is approximate, while the tour to Malga Tuglia is described as having a total duration of three hours.

The route to Malga Tuglia starts in Borgata Cima Sappada and follows CAI trails 320–230. It is 9.12 kilometres long and rated T/E. Conditions and trail markings can change; check them before setting out. For the Monte Siera route, you should also check mountain conditions and trail status before departure. The tours therefore differ not only in their stated duration, but also in the distance and elevation details available for planning.

Another option is the Strada delle malghe E-bike route. It passes through Cima Sappada, climbs via Val Sesis to the Sorgenti del Piave, and then continues through Val Visdende. Unlike the hiking trails, which have specific walking times or distance figures, this E-bike route can be described by the sequence of places it passes. As road and trail conditions can vary, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Lentiai, Falcade, Dosoledo, Vodo Cadore, Borca Di Cadore, Villanova, Canale D'agordo, Vigo di Cadore.

Go to the overview of the wider area: Belluno.