Marmolada Glacier is the only glacier in the Dolomites section of the Alps. It lies on the mountain Marmolada in the province of Belluno, above the Fedaia pass and within reach of Canazei, and a cable car climbs in stages to a top station with a viewing platform. During the First World War the front between Austrian and Italian forces ran over the mountain, and the Museo della Grande Guerra in Marmolada, in the valley below the glacier, covers that history. The mountain is also skied, as part of the terrain reached from the wider Sellaronda area.
Marmolada Glacier
During the First World War Austrian soldiers cut their quarters into the ice, building a tunnel city of considerable size inside the glacier.
- Entrance
- The Museo della Grande Guerra in Marmolada, in the valley below the glacier, was free of charge as of 2022.
- Parking
- Nearest car park about 2.1 km from the glacier: free, unpaved. A second car park 2.2 km away.
- Difficulty
- The top is reached by cable car with two changes; the ski terrain at the peaks is not for beginners.
- Transport
- Nearest stop: Rifugio Passo Fedaia, about 2.5 km from the glacier. No route numbers in the sources.
What makes it special
The ride up is half the visit: you change cable car twice, and the Dolomites open out further with every stage. The top station is a large, industrial-looking metal box holding a viewing platform and restrooms, and that is the whole of it — the people standing around up there are skiers. This is the only glacier in the Dolomites, and it carries a war on it. The front between Austrian and Italian forces ran across this ice, and the Museo della Grande Guerra in Marmolada, down in the valley, keeps that record. Lower on the mountain a small gondola runs to a hut above 2,600 metres where the food is worth stopping for.
Good to know
- At the top: a viewing platform and restrooms, nothing more — no café, restaurant or shop, so carry food and water up with you.
- Weather decides the day: in mist and rain the Dolomites panorama vanishes and there is little to do up there.
- On skis: a single run down from the top, crowded in fine weather; the Marmolada peaks are not for beginners.
- Since July 2022: the glacier was closed to visitors after the serac collapse — check access before you set off.
- Food: a small gondola runs to a mountain hut above 2,600 metres with a good spread on the menu.
Getting there
Most people drive. The nearest car park is about 2.1 km from the glacier, free and unpaved, with a second one 2.2 km out; an information point stands roughly 750 m from the ice. Public transport gets no closer than the Rifugio Passo Fedaia stop, some 2.5 km away. The height itself is gained by cable car, changing cars twice before the top station, and the views on the way up are the best part of the approach.
Best time to visit
Better: weekdays, and grey days over bright ones — a skier braced for an hour at the cable car was on board in ten minutes on an overcast weekday.
Avoid: clear weekends in the ski season, when the one run down from the top fills up and lapping it eats the day.
The trade-off is honest: in rain and fog the place empties out completely, and the Dolomites view people come for goes with it.
Sun & daylight
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Marmolada Glacier on the map
On 3 July 2022 a serac broke off the Marmolada Glacier and killed 11 mountaineers. This is live, moving ice with crevasses in it — not ground to wander onto from the top station.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you walk out onto the glacier?
Not casually. The serac collapse of 3 July 2022 killed 11 mountaineers, and the glacier was not open to visitors in September of that year. Glacier ice is ground for roped, equipped parties.How long is the queue for the cable car?
It can run past an hour, but weather and the day of the week decide it: on an overcast weekday the wait was ten minutes. The ride involves two changes of car.Is the skiing suitable for beginners?
No. The Marmolada peaks are not a beginner's mountain, and there is only one run down from the top — long and good, but crowded when the weather is fine.Is there a museum?
Yes. The Museo della Grande Guerra in Marmolada sits in the valley below the glacier and covers the front that ran across the mountain. A souvenir shop stands nearby.