A walk amongst marmots and grazing cattle

From the Giau Pass car park, take track n° 436 until you reach the Col Piombin gully, about 20 minutes’ walk away. From here, you will see a lot of cattle grazing, and if you are  lucky, you will hear the marmots whistling, and perhaps see a few.

The Giau Pass is an incredibly beautiful location, set amidst grassland and surrounded by some of the most beautiful peaks of the Dolomites: you can look over the Ampezzo valley from high above, and see Mount Gusela in the Nuvolau group, Croda da Lago, Lastoi de Formin and Mount Cernera. The pass is historically important: in centuries past it marked the frontier between the Most Serene Republic of Venice and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition, it is an absolutely unmissable location for cyclists and motorcyclists.

To return to the starting point, take the same route back. Don’t miss a stop at the traditional restaurant Berghotel Passo Giau. 

By bus: From the bus station in Cortina, take the bus towards the Giau Pass, and get off at the Pass (check the timetables published on the Dolomiti Bus website).

By car: From the centre of Cortina, take the state road towards the Falzarego and Giau Passes. After the village of Pocol (you will see the large Hotel Argentina on your right), about 20 minutes from the town centre, turn left towards the Giau Pass.