Drei Zinnen resort guide - a general overview
Situated on the Italian/Austrian border you will find the Drei Zinnen ski area. The fact few people have heard about this area is in our opinion a good thing as it remains almost entirely unspoilt.
The 115kms of linked slopes centre on the resort of Sexten and fan out from the valley floor to reach 2,200m altitude. Much of the slopes are rated as either blue or red grade and although there are some genuinely challenging runs (including a couple of black pistes) this is not a ski area for expert skiers looking for challenges. We would particularly recommend this ski area for families and for those who want to get away from the larger ski resorts to try a more 'authentic' ski region.
When holidaying in the Drei Zinnen area one can either stay in San Candido or Sexten. The former is a proper town with lovely pedestrian area, plenty of shops, bars and restaurants. It also has its own little ski area perfect for beginners and families with young children, with the main ski area being a short bus ride away. Sexten is where you will find the main ski area. This is a very small yet charming village which offers a good selection of very comfortable hotels.
Besides the skiing there are plenty of activities to try in this area - there are two exhilarating toboggan runs, night skiing, indoor tennis, snow-shoe hiking, cross country skiing, ice skating, an indoor climbing wall and large indoor aquatic centre. Kronplatz, a larger ski area, is only 30 minutes away by train and is also well worth visiting for a day trip.
Resort stats
115km
1,300m - 2,200m
Level of skiing
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Experts
- Snow sure
- Off-piste
- Ski area
Qualities
- Charm factor
- Non-skiers
- Nightlife
- Resort layout
- Fine dining
- Short transfer
- Resort value
Airports
- Innsbruck
- 2hrs
- Venice
- 2hrs 40mins
4 hotels in Drei Zinnen, Italy View All
Drei Zinnen, Italy
Hotel Strobl
Drei Zinnen, Italy
Hotel Leitlhof
Drei Zinnen, Italy
Hotel Waldheim
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The amazing local mountain scenery
- Charming traditional villages
- Family holidays
- Well-groomed and uncrowded pistes
- Fantastic Italian food both on and off the mountain
Cons
- The nightlife scene is very quiet (but this might suit some)
Restaurants
Drei Zinnen Resort Restaurants
In both San Candido and Sesto Sexten there are plenty of good restaurants. Most are found in the resort hotels but there are also some excellent independent eateries. Whether you are after a good pizza or a gourmet experience you will not be disappointed. We like the following restaurants: Luis Alm in Bad Moos, Pizzeria Martina, Muhle, Zum Hams and Grune Laterne.
Drei Zinnen Mountain Restaurants
There is no shortage of excellent restaurants or mountain huts to try - the Rotwand Wiesen Hutte in the Croda Rossa area, the Henn Stoll hut in the Signaue area, Helmhang Hutte, Froneben and Hahns Spiel Hutte are a few of the many mountain restaurants, all are worth a try.
Drei Zinnen Apres Ski
If you want something to do after skiing we would recommend heading to San Candido as this is a beautiful town with cobbled streets, lots of shops, bars and restaurants. For the festive Christmas period there is a lovely market with evening entertainment. In Sesto there are a couple of local bars but generally both resorts are quiet.
Drei Zinnen Nightlife
There is very little nightlife to speak of except for a few local bars.