Val Canali & Cant del Gal Refuge
Just 8 km south of the resort village, Val Canali is a secret valley that funnels deep into the heart of the Pale di San Martino from the opposite, far wilder side — no cable cars, no ski lifts, just beech forest, a rushing torrent and rock walls that dwarf everything beneath them. Almost no international tourist knows it exists.
Driving & Walking In
From the hamlet of Cant del Gal on the SP 79, a narrow paved road leads 4 km into the valley to a small car park at the Rifugio Cant del Gal (1,179 m), a family-run refuge open from late May to October. The drive alone — through a gorge of ancient beech trees with the Sass Maor tower appearing suddenly at the valley head — is worth the detour.
From the refuge, trail CAI 707 climbs steeply through mixed forest to the Passo di Ball (2,443 m), a classic half-day route with sweeping views back over the Primiero plain. Less ambitious walkers can simply follow the valley floor path along the Canali stream for 2–3 km — flat, shaded and spectacular.
The Refuge & Local Life
Rifugio Cant del Gal is run by the Bettega family, one of the oldest guiding dynasties in the Dolomites — a member of the family was among the first to climb the Cimon della Pala in 1870. The wooden terrace overlooks a meadow where horses graze, and the kitchen produces a formidable plate of canederli (bread dumplings in broth) that hikers have been ordering here for generations.
Ask the family about the valley's history as a smugglers' route between the Austro-Hungarian empire and the Kingdom of Italy — the stories are vivid and the geography makes them entirely plausible.
Photography & Solitude
Val Canali faces west, so afternoon light is the most dramatic — the Sass Maor and Cima della Madonna towers catch the last sun long after the valley floor is in shadow, creating a glowing orange crown above the dark forest. September is the finest month: the beech trees turn gold, the crowds have gone and the air is crystalline.
Mobile signal is intermittent in the valley. Download offline maps on maps.me or Komoot before you leave the village.
More of San Martino di Castrozza
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore San Martino di Castrozza →
