Santa Caterina Valfurva, freedom at high altitude
A small paradise, white in winter and green in summer, in the heart of Stelvio Park
Santa Caterina Valfurva is a small hamlet in the municipality of Valfurva in the province of Sondrio, surrounded by the high peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale range. It is famous, above all, as a ski resort because of its alpine climate, which can touch temperatures near -30°C in winter.
Since Santa Caterina Valfurva is located in the valley bottom, the climate is perfect for keeping the snow in impeccable condition, allowing winter sports enthusiasts to fully enjoy the place from early November to mid-April.
Santa Caterina Valfurva is a true paradise for fans of alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, telemark and fat e-bikes, but it is also suitable for those who prefer hiking or snowshoeing.
Sport is the star ofwinter in St. Katharine, where modern lifts and obsessive attention to the technical preparation of the ski slopes make it a favorite destination for passionate skiers from all over the world.
Santa Caterina Valfurva enchants with its natural beauty in winter, where the landscape is tinged with white, and even more in summer, where the colors of the newly blooming flowers, the scent of the larch forests, and the sound of free-roaming animals among the pristine green mountains make it a true paradise on earth.
Located totally in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, Santa Caterina Valfurva is the ideal place to spend your summer vacation enjoying fun and relaxation in the great outdoors with family and friends.
Santa Caterina Valfurva is a small hamlet in the municipality of Valfurva in the province of Sondrio, surrounded by the high peaks of the Ortles-Cevedale range. It is famous, above all, as a ski resort because of its alpine climate, which can touch temperatures near -30°C in winter.
Since Santa Caterina Valfurva is located in the valley bottom, the climate is perfect for keeping the snow in impeccable condition, allowing winter sports enthusiasts to fully enjoy the place from early November to mid-April.
Santa Caterina Valfurva is a true paradise for fans of downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, telemark and fat e-bikes, but it is also suitable for those who prefer walking or snowshoeing.
Sport is the star ofwinter in St. Katharine, where modern lifts and obsessive attention to the technical preparation of the ski slopes make it a favorite destination for passionate skiers from all over the world.
Santa Caterina Valfurva enchants with its natural beauty in winter, where the landscape is tinged with white, and even more in summer, where the colors of the newly blooming flowers, the scent of the larch forests, and the sound of free-roaming animals among the pristine green mountains make it a true paradise on earth.
Located totally in the heart of the Stelvio National Park, Santa Caterina Valfurva is the ideal place to spend your summer vacation enjoying fun and relaxation in the great outdoors with family and friends.
In summer, as in winter, in Santa Caterina Valfurva you will never be bored!
What to do
in Santa Caterina Valfurva
Trying typical Valtellina cuisine
The town of Santa Caterina Valfurva is a renowned location in Valtellina where traditional dishes can be enjoyed.
Those who are in Santa Caterina for lunch or dinner will be able to enjoy true culinary experiences and experience theexcellence of healthy food and good wine typical of Valfurva.
What to eat and drink typically in Santa Caterina Valfurva
Traditional Valtellina dishes include:
- Pizzoccheri, noodles made by hand by kneading wheat flour and buckwheat flour;
- Sciatt, small, crispy pancakes filled with melted cheese, often served on a bed of chicory;
- Bresaola;
- Polenta taragna, still prepared in ancient cauldrons over the crackling fire of the fireplace
- Selvaggina, prepared with care and love the day before served with steaming polenta.
To accompany these renowned dishes, we find, almost always,full-bodied red wines such as sassella, infermo and grumello.
The town of Santa Caterina Valfurva is a renowned location in Valtellina where traditional dishes can be enjoyed.
Those who are in Santa Caterina for lunch or dinner will be able to enjoy true culinary experiences and experience theexcellence of healthy food and good wine typical of Valfurva.
What to eat and drink typically in Santa Caterina Valfurva
Traditional Valtellina dishes include:
- Pizzoccheri, noodles made by hand by kneading wheat flour and buckwheat flour;
- Sciatt, small, crispy pancakes filled with melted cheese, often served on a bed of chicory;
- Bresaola;
- Polenta taragna, still prepared in ancient cauldrons over the crackling fire of the fireplace
- Selvaggina, prepared with care and love the day before served with steaming polenta.
To accompany these renowned dishes, we find, almost always,full-bodied red wines such as sassella, infermo and grumello.
Discovering the history and culture of Santa Caterina’s
Santa Caterina Valfurva is also a small village to explore in every corner. A few kilometers away in Sant’Antonio Valfurva you will find the “Mario Testorelli” Vallivo Museum, famous for its ability to document the history, culture, peasant and artisan traditions of the past through a faithful display of the environments of the past.
The museum is divided into 3 main sections:
- The first section is devoted to clothing, schooling, transportation, and sacred art.
- The second section, on the other hand, collects war remains from World War I.
- Finally, the third section is set up in the remembrance of old-time skiing with special attention to the skier soldiers engaged only on the Ortles-Cevedale, Adamello and Marmolada fronts.
Santa Caterina Valfurva is also a small village to explore in every corner. A few kilometers away in Sant’Antonio Valfurva you will find the “Mario Testorelli” Vallivo Museum, famous for its ability to document the history, culture, peasant and artisan traditions of the past through a faithful display of the environments of the past.
The museum is divided into 3 main sections:
- The first section is devoted to clothing, schooling, transportation, and sacred art.
- The second section, on the other hand, collects war remains from World War I.
- Finally, the third section is set up in the remembrance of old-time skiing with special attention to the skier soldiers engaged only on the Ortles-Cevedale, Adamello and Marmolada fronts.
History
of Santa Caterina Valfurva
Historical background
Now a renowned tourist resort, in the past theeconomy of Santa Caterina, in ancient Magliavaca, revolved around mountain agriculture and animal husbandry.
The turnaround came in the 17th century when parish priest Baldassare Bellotti discovered two types of ferruginous water sources with healing properties: one rich in sulfur and the other, named “akua forte,” ferrous and with a distinctive sour and spicy note.
These therapeutic springs were exploited to create the first thermal baths and for the bottling and subsequent trade of the waters both in Italy and abroad.
Santa Caterina thus became an important spa, frequented mainly by the wealthy classes, but it was not until the 19th century that the first activities related to the tourist industry were initiated: mountaineering and cures with the healthy ferruginous waters.
In the 20th century, in the period between the two wars, the water sources were destroyed with a consequent negative effect on the economy due to the decline in tourism and income from the water trade.
Since the post-World War II period, Santa Caterina has gradually transformed into a tourist center and today is a true destination of excellence in both winter and summer.
Now a renowned tourist resort, in the past theeconomy of Santa Caterina, in ancient Magliavaca, revolved around mountain agriculture and animal husbandry.
The turnaround came in the 17th century when parish priest Baldassare Bellotti discovered two types of ferruginous water sources with healing properties: one rich in sulfur and the other, named “akua forte,” ferrous and with a distinctive sour and spicy note.
These therapeutic springs were exploited to create the first thermal baths and for the bottling and subsequent trade of the waters both in Italy and abroad.
Santa Caterina thus became an important spa, frequented mainly by the wealthy classes, but it was not until the 19th century that the first activities related to the tourist industry were initiated: mountaineering and cures with the healthy ferruginous waters.
In the 20th century, in the period between the two wars, the water sources were destroyed with a consequent negative effect on the economy due to the decline in tourism and income from the water trade.
Since the post-World War II period, Santa Caterina has gradually transformed into a tourist center and today is a true destination of excellence in both winter and summer.
Santa Caterina Valfurva Today
Santa Caterina today is a state-of-the-art tourist resort with modern facilities and installations built with respect for the environment.
As evidence of theValfurva municipality’s attention to environmental issues, since 2008 the tourist resort has been heated with a virgin biomass thermal power plant in which heat is produced from natural sources such as:
- The material resulting from forest cleaning and maintenance;
- residues from processing in sawmills, pruning and lawn cutting.
In addition, pipes that connect each individual home depart from the power plant, allowing the buildings to be heated without the emission of fumes into the atmosphere, with absolute protection of the environment and local nature.
Santa Caterina today is a state-of-the-art tourist resort with modern facilities and installations built with respect for the environment.
As evidence of theValfurva municipality’s attention to environmental issues, since 2008 the tourist resort has been heated with a virgin biomass thermal power plant in which heat is produced from natural sources such as:
- The material resulting from forest cleaning and maintenance;
- residues from processing in sawmills, pruning and lawn cutting.
In addition, pipes that connect each individual home depart from the power plant, allowing the buildings to be heated without the emission of fumes into the atmosphere, with absolute protection of the environment and local nature.