Chies d'Alpago
Chies d'Alpago is a small mountain municipality in the Alpago basin, in the province of Belluno, nestled among the woods and pastu...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Chies d'Alpago
At the gateway to the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park
Chies d'Alpago enjoys a privileged position relative to the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park, one of the most important protected areas of the eastern Alps, with peaks exceeding 2,500 metres and biodiversity that includes chamois, golden eagles and reintroduced ibex. Trails depart from the municipal territory into the park's slopes, offering hikes of varying difficulty, from family walks to more demanding routes for experienced mountaineers. The landscape alternates beech and fir woods with high-altitude meadows, with views ranging from the Dolomites to the Alpago valley floor, making Chies d'Alpago a natural starting point for experiencing the Belluno mountains authentically.
Lake Santa Croce
A few kilometres from the centre of Chies d'Alpago lies Lake Santa Croce, Veneto's third-largest natural lake, famous throughout Europe for its steady wind conditions that make it one of the most beloved spots for sailing, windsurfing, and above all paragliding, thanks to the nearby launch ramp on Monte Dolada. The lake's shores also offer flat cycling and walking paths, ideal for those seeking a more relaxed alternative to mountain trails. The combination of water sports, free flight, and the setting of the Belluno Prealps makes the lake one of the main tourist draws of the entire Alpago basin.
Alpago lamb, a Slow Food presidium
Local gastronomy revolves around Alpago lamb, a native breed raised on the basin's pastures and recognised as a Slow Food presidium for the quality of its meat, lean and delicately flavoured thanks to a diet of mountain herbs. Local trattorias serve the lamb in various preparations, often paired with polenta and local cheeses, in a context of simple, genuine mountain cuisine. Around this product, festivals and promotional initiatives have sprung up involving Alpago's farmers, helping to keep alive a livestock activity that would otherwise be at risk in the more marginal mountain areas.
An unpretentious mountain village
The main village and hamlets of Chies d'Alpago retain typical mountain architecture, with stone houses, sloping roofs and small clusters gathered around the parish church. There are no grand monuments to visit, but a social fabric still tied to traditional mountain activities: livestock farming, meadow cultivation, and small-scale woodworking crafts. It is the kind of village that reveals its value not in a single attraction, but in the overall landscape, in the silence of summer evenings, and in the chance to observe up close the daily life of an alpine community still bound to its seasonal rhythms.
Outdoor sports all year round
Thanks to the combination of mountains and lake, Chies d'Alpago offers activities for every season: hiking and mountain biking in summer, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter months on the surrounding plateau, paragliding and sailing on Lake Santa Croce for much of the year. The Alpago basin is known among air-sport enthusiasts as one of Italy's most reliable areas for consistent flying conditions, drawing pilots from across Europe every year. For those simply seeking tranquillity, the village offers walks through meadows and woods without the need for special equipment.
Experiences not to miss
- Hike towards the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park
- Enjoy water sports and paragliding on Lake Santa Croce
- Taste Alpago lamb, a Slow Food presidium
- Go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on the plateau in winter
- Walk through the pastures and woods of the Alpago basin
Routes · Trovido Route
