Cibiana di Cadore
Cibiana di Cadore is a small mountain municipality in the province of Belluno, tucked into the Dolomites between Val di Zoldo and...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Cibiana di Cadore
The village of murals
Since the 1980s, the houses of Cibiana have become an open-air canvas. The idea came from Osvaldo da Col, an emigrant with strong ties to the village, who involved the artist Vico Calabro to give visibility back to a mountain community hit by depopulation. Today more than fifty murals cover the facades of the houses, painted over the years by Italian and international artists: they depict old trades, the blacksmith, the dairyman, the miller, the charcoal burner, alongside everyday scenes and the faces of the villagers. An easy, well-signposted walking route lets visitors follow the works one by one, making Cibiana an unusual stop in Cadore, where folk art meets mountain memory.
Monte Rite and the Museum in the Clouds
Above the village rises Monte Rite, reachable by car or on foot from Cibiana, where in 2002 mountaineer Reinhold Messner opened one of his Messner Mountain Museums, nicknamed the Museum in the Clouds for its position above 2,100 metres, among the highest in Europe. The building reuses an Austro-Hungarian First World War fort, transformed into a structure of glass and steel whose corners point toward the surrounding Dolomite peaks, almost echoing the geometry of dolomite crystals. Inside, an exhibition route tells the geological history of the Dolomites and their mountaineering discovery, while outside a 360-degree panorama sweeps from Mount Pelmo to the Marmarole range. It is one of the most striking experiences to be had from Cibiana, open seasonally from June to September.
Between Val Boite and Val di Zoldo
Cibiana di Cadore sits at a hinge point between two very different Dolomite valleys: Val Boite, which climbs toward Cortina d'Ampezzo, and Val di Zoldo, quieter and tied to the tradition of Zoldano gelato-making. The Cibiana Pass, linking the two sides, is a starting point for hikes and bike rides with views of the Pelmo cliffs and the Sassolungo di Cibiana. The municipal territory, largely wooded and mountainous, still has active alpine pastures at altitude and a network of quiet trails suited to medium-difficulty walks away from the crowds of the better-known valleys. This is not a village built for mass tourism, but for those wanting to discover an authentic corner of Cadore, made of nature, mountain pastoral life and small hamlets.
Life in a small mountain municipality
Like many municipalities in the upper Belluno area, Cibiana di Cadore has a small population, concentrated mainly in summer and holiday months, while winter remains quiet and reserved for year-round residents. There are no large tourist facilities or nightlife: its economy rests on small-scale crafts, mountain farming and a slow form of tourism made of hikers, photographers and mural visitors. It is precisely this small scale that keeps the village authentic: stone-and-timber houses, the parish church, and hamlets scattered across the slopes tell of a way of living in the mountains that has disappeared elsewhere. Visitors expecting large ski resorts or organised entertainment will be disappointed; those looking for a genuine connection with the Cadore mountains will find a welcoming, honest village.
Getting there and when to go
Cibiana di Cadore is reached by car from Val Boite, following signs from Valle di Cadore or Cortina d'Ampezzo along the road climbing to the Cibiana Pass, or from Val di Zoldo by crossing the pass itself. With no rail connections, a car remains the most practical option, with parking near the centre from which to start the walking tour of the murals. The best time to visit runs from June to September, when the Museum in the Clouds on Monte Rite is open and long days allow a village stroll to be combined with a high-altitude hike; autumn brings the colours of the forest and even greater quiet, while winter is recommended only for those equipped for snowy mountains.
Experiences not to miss
- A walk among the murals of the historic centre, more than fifty works on house facades
- Climb to Monte Rite and visit Reinhold Messner's Museum in the Clouds
- Hike to the Cibiana Pass with views of Mount Pelmo and the Sassolungo di Cibiana
- Discovery of the alpine pastures and trails of neighbouring Val di Zoldo
- Landscape photography at dawn and sunset over the surrounding Dolomites
To see
What to see in Cibiana di Cadore
Routes · Trovido Route
