In Val Contrin, in search of the Stone Maiden

At the foot of Marmolada's southern face, in the realm of the beautiful Conturina - punished for her beauty - this route captures, in a short stretch, the Ladin essence of the mountains.

The Fassa Dolomites are a stunning work of natural design: shapes that spark the imagination. They are the forest's age-old guardians, crossed by paths and mule tracks worn smooth by migrants, travellers and shepherds. They are huts that have outlasted the logic of time, and valleys like veins traced by wind, rain and ice. And they are legends - stories that hint at the mysteries of origins. In Val Contrin, all of this feels true. This short walk from Alba to Baita Locia Contrin lets you experience the steady effort of the climb, admire the rock's pure geometry and breathe the crisp air of the larch woods. In the silence, you may find yourself searching for Conturina's face, turned to stone on Cima Ombretta so that no one could gaze upon her again. A young woman condemned for her extraordinary beauty by a jealous stepmother - yet her voice was spared. Her song is said to still linger here, a constant call towards the peaks and their timelessness.