Three mountains, three anniversaries, one valley.
Seven decades in which a single-seat chairlift grew into the 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski region.
In 1956, just days before the Winter Olympics in Cortina, the first lift began carrying skiers up the Monte Baranci. Ten years later, a basket lift brought the first winter sports enthusiasts to the Croda Rossa. Another ten years on, the first double chairlift opened on the Monte Elmo.
In 2026, all three celebrate together.
San Candido · since 1956 · 70 years
Just days before the 1956 Winter Olympics opened in Cortina, the first lift on Monte Baranci went into operation. The single-seat chairlift marked the beginning of a success story for San Candido as a winter sports destination. A wooden hut at the summit station — later to become the Baita Baranci — served as a modest place to stop for refreshments. There were no ski runs yet.
Monte Baranci developed quickly. In 1979 it was upgraded to a double chairlift, and in 1988 the four-seat chairlift still in use today was built. In 1997 the first FIS Snowboard World Championships were held here. The opening of the Funbob summer toboggan run in 2003 marked a new chapter in the mountain's tourism offering.
Sesto · since 1966 · 60 years
On Epiphany 1966, the Prati di Croda Rossa ski area opened in Sesto. A basket lift carried skiers from Bagni di Moso up into the "snow bowl" on the Croda Rossa. The descent down the breakneck "Holzriese", a former timber slide, proved a genuine test of nerve for most.
As winter tourism boomed, calls for a measured expansion soon followed. A gentler valley run was added, joined in 1976 by another ski lift at the Porzen and in 1999 by the five-and-a-half-kilometre natural toboggan run. The Signaue lift, built in 2007, laid the foundation for the Monte Elmo–Croda Rossa ski connection, which — after a long struggle — set new standards from 2014 onwards.
Versciaco & Sesto · since 1976 · 50 years
In the early 1970s, the decision was taken to develop Monte Elmo as a shared ski mountain for San Candido and Sesto. The moment came on 6 January 1976, when the first double chairlift opened in Versciaco. Changing to a second chairlift at the mid-station, skiers reached the Monte Elmo plateau in around 35 minutes.
Sesto was connected five years later, when the Monte Elmo cable car went into service in March 1981. In 2021, the state-of-the-art Helmjet Sesto ushered in a new era.
At the Senfter Platzl in San Candido, an installation of original chairs and gondolas tells the story of the mountain lifts. A large celebration is also planned to mark the triple anniversary.
At the end of November 2026, the premium 10-person Helmissimo gondola will open in Versciaco. Built in just eight months, it will be the new flagship of the 3 Zinnen Dolomites ski region.
