Holiday Apartment in Cesiomaggiore: Culture, Nature and Hiking Trails

Cesiomaggiore combines impressive reminders of the past with landscapes that can be explored along a variety of routes. Between the museum, historic buildings, the lakeshore and the karst plateau, the town reveals its many different facets.

Culture between the Museum and Church History

The Museo Etnografico Dolomiti is housed in a 19th-century country villa that once belonged to the Counts Avogadro degli Azzoni. Its collections cover traditional crafts, domestic activities, religious practices, clothing, migration and primary activities from the 18th to the 21st century.

The museum also has a sound archive containing thousands of recordings. Fairy tales, legends, songs and oral testimonies about wet nurses, migration, shepherds, alpine farming, craft activities and food traditions are documented there; the material can be consulted upon request. The Museo Etnografico Dolomiti is surrounded by grounds covering more than 4 hectares, with meadows, woodland and fields.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore was founded in 1184 and rebuilt and extended between 1785 and 1791. The church preserves a baptismal font dated 1483, along with later works of art. Its construction history and surviving furnishings provide tangible points of reference for the history of the town, without confining Cesiomaggiore to a single era.

Another historic building is Villa Tauro detta “delle Centenère”, one of the early examples of a Bellunese manor house from the 17th century. The villa contains a milestone from the Via Claudia Augusta Altinate, discovered in 1786 in the parish church of Cesio. Cesiomaggiore is also home to one of the two milestones of the Via Claudia Augusta that survive today.

Nature at Lago della Stua and in the Mountains

Lago della Stua is an artificial lake with an easy circular trail along its shore. Rare plants can be found in the area, and with a little luck you may spot deer and mouflon.

Lago della Stua in the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi is also a starting point for high-altitude hikes to the Vette Feltrine and the Cimonega Group, which belong to Group 3 of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites. The hike to I Piani Eterni begins at the former Albergo Alpino Boz in Val Canzoi near Cesiomaggiore, at an altitude of 660 metres. It first leads to Lago della Stua and then continues along CAI Trail 802, initially following a steep forest road and then a woodland path.

I Piani Eterni are an extensive karst plateau in the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi, with great natural diversity and opportunities to observe wildlife. The park of Villa Tauro detta “delle Centenère” also tells the story of a designed landscape: the park, descending towards the Valle del Caorame, was created in the second decade of the 19th century and included avenues, groups of trees, a heart-shaped pond or lake, and an English oak woodland. Only young specimens of the oaks survive today.

Choose a Holiday Apartment in Cesiomaggiore Based on Your Interests

When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore start by deciding on your preferred focus. The historic sites and the Museo Etnografico Dolomiti are ideal for a stay filled with cultural discoveries, while the circular trail at Lago della Stua offers a quieter alternative for a day out. For longer hikes, the route from Lago della Stua continues into the mountain landscape. The 655-kilometre Ciclovia Claudia Augusta runs from Altino in the Province of Venice to Donauwörth on the Danube in Germany.

Discover More Destinations

For planning the rest of your trip, you can also view Alleghe, Pieve D'alpago, Corte, Selva Di Cadore, Seren del Grappa, Pedavena, Nevegal and Caviola.

For the overarching travel overview: Belluno.