Hike in Cortina: To Malga Ra Stua From Sant'Uberto

Introduction

Let's discover together the enchanting "Malga Ra Stua," a splendid mountain lodge immersed in the greenery of its pastures.

This is an easy hike, ideal for almost everyone, as it needs a minimum of training. The height gain of three hundred meters, one thousand feet, and the duration of about two and a half hours makes this walk not suitable for small children and people with reduced mobility.

You can find this hike to "Malga Ra Stua" on the Tabacco Map 003 - "Cortina d'Ampezzo Dolomiti Ampezzane," along Path 6. Alternatively, you can see our route on Google Maps by clicking here.

We planned this hike for you with the ascent and the descent along two different paths to make it even more special. We'll climb along an equipped trail, along the banks of the Boite Stream, past stunning gorges and waterfalls, and the descent will be into the forest, along a less-traveled path.

Path of the Hike

This hike starts in the parking area called "Sant'Uberto." If you are unsure of how to reach it, we will describe it in depth down on the page in the chapter "How to Get There." Alternatively, clicking the name will open the location on Google Maps.

The asphalt road to "Malga Ra Stua" is constantly traveled by cars, bicycles, and shuttles, which makes it not ideal for those who wish to get there walking. For this reason, we'll take an alternative path.

When you get to the barrier that blocks the passage of the cars, take the path to the left; it is marked by the wooden sign "Percorso pedonale per Malga Ra Stua," which means "Footpath to Malga Ra Stua."

Continue along the path into the forest, being careful not to stumble on the roots and stones. The climb is moderately gentle, with a few little steeper traits.

When the trail intersects the paved road, cross it, always checking for vehicles. Enter the path in the woods on the opposite side and keep following the wooden sign, "Percorso pedonale per Malga Ra Stua."

After a short time, you'll reach a scenic spot where you could rest for a moment while enjoying the beautiful view of the "Antruiles" valley and Mount "Croda d'Antruiles."

From here, the road continues almost flat; cross the asphalt road and then enter the woods again. All along the route, you will spot the red and white trail markers on the trees, confirming that you are following the right path.

Once you reach the "Sas Šendú, Q 1547 m" junction, turn left onto the wide gravel road, following the pedestrian trail signs toward "Ra Stua."

The road descends for about two hundred meters, six hundred fifty feet, then a sign, "Ponte de Antruiles Q 1512 m," will prompt you to turn right, leaving the gravel road and returning to the forest path.

Climb until you see the sign for "Intrà i Portélete Q 1547 m," where you'll turn left again, in the direction of Ra Stua and Val Salata.

Continue on until you reach the wooden bridge crossing the "Boite" Stream. This river flows through the entire "Cadore" territory and gives its name to the valley known as Valle del Boite.

Cross the bridge and continue until you reach the sign "Ru de ra Lainores Q 1550," where you'll turn left, following the signs for the "Cascate del Boite," which means Waterfalls of the Boite Stream.

In front of you will appear the newly equipped path of the "Boite" Stream Waterfalls. This first section is rather easy; it's suitable for most people, even though there are some steep steps at the beginning.

Cross the iron bridge and take a moment to admire the waterfall before tackling the final steep climb that leads you back into the forest.

After a few meters, you'll reach the paved road. Turn left and follow it for about five hundred meters, or sixteen hundred feet. Once you spot the "Intrà i Portélete Q 1620 m" sign, turn left again to begin the second section of the equipped "Boite" waterfalls trail.

While the first part of the equipped trail was suitable for almost everyone, this second section is recommended only for experienced hikers equipped with proper footwear and with decent training. Although there are no risky sections, several stretches run close to the water, with slippery steps and slightly technical passages.

If you don't feel confident, you can safely walk the final stretch along the paved road, skipping this detour.

After following the river for about three hundred meters, one thousand feet, the trail rejoins the paved road. Turn left and walk the final few meters to reach the mountain lodge. But first, take a short break to admire the famous "Ra Stua" waterfall.

Continue uphill for a few meters until you reach "Malga Ra Stua." As mentioned previously, this mountain lodge is immersed in vast green pastures, where you can spend a few relaxing hours immersed in nature.

Near the mountain lodge, you will likely see grazing animals. Cows are peaceful animals, but don't bother them. If you are afraid, just ignore them completely; if you look at them or give them attention, they may think you have food and come to check.

For the descent, you have to choose between some different options:

• The easy option is to follow the paved road down to the "Sant'Uberto" parking area. It's the fastest route, but not the best: you'll be sharing the road with cars and bicycles, and the view will be the one of an asphalt road in the woods.
• Alternatively, you can take Path 5, in the direction of "Són Pòuses." This is a more scenic, but also more challenging, route to the parking area.
• In this case, we'd like to suggest a third option, the more comfortable, less touristy, and in the shade of the trees. This option, less busy than the others, also allows you to avoid asphalt and the steeper descents.

As soon as you exit the "Ra Stua" parking lot, take the first trail on the right, marked with the words "Percorso pedonale," which means "pedestrian route," and cross the wooden bridge.

Follow the trail for about one kilometer, a little more than half a mile, and be a little careful of the terrain, as there are enough roots and rocks to make it unsuitable for bicycles.

Once you reach the small wooden bridge, descend for a couple of minutes along the gravel path until you get to the point where you previously joined the equipped path of the "Boite" Stream Waterfalls.

From here, simply retrace the same path you took on the way up in order to avoid the descent along the paved road.

Curiosities

The name "Ra Stua" comes from the Ampezzo dialect, where "Stuà" means "to stop a watercourse." At this location, in the past, there was a temporary dam that was used to transport lumber down the "Boite" Stream. Some of those logs were cut in the sawmills of the town; others continued their journey till the "Piave" River, from which they were shipped to the town of Venice.

"Ra Stua" is part of the "Ampezzo" Dolomites Nature Park and is a natural pasture for cows, horses, and goats. In addition to these farm animals, the area is also frequented by some local typical wildlife, such as marmots, roe deer, and chamois. We took the photo below in those pastures.

The newly managed restaurant has about fourty seats inside and sixty outside. The menu consists of local homemade dishes. In addition to the restaurant, the mountain lodge also offers bedrooms with shared or private bathrooms. You can find more information on their official website.

"Malga Ra Stua" is the starting point of many hikes, so the road to the mountain lodge is quite busy. To avoid congestion, during the months of July and August, it is closed to traffic. During these periods, it is possible to take a shuttle service at an approximate cost of 10 euros each in the locality of Fiames.

The "Boite" originates very close to the pastures of "Ra Stua," exactly in the locality of "Cianpo de Crósc." There is a beautiful hike that crosses "Cianpo de Crósc" and takes you to "Fodara Vedla," another nice mountain lodge. It takes about an hour. If you still have some energy and want to lengthen your hike a bit, we have talked about it on the next page:

From "Ra Stua" to "Fodara" Hike from "Malga Ra Stua" to "Fodara Vedla" refuge, in the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park. 3h 00' - 10 km - Intermediate

Another beautiful hike that starts from "Ra Stua" that we want to suggest is the one that takes you to "Rifugio Sennes," another mountain lodge in the area. We describe it below:

From Ra Stua to Sennes A hike from Malga Ra Stua to the Rifugio Sennes, in the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park. 3h 00' - 11 km - Difficult

How to Get There

The parking area of "Sant'Uberto," also known as "tornichè," is a large gravel square where you can park your car for 8 euros per day. In peak season, it is surely better to arrive early in the morning; otherwise, it's likely that all the parking spaces will be occupied. From the center of Cortina, "Sant'Uberto" is approximately a twenty-minute drive, following the signs to Dobbiaco.

If the parking lot is full, you may continue along the state highway in the direction of Dobbiaco to try to park on one of the few lay-bys along the road, being very careful not to block the roadway to avoid getting a ticket. Proceeding further, you will find a roadman's house on the left, which is also the last reasonable spot where you might park to not get too far.

If you want to get there with public transportation, you can take the bus n°445 that goes to Dobbiaco. In order to reach the car park of "Sant'Uberto," you have to get off at the stop at the roadmen's house at Podestagno. Behind the roadman's house, there's a road in the woods that will take you to the parking area in about fifteen minutes. If you need more information on this road, we talked about it on the page on the walk to the ruins of the "Podestagno" castle:

To the ruins of Podestagno A walk to the Podestagno Ruins, one of the most important points in Cortina's history. 40 min - 3 km - Easy

Unfortunately, there are only a few buses that can take you there, approximately one every two hours. In peak season, there could be more. For more information and to purchase tickets, you should contact the ticket office, which is located in the same office as the Tourist Information Center. It may be closed during lunch.

This walk is already quite challenging, but you may still decide to walk from the town center to the starting point of the hike. In this case, you'll need to walk two and a half hours more along the walk known as the former railway. In Italian we call it "Ex Ferrovia."

We have described this pleasant walk on a specific page, which you can visit by clicking below:

The former railway The most famous walk in Cortina. It is simple, for everyone, and accessible all year round. 2h 30' - 9 km - Easy

Since the area is not well served by public transport, an excellent alternative to reach the parking lot at "Malga Ra Stua" is to take a taxi. The price should be around 35 euros, but it could vary a lot, both for the type of vehicle and the number of people. You should always ask for a quote. Taxis can be found both in Roma Square and at the bus station, or you can visit the official taxi website.

If you need any information, there is a tourist information office. It is located in the town center, near the church.

Useful information

This hike is practicable only in the summer, as the trail is not beaten in the winter. With snow, it is possible to ascend along the main road, but we describe the winter hikes better on the next page:

Winter hikes in Cortina The most beautiful winter hikes in Cortina, easy walks, for everyone, on packed snow. Reading time: 12 min.

Usually, the best months for this hike are between May and November. Unfortunately, it is not possible to know in advance how much it will snow or when the snow will melt.

If you decide to eat at the mountain lodge, the facility may be closed from mid-April to mid-May and from mid-October to mid-December. If you plan a visit in low season, you should check on the website or by phone to see if they are actually open.

Even though this hike is considered simple, you should always use sturdy shoes and carry a backpack with some water, a snack, and a jacket for the rain. If you want more information, we recommend you read our tips for first-time hikers:

Safety tips for hikers Tips for safely going hiking in the mountains and prepare your backpack with all you need. Reading time: 8 min.

We want to emphasize that, in the territory of the Dolomites, there are rules to be followed. The main ones are:

• It is strictly forbidden to light fires.
• It is strictly forbidden to pick plants and flowers.
• Free camping is prohibited.
• It is prohibited to abandon garbage.
• It is mandatory to keep pets on a leash.

Always be responsible, and when in doubt, stop. CiaoCortina cannot be held responsible for any damage to things or people, variations, wrong paths, errors, or inconveniences that may occur along the route. For more information, click here.

Conclusion

We hope you liked this page on the hike from "Sant'Uberto" to "Malga Ra Stua." Before saying goodbye, we would like to mention that you can find other amazing hikes in Cortina and its surroundings by clicking here.

If you want to thank us, you can read the page Support Us. If you only want to suggest a change, propose something, or just say hello, in the section Contacts and Info, you'll find all the ways to reach us.