The Conca Agordina
Into the wild Heart of the Dolomites
The Agordino Basin (Italian: Conca Agordina) is a wide valley of the Dolomites UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site located in the Province of Belluno, Veneto Region, which coincides with the southern part of the Agordino area (and thus with the southern part of the Cordevole Valley). The Conca Agordina borders to the north with the Municipalities of the High Agordino (Alto Agordino), to the east with the Val di Zoldo, to the west with the Trentino and to the south with the Municipalities of the Valbelluna.
The Conca Agordina is located in a marvelous, fascinating position right in the geographic heart of the Dolomites; it is surrounded by 12 marvellous Dolomites peaks belonging to 5 different Dolomitic systems. The Conca Agordina includes 6 Municipalities of the Agordino area: Agordo (administrative center), La Valle Agordina, Taibon Agordino, Voltago Agordino, Rivamonte Agordino and Gosaldo. Gosaldo is considered part of the Agordino Basin even if its correct geographic position would be the Mis Valley (Val del Mis).
Referring to the official classification of the Dolomites by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, the Agordino Basin is located in the suggestive context of the Pale di San Martino, San Lucano, Vette Feltrine and Dolomiti Bellunesi, the 3rd of the 9 officially recognized and protected Dolomites UNESCO Systems. From the Conca Agordina, guests can admire the peaks of the Pale di San Martino (Agner Group, Pale di San Martino Plateau, Focobon Group, Pale di San Lucano), of the Dolomiti Agordine or Dolomiti di Zoldo (Framont, Moiazza, Civetta, Pelsa, San Sebastiano Group), the peaks of the Marmolada Group (Marmolada, Piz Zorlet, Cime di Pezza, Cime d’Auta), The Schiara Group (Cime di Zita, Monte Celo, Schiara), Monti del Sole and Gruppo di Cimonega.
As said before, the main town in the Conca Agordina is Agordo; the village, whose charming hamlet are scattered all over the basin, is completely surrounded by woodlands and peaks. The area is very reach in natural resources and it is historically bounded to the Serenissima Republic of Venice and to Italy (differently from the Tyrolean areas of the modern Agordino which were bounded to the Tyrol and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire). The main source of income for the ancient inhabitants of the place was mining industry in all its aspects: workings, coal production, metal processing, education of mining experts and workings. A centuries-old tradition that can be spotted everywhere in the Conca Agordina still today.
Unlike the Municipalities of the High Agordino (Alto Agordino), most of the inhabitants of the lower part of the Agordino area are involved in the eyewear industry rather than in tourism. Nevertheless, the beauty of the natural setting as well as the unparalleled amount of Dolomites peaks of this area assure a constant flow of tourists all over the year.
Monuments:
– the Villa Crotta – De Manzoni in Agordo; – the Torresella [toresela] in Agordo; – Umberto Follador Mining Institute in Agordo; – Val Imperina Mining Center in Rivamonte Agordino; – Vallalta Mining Center in Gosaldo; – the Broi in Agordo; – Santa Maria Nascente Church in Agordo; – Santi Vittore e Corona church in Voltago Agordino; – Santi Cornelio e Cipriano church in Taibon Agordino; – San Lucano church in Taibon Agordino; – San Floriano e Sant’Antonio da Padova church in Rivamonte Agordino; – San Giacomo church in Gosaldo; – San Michele Arcangelo church in La Valle Agordina.

Museums:
– Mineralogical Museum of Agordo; – Geological and Paleontological Museum of Agordo; – Optical Museum of Agordo; – Etnographic Museum of La Valle Agordina; – Etnographic Museum of the Chair Maker of Gosaldo.
Other attractions:
– Dolomites (Agner, Pale di San Lucano, Moiazza, San Sebastiano group, Monti del Sole, Schiara group among the others) – Alta Via 1 delle Dolomiti; – Mountain huts and rifugios, hiking trail net, MTB trail net – Bus de le Neole in Rivamonte Agordino; – Tagliata di San Martino Fort in Agordo; – Peden Fort in Taibon Agordino; – Forcella Moschesin Fort in La Valle Agordina; – Valle di San Lucano in Taibon Agordino; – Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi in Rivamonte e Gosaldo; – Graffiti in Le Ville di Agordo; – Climbing walls and climbing routes; – Sas de la Madonna in Voltago Agordino; – Don Antonio della Lucia house of birth in Frassenè; – Agordina cycle path; – Passo Duran.
Tourist information:
Ufficio Turistico di Agordo Tel. +39 0437 62105 E-mail: ufficioturistico@agordo.net
Pro Loco La Valle Agordina Tel. +39 0437 63928 E-mail: prolocolavalleagordina@gmail.com
Pro Loco Gosaldo Dolomiti Tel. +39 0437 68383 E-mail: prolocogosaldo@gmail.com