Sella Nevea
| Sella Nevea | |
|---|---|
 Sella Nevea from Mt Canin | |
| Location | Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy |
| Nearest city | Udine |
| Coordinates | 46°23′26″N 13°28′32″E / 46.39056°N 13.47556°E |
| Vertical | m |
| Top elevation | 2300 m |
| Base elevation | 1190 m |
| Skiable area | km² |
| Lift capacity | skiers/hr |
Sella Nevea (Friulian: Nevee, Slovene: Na Žlebeh) is a high mountain pass and ski resort in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. Sella Nevea is a località of the comune of Chiusaforte, in the province of Udine.
Geography
Sella Nevea is a pass in the Julian Alps, located between the mountains of Jôf di Montasio and Mount Canin. It lies on the road between Tarvisio and Chiusaforte, via Cave del Predil (German: Raibl, Slovene: Rabelj). Sella Nevea is on the main alpine watershed and divides the basin of the Mediterranean Sea from the Black Sea. Ten kilometers away lies the picturesque and uncontaminated Raibl Lake (also known as Lago di Cave del Predil or Lago del Predil), which is used for canoeing, wind-surfing, and other water sports.
History
For much of its history Sella Nevea was an agricultural area. It was also the scene of a battle in World War I.
Sella Nevea started its modern development in 1970, when the first ski runs were built. Projected to be a heaven for winter sports, Sella Nevea's development suffered a serious setback after a series of avalanches struck it in 1975.
In 1980, the company that managed the ski runs went bankrupt. In the 1990s, Sella Nevea's ski runs fell under the control of Promotur, a state-owned but independent company, which took charge of all five main regional ski resorts.
In the 90s the Sella Nevea resort suffered from neglect that caused it to lose popularity. Promotur said repeatedly that despite the potential of the location, nothing further have been done to arrest its decline.
In 2001, preventive measures against avalanches were finally completed. In the meantime, the location grew in popularity as a ski racing training camp. It acquired a reputation for uncrowded slopes.
Connection to the Bovec ski resort
In 2005, it was announced that Sella Nevea will receive substantial funds to replace outdated ski equipment, and that a cableway will be built that will connect it to the Bovec ski resort, one of the largest winter ski resorts in Slovenia. The cross-border link of the two resorts was completed in December 2009. It is now possible to ski at both resorts. Because both Italy and Slovenia are members of the European Schengen zone, skiers are able to cross the border between Italy and Slovenia freely, effectively merging the Sella Nevea and Bovec ski resorts into one large ski resort covering both sides of the Canin mountain.
Economy
Sella Nevea offers facilities and equipment for winter sports, such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing snowboarding, and ice skating. In the summer, the location is used as a base for mountain trekking and rock climbing.
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
- Kanin-Sella Nevea Ski Resort
- Passo di Predil a pass just to the east, that leads into Slovenia.