Include the dolomites in your italy itinerary
If you love mountain scenery, you want to go to the Dolomites in Italy! There is a lot to see and do while you are there, but if the only thing you end up doing is sitting and looking at these spectacular rugged mountains, that will be time well spent.
A view from a hike near Castelrotto in the Dolomites
We love Italy so much that we keep returning again and again. We tend to focus on the wine, the food, the art, the culture, the people and the history. We also love the scenery – the patchwork vineyards in Piedmont, the soft rolling hills and beautiful cypress trees in Tuscany, the gentle waves on the water in the Italian Lake District, and the incredible views of the Mediterranean in the Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily.
But until a few years ago, we had not visited the Dolomites. I am kicking myself for not coming here sooner. For clients who tell us they enjoy mountains and scenery, we now often include this region in their custom trip itinerary. If you love the mountains, the Dolomites should be on your Italy Travel Itinerary too! It is an amazing example of the diverse landscape Italy has to offer and a nice change of pace from the museums and sites often included on other days of your Trip to Italy.
What are the dolomites?
The Dolomites are a magnificent mountain range in the northern Italian Alps. There are 19 peaks that rise above 10,000 feet. The area features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs, and narrow, deep and long valleys. The area is a ski haven in the winter and a hiker’s paradise in the summer. We like staying in Castelrotto and exploring the Alpe di Siusi from there. This is a great home base, very near the Val Gardena.
Located on the border with Austria, the region offers a fascinating mix of cultures. Even though you are still in Italy, the food, language and general feel are all different than what you will find in other parts of the country. The journey from Milan to Bolzano takes a little over 3 hours, and Venice is only two hours away, if you are traveling by train. But you may prefer to go by car.
To make the most of a drive from Venice, we recommend that you go a little out of your way and put Cortina d'Ampezzo into your GPS. Cortina is a ski village and hosts many ski races and events in the winter. In the summer it is one of the more beautiful passes in the Dolomites. You can stop for a wander through the village, enjoy lunch with a spectacular mountain backdrop, or simply relish the view as you drive through.
How to reach the dolomites
If you take the train to Bolzano, you can likely get most of the places you want to go in the mountains by bus, but a car will make it easier to explore the mountain villages that aren’t on public transportation routes.
Using a car to get to your destination and enjoy the mountain roads to their fullest extent provides freedom and flexibility. That said, you may want to leave it at your hotel when you are not road tripping. You can rely on local busses and gondolas to reach most of the places you want to go, once you are high into the mountains.
The Dolomites Offer Spectacular Scenery and Amazing Activities Year Round
The scenery in the Dolomites is absolutely stunning. It is hard to describe how beautiful it is. And there really is something for everyone to do in the Dolomites. The area’s versatility is one of its most enduring features. It is a year-round destination, with plenty of cold-weather sports in the winter, and a wide variety of outdoor activities during the summer months.
Known for its natural landscapes, there are plenty of things for every age, level, and ability to enjoy. Visitors can hike, bike, climb, camp, ride a cable car up to famous passes, parasail, drive curvy mountain roads, and more.
And you do all this with beauty surrounding you everywhere you look. As you hike through lush green fields speckled with wild flowers in the summertime, expect to be greeted by the sound of cow bells. As you bike (e-bikes are often available!) or drive through the area, you’ll notice that each peak offers its own unique and dramatic appearance. The wooden barns and huts are charming and inviting. From rolling green meadows to spectacular turquoise lakes, the beautiful landscape in the Dolomites completely envelopes you. There is gorgeous natural scenery everywhere you look.
There is Absolutely Incredible Hiking throughout the Dolomites
If you like to hike, the Dolomites are a dream destination, whether you are a beginner, expert, or something in-between. There are trails of all lengths and difficulty, and every one includes spectacular, jaw dropping views and memorable experiences.
The ski infrastructure is in place for winter months, but it is leveraged in the summer so that you can hike up to a vista and take the gondola down, or visa-versa. My knees aren’t great. One day when we were here we hiked an awesome 14 miles. After that, my knees were just DONE. Taking the lift down the last 2-3 miles and then taking the bus back to where we started was a fantastic option. We had a glorious hike, and my knees were thankful we made it to the lift just before it closed for the day. Note: as you plan your hikes, be aware of closing times if you plan to take the lifts!
The trails are really well marked and well worn, and with hundreds of miles of trails, the possibilities are endless. There are great guidebooks that offer details on each hike including length, difficulty, and what time to be back in order to catch a bus. They offer comprehensive route instructions and maps that can be very helpful. Walking in Italy’s Val Gardena is a good one.
You can pack a picnic, but it’s really a lot of fun to enjoy the extensive network of rifugios (mountain huts) that are dotted along the trails. Some offer simple amenities that are enjoyed and appreciated mid-hike. Others serve delicious hot food and even offer accommodations for through hikers. They are absolutely charming! There is nothing like delicious local food and a cold beer while gazing at the mountains after a long hike.
There is Delicious Alpine Cuisine in the Dolomites
You know that we love food and wine, and the Dolomites do not disappoint! Food in this region is a really unique blend of Italian and Austrian cuisine.
Visiting these mountains gives you a chance to experience rustic local foods like mushrooms, polenta and barley. We love the sauerkraut with crispy speck (smoked ham) and plates of incredible local cheeses. The Canederli dumplings are a fun surprise! These balls of deliciousness are a great way to use up stale bread, and are often flavored with cheese and speck. I’ve never had anything else like them. There are also lots of sausages, game and goulash, and don’t leave without enjoying some apple strudel!
You must try the Canederli dumplings when visiting the Dolomites
As you drive north from Trento to Bolzano, you will see many vineyards with a very unique training system on the mountain slopes. This is where Alto Adige wines are produced.
Like much of Italy, the Dolomites are home to a long winemaking tradition. Alto Adige is one of Italy’s smallest winegrowing regions, but because of the geography here, it is also multifaceted. These are authentic wines with their own original character.
A hearty meal outside near Castelrotto
Most of the grapes are white varietals including Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, and Chardonnay. Two indigenous varieties of red grapes are also cultivated here. These are Schiava and Lagrein. Pairing local wines with cheese and speck from the same region, is absolutely delicious. There are wine trails that you can travel on by foot or by bike so that you can visit local vineyards and sip and savor along the way.
There are Fantastic Spas in the Dolomites
I think of the towns and villages here as ski towns, and many of them have stunning spa facilities you can enjoy all year long. Many of the hotels are “wellness hotels” and may include a sauna, steam room and hot tub. It can be wonderful to treat yourself to some time in the spa after a long day of hiking, biking or skiing, depending on the time of year you are here.
There are Beautiful Hotels in the Dolomites Italy
There really are some stunning hotels in the Dolomites. There is a wide variety to choose from including luxury hotels, boutique hotels, and local budget hotels. Finding the one that will work best for you depends first on where you want to be located.
We like to stay in Castelrotto and a locally owned hotel called Hotel Zum Turm has served us well. It is run by a husband and wife team and we enjoy their warm hospitality, excellent breakfasts and delicious dinners in the on-site restaurant. It is very easy to take a bus to the gondola that takes you up to the Alpe di Siusi for some amazing hikes. You can also drive up if you reach the mountain road before 9:00 am. After that, traffic is limited to those with reservations, until after 5:00 pm.
We had a wonderful stay here at Hotel Zum Turm in Castelrotto
If your budget allows, you can also stay in more upscale accommodations. We often have clients traveling for a special birthday or anniversary. and it’s fun to book them in a place that is truly celebratory. One recent example is an itinerary we created for a couple celebrating their 15th anniversary. They stayed in this region for 3 nights before moving on to Venice and we recommended they stay up on the Alpe di Siusi. This gave them the chance to be closer to the hikes and biking trails they wanted to explore. We suggested the Hotel Goldknopf and it was a wonderful choice for them. There are SO many incredible options and it all depends on what you and your travel companions will enjoy most.
Quintessential resort towns like Corvara, Ortesei and Cortina are ideal places to base yourself while visiting the Dolomites. They have a wide range of accommodations available. Once you decide on your home base, look for lodging that meets your budget and has all the amenities that are most important to you. Or you can always hire us to find the perfect place for you and plan your whole trip!
Villages such as Castelrotto (or Kastelruth) dot the region and make a wonderful base in the Dolomites
If you love mountain scenery, amazing food and wine, great outdoor activities and wonderful, welcoming accommodations, I highly recommend including the Dolomites in your Italy Travel Itinerary!
The spectacular Alpe di Siusi
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Betsy Ball – Betsy is co-founder and partner of Euro Travel Coach (ETC), which crafts custom European vacations for independent travelers and leads small group trips to Europe. She is a passionate and culturally curious traveler who thoroughly enjoys sharing her love for exploring Europe with ETC clients. Prior to founding ETC, Betsy taught International Business at Tarleton State University in Texas (part of the A & M System) where she led study abroad trips to multiple European countries and other worldwide destinations. She retired from teaching in 2017 and since then, Betsy and her husband, Co-founder and Partner, Greg, have been traveling through Europe multiple times per year for as many as 9 months at a time. She has a degree in hotel, restaurant management from Michigan State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She also holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust.
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