Why The Dolomites In Italy Are The Most Beautiful Paradise You've Never Heard Of
Here's why the Dolomites are the place you need to visit this year.
By Kelly Hushin
About two hours north of Venice lives a scene that looks as if it could have been born in the brain of Vincent Van Gogh or nicked straight off the pages of a Grimm's fairy tale. Rolling green hills dotted with charming village chalets intersect abruptly with dramatic, craggy mountains that pierce the sky. It's an outdoorsman's paradise with endless activities for hikers, bikers and skiers alike. But it also offers premium relaxation for a heaven-on-earth holiday that's chock full of diverse culture.
Welcome to South Tyrol, home to the Italian Dolomites, a destination that's heating up while stacking up on Michelin stars and high-design spa resorts. The summer season (particularly in early July) is quite busy, making for a bustling, jovial scene as travelers converge for a famous annual bike marathon. If you're into that sort of getaway, by all means start your bookings now. Summer remains relatively crowded through August and early September, but slower, quieter months are equally alluring. The sublime scenery is enough to please both the loner and partygoer.
Here, our comprehensive guide to your new favorite European locale.
Renting a car is easier than ever, and nowhere will you be happier you did so than for a trip through the winding, whimsical roads of the Tyrol.
Driving north from Venice is the easiest approach given the global availability of direct flights to Venice airport, but driving south from Austria may be an even better route. Innsbruck, Austria, a sports-loving, progressive college town snuggled amid the Alps, connects directly to the Autobahn (A22), which will take you straight into the heart of the Dolomites.
The most compelling reason for this passage is to see firsthand the shift in cultures as you cross from Austria into Italy. Arguably nowhere else will you experience such a convergence of traditions and witness such impressive linguistics. Most everyone in the area speaks German, Italian and English (and often French, too), but many in the Dolomites also speak a native, ancient language called Ladin. This is the only area in the world where the language is spoken and can be likened to almost nothing else; it is completely distinct and entirely fascinating.
WHERE TO STAY: Adler Dolomiti
Courtesy of Adler Dolomite Spa
An ideal trip in this area will have you staying in, or at least visiting, about three key locations along the SS242, SS244 and the SS51. These are three "highways" you'll know well after driving through them – and in turn, picking up some enviable stick-shift skills. (Automatic cars are available, but the locals drive standards and truly, they're much more fun, and functional, on these roads.)
"Highway" is a loose descriptor, however, as many of the roads are lucky to fit two cars at a time. But don't be intimidated; drivers are extremely polite and won't mind if you must pull over to let them pass. Also, parts of these passages make up what is widely considered one of the world's most scenic drives so it's worth a bit of white knuckling.
Your first hotel is the Adler Dolomiti in the village of Ortisei – or St. Ulrich if using the German name. German and Italian names are used interchangeably in this region, which can admittedly get confusing. The hotel, in the Val Gardena area, is located up a hill on a small cobblestone street that connects to the main shopping area of the town. It's big, bold and yellow so you won't miss it, though its interior is anything but brash.
A center fireplace column punctuates the lobby, which is bathed in light thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows on both sides. Around the fireplace, comfortable cowhide seats and footstools, and a recessed floor get you as close to the flames as you would like. Standard rooms (with complimentary local drinks and snacks that prove a welcome gesture after a long drive) are lined in clean wood that feels less ski lodge, more spa.
WHERE TO STAY: Adler Mountain Lodge
Courtesy of Adler Mountain Lodge Spa
A second Adler location in the same region is harder to get to, but very much worth the haul. The Adler Mountain Lodge is a 45-minute drive from Ortisei, thanks to the windy mountain roads, but only 15 minutes if taking the ski lift and leaving your car in town for a few days (highly recommended).
This luxury spa resort is an isolated utopia where you'll be forced to do nothing else but enjoy the unparalleled view and full-floor spa. Be sure to book a full day for the latter – you'll thank us later.
WHERE TO STAY: Hotel La Perla
Courtesy of Hotel La Perla
East of Ortisei, past Val Gardena, is the sporty region of Alta Badia. One of this area's most appointed and well-known properties is the Hotel La Perla, owned by the Costa family. The Costas are deeply rooted in the culture and activities of the Dolomites, including the annual Maratona dles Dolomites, run by Michil Costa. Catch his always-smiling younger brother, Mathias, at the Murin tavern between biking excursions and he will tell you anything you'd like to know about his homeland. Rooms at La Perla, as well as its sister property right down the road, Berghotel Ladinia, maintain the warm wooded-mountain feel found throughout the Dolomites, but with a level of elevated style and a keen attention to details.
After a few days in Val Gardena and Alta Badia, you will be ready to head even further east to Cortina d'Ampezzo, a magical mountain town full of shops, cafes and inns. Stay a few days at the contemporary Rosapetra Spa Resort. Many rooms in this hotel are duplex-style with beds aloft, as well as outdoor balconies to take in the view. Though there is much to be seen both north and south of Ortisei, by traveling west to east off the Autobahn, you will take in some of the very best of what the Dolomites have to offer.
THINGS TO DO: Val de Funes & San Giovanni Church
Your first destination before even settling into a hotel – or your last, if you're a save-the-best-for-last type – is Val de Funes. You needn't stay overnight here, but you must make an afternoon pit stop. This is where you will see the famous Odle Mountains vista that has perhaps popped up as a suggested Pin on your Pinterest page, or a sponsored post on your Facebook feed…covertly inspiring you to explore the Dolomites.
About a 45-minute drive off the Autobahn is where you're headed – the village of Villnöß, or Funes in Italian. You'll know you are there when the Pale Mountains come into view. Look for the tiny church of San Giovanni, or the even tinier church of St. Magdalena nearby. Find an open green hill – not hard to come by – for a sunset picnic. You'll see firsthand why the Dolomites were deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site. This will arguably be the most majestic few hours of your entire journey.
THINGS TO DO: Shopping In Ortisei
Back in Ortisei, be sure to visit the shops in the center of town for locally made goods like honeys or jams to bring home as treats, or cold meats and cheeses for afternoon snacks. Hand woven textiles and wooden handicrafts also make great local gifts – though it is hard to compete with a slab of speck or a bottle of wine straight from the heart of the Italian mountains.
THINGS TO DO: The Ladin Museum
The Ladin Museum north of Corvara in San Martino details the history of the 30,000 or so people in the region who still speak the Ladin language, which originated in the mountains' valleys. Apart from the museum, there are also countless ancient castles to tour throughout the Dolomites, such as the Castle of Gardena Santa Cristina, constructed in the mid 1600s.
THINGS TO DO: Go For A Hike
Kelly Hushin
Undoubtedly the best thing to do while in the Dolomites is to get outdoors. Hiking and biking is abundant and you would be remiss not to at least venture to Marmolada, the region's highest peak. Even if tackling the summit seems a tall order, there are various gentle to moderate approaches to attempt nearby. One of the most attainable and beautiful hikes is a two to three hour walk just south of Val Gardena called the Viel del Pan. The path gets its name from the Italian word for bread, as it's an age-old trade route used by grain smugglers to avoid hefty Venetian taxes. On this route you'll have an unparalleled view of the Marmolada. Stop for lunch at the Rifugio Viel del Pan, the walk's halfway point.
THINGS TO DO: Climb Via Ferrata
More adventurous travelers may want to stay overnight in a Rifugio and wake up to hike a Via Ferrata. There are many options at varying skill levels for this type of climb, which involves clipping into a steel cable permanently affixed to the rock and scrambling upward. The thought of such an attempt appears daunting, but it seems every local you meet has done dozens of via ferratas. Guides will help build your confidence and before you know it you'll be looking for the next one.
Back on solid ground, and a close second in majesty to the Odle vista – maybe even a dead tie – is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, or "three peaks" of Lavaredo. This park is best accessed from your hotel in Cortina. It is hard to describe the sight of these three otherworldly mountains without referencing the mystical realms of Star Wars or Game of Thrones. The mountain range is often surrounded by fog in early morning, which deftly dissolves by afternoon to reveal three fingers exploding from the earth, swiping the clouds away just for you. The path that encircles these beauties is almost entirely flat; a doable walk for any fitness level.
An added bonus on the Tre Cime walk (though the view alone is worth the mountains' weight in gold and then some) is the remnants of World War I tunnels and galleries. The frontline for Italy and Austria during the war ran through this range and many tunnels, galleries and man-made caves sit ready to be explored.
WHAT TO EAT: Local Fare
Markets all throughout the Dolomites serve an outstanding variety of cured meats and cheeses and your hotels will serve them as part of their breakfast bars. The morning spread at both Adler hotels will easily fill your belly for the day with delicious local fare as well as crepe bars, omelet stations and fresh squeezed juices.
While in Cortina, you'll find plenty of casual to fine dining restaurants such as Il Vizietto di Cortina where the pasta and seafood (surprisingly given the inland location) are heavenly. But dining at all levels will prove satisfying, even if that means grabbing a thick, room temperature, somewhat dry yet shockingly delicious slice of pizza for two Euros at a street-side pasticceria.
WHAT TO EAT: La Stua di Michil & Ladinia
Courtesy of Hotel La PerlaAlamy
Any outdoor adventure will work up a fierce appetite. Fortunately, you can rely on the unrivaled excellence of Italian cuisine at the end of whatever day excursion you take on. If coming in from Austria, you'll welcome the fresh vegetables from the mountains as a contrast to some of the heavier meat and potatoes dishes in the German-inspired north. The real food action in the South Tyrol is in the cured meats and cheeses, and of course the wine…let's not forget the wine. Few places offer a better selection than the wine cellar at Hotel La Perla, whose restaurant, La Stua di Michil, boasts a Michelin star. Every food item on the seasonally changing menu proves that star is well deserved.
The neighboring Berghotel's Restaurant Ladinia offers food just as worthy and wine to match. But before dinner and wine (or after), you must have at least one Negroni poured by the hospitable staff. We confidently wager that it will be the best variety of the Italian cocktail you have ever sipped.
WHAT TO EAT: Strauben
The Austrian influence plays best on the dessert side of the menu, with most restaurants and bakeries serving delicious apple strudels and Strauben, a Tyrolean dessert of fried butter and strawberry sauce. No matter where you are in the Dolomites, you will find the best food is the simplest – food that does not attempt to impress will end up doing just that.
That may be the theme for your whole Dolomites journey: just when you think you can't see or experience anything more jaw-dropping, you turn a corner and are newly inspired.
That may be the theme for your whole Dolomites journey: just when you think you can't see or experience anything more jaw-dropping than yesterday, you turn a corner and are newly inspired.
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