Dolomites

The most photogenic limestone peaks in the Alps, with the Church of Funes, Tre Cime and Lago di Braies: a paradise for hiking and driving, and host of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Dolomites (Dolomiti) are a group of dolomite mountains in the Alps of northeastern Italy, spanning three provinces: South Tyrol (the autonomous province of Bolzano), Trentino and Veneto (the province of Belluno). They were inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2009 for their distinctive pale rock towers, vertical cliffs and glacial landforms. German, Italian and Ladin are all used here, so place names often have two or three versions (e.g. Seiser Alm = Alpe di Siusi). The core area divides into three parts: in the west, the Val Gardena–Alpe di Siusi–Val di Funes area (Seceda, the Church of Santa Maddalena); in the north, the Val di Braies/Pustertal area (Lago di Braies, Tre Cime); in the east, the area around Cortina d'Ampezzo–Lago di Misurina–Passo Giau; and in the south, Lago di Carezza and the Val di Fassa. The climate is alpine: from mid-June to the end of September the cable cars and mountain huts are all open and hiking is at its best (afternoon thunderstorms are common in July–August, so climb in the morning); in early-to-mid October the larches turn gold and crowds are thin, but some cable cars stop running in mid-October; December–March is ski season (the Dolomiti Superski pass covers 12 ski areas and 1,200 km of slopes, with the Sellaronda circuit the most famous), and the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics take place here in February 2026; April–May and November are low season, with cable cars under maintenance and mountain huts closed. Getting there: the nearest airports are Venice (2 hours to Cortina), Innsbruck (1.5 hours to Bressanone) and Milan; trains reach Bolzano, Bressanone and Brunico, where you change to a bus, but the sights are spread out, so driving saves the most time (mountain roads have many sharp bends, and snow tires or chains are needed in winter); in summer peak season some areas restrict visitor numbers: for the Tre Cime toll road and Lago di Braies, from 09:30 to 16:00 in July–September you must reserve parking in advance or take a shuttle bus. We suggest 4–6 days, staying at two bases such as Ortisei, Cortina or Dobbiaco. Note: temperatures swing widely between day and night in the mountains, so bring a windproof jacket and hiking boots; round-trip cable car tickets range from €25–40 and are mostly not included in the pass; mountain hut (rifugio) accommodation must be booked months ahead; please do not trample alpine meadows or stack stones by the lakes.

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Itineraries