The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in the Dolomites

Dolomites. Le Corbusier called “the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen”. At sunset they become pink, thanks to the last rays of sun which create the enrosadira, a unique sight during which Dolomites becomes rosate. In 2009 UNESCO added the Dolomites to its list of natural heritage sites.

There are a lot of chilometres to walk in the silence and in the middle of uncontaminated nature. Wild animals and comfort places to stay. You can go to the highest peak which is Marmolada or to Cristallo mountain, which is up above Cortina d’Ampezzo. Don’t forget to walk on the First world war paths around passo Falzarego or to explore the wild and stunning Val Zoldana.

So why not going on a week holiday there?

Picking a trail

The Dolomites have a well-maintained network of trails for hiking and rock climbing. As long as you’re in reasonably good shape, the number of appealing hiking options can be overwhelming. Along your path, you should sleep in a refugee, find a malga or reach a bivouac. If you have a tent with you, be sure that camping is allowed in that zone you choose. In fact it is not legal in many places, such as inside Parco delle Dolomiti Bellunesi or Regole’s zones.

Stunning landscapes and precious towns

You can consider the idea to have a six days hiking along the Alta Via n.1 or n. 2 which explores some of the main peaks and paths of the Dolomites.

Trails are well marked on the map (before starting your Dolomites experience you should buy a Tabacco map which has also the app version for your i-phone or Android) by grades of difficulty: T for tourist path, H for hiking path, EE for expert hikers, and EEA for equipped expert hikers. The Alta via n. 1 links Dobiacco to Belluno with a 120 km long path. While Alta Via n. 2 goes from Bressanone to Feltre.

Stunning lakes

There are several mountain lakes which can be reached on the Dolomites. Two of the most famous are Sorapiss lake (which is close to Cortina d’Ampezzo) and the other one is Coldai Lake (on the northern side of Civetta mountain chain).

The Sorapiss lake, which can be reached after a two hours hiking from passo Tre Croci, has an almost surreal colour which calls for a leisurely rest here.

Otherwhise glacial Coldai lake, can be reached from the Valzoldana side or from Alleghe, which is a small and cute town which lies itself on a lake.

Dolomites’ traditional food

One of the pleasures of an adventure in the Dolomites is resting at a hut (rifugio) and exchange the trekking experience you are having with some of the other guests.

There are hundreds of them in the Dolomites and they range in comfort from simpler to posh. But what can you have for lunch or dinner there? Rustic is the right adjective. Keepers of the hut will bring you different sort of Italian salami, dumplings, stews and delicious vegetables soups. There is also pasta, of course.

If you want to sleep there, reservations are a must, especially in summer, although Italian law requires rifugi to accept travellers for the night if there’s insufficient time to reach other accommodations before dark. Bring with you your sleeping bag. You will spend around 20 to 30 euros per night (here you will find all the prices).