Italy

Dolomites

The Dolomites are the Alps at their most operatic — pale limestone towers that blush pink at dusk above meadows, larch forests and villages where Italian, German and Ladin cultures overlap. The region pairs that UNESCO-listed scenery with an unusually refined hotel and food culture, on the slopes and off them.

Best areas to stay

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The 'Queen of the Dolomites' brings Italian glamour, ski heritage and a lively passeggiata to a natural amphitheatre of peaks.

Alta Badia

Ladin villages such as Corvara and San Cassiano combine gentle, sunny skiing with one of the Alps' most concentrated fine-dining scenes.

Val Gardena

Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva sit beneath the Sella massif with direct access to the Sellaronda circuit and superb summer hiking.

Alpe di Siusi

Europe's largest high-alpine meadow spreads beneath the Sciliar, ideal for wellness hotels, gentle walking and winter snowshoeing.

Dining & nightlife

Mountain dining here is exceptional, from Ladin specialities in timbered stube to a remarkable cluster of starred restaurants around Alta Badia and San Cassiano. Après-ski is stylish rather than raucous, and evenings favour long dinners and spa hours.

Travelling as a family

Gentle nursery slopes, summer lift-served walking and family-run hotels with serious kids' facilities make the Dolomites a strong family choice in both seasons. Toboggan runs and mountain lakes such as Braies keep itineraries simple.

Travelling as a couple

Watching the enrosadira — the peaks' pink evening glow — from an outdoor pool is the signature Dolomites moment. Couples come for spa suites, rifugio lunches reached on foot and first-tracks skiing followed by very good wine.

Cultural highlights

The Sellaronda ski and cycling circuit around the Sella massif
Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the range's emblematic triple towers
Ladin language, cuisine and museums in the Badia and Gardena valleys
Great War tunnels and open-air museums on the Lagazuoi

When to visit

The ski season runs roughly December to early April on the linked Dolomiti Superski network, while late June to September opens the high trails, via ferrata routes and rifugio lunches. Autumn's golden larches in October are a quiet-season reward; many hotels close between seasons.

Alpine climate with cold, snowy winters and fresh, bright summers; afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August at altitude.

Practical notes

Fly into Venice (VCE), Verona (VRN) or Innsbruck (INN); transfers to the valleys take two to three hours
A car is useful in summer, though high passes are busy and some close in winter
Book winter and August stays far ahead; interseason months see many closures
Lift passes cover the wider Dolomiti Superski area across multiple valleys

View Dolomites on the map

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