Italy
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.
The 'Queen of the Dolomites' brings Italian glamour, ski heritage and a lively passeggiata to a natural amphitheatre of peaks.
Ladin villages such as Corvara and San Cassiano combine gentle, sunny skiing with one of the Alps' most concentrated fine-dining scenes.
Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva sit beneath the Sella massif with direct access to the Sellaronda circuit and superb summer hiking.
Europe's largest high-alpine meadow spreads beneath the Sciliar, ideal for wellness hotels, gentle walking and winter snowshoeing.
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.
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.
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.
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