Why visit
The Dolomites are a mountain range within the alps in the northeastern part of Italy. They are most famous for their incredible beauty because of their sheer cliffs, dramatic valleys and crystal clear lakes. They are certainly a bucket list destination for anyone who loves the outdoors. While I will certainly be back for a longer period, a day trip is certainly doable to add a little bit of nature into a city break.
How to get there
Getting to and around the Dolomites is certainly the biggest challenge due to the lack of public transport options. However, contrary to some reports online, driving in Northern Italy is no more difficult than in any other country. The rules are relatively straightforward and the drive to the Dolomites doesn’t come across any major cities which makes the journey quite simple. If you chose to hire a car from the Airport this is incredibly cheap with cars from just £4 a day and the drive is just under 3 hours.
Our trip and When to go
To say we were ill prepared for this adventure would be a huge understatement. Our spring wardrobes and trainers, which were meant for walking around Venice, didn’t really suffice for the 2 feet of snow covering the landscape that we found when we got there. Had we done a bit more research we would have known that most of the lakes were completely snowed over and anyone in the mountains at this time was there for one reason and that was to ski. Our hopes of seeing the crystal waters and incredible reflections at the famous Lago di Braies were misplaced. We chose to stop for lunch here though and the food from Emma’s Bistro did not disappoint. We continued on to Lago di Dobbiaco which, due to its lower altitude was half thawed so we could wander the paths around the lake. We even stumbled across a snowman.
If you want to be a little more prepared than we were plan your trip well in advance (not 12 hours before like us) and pack for the time of year:
- Winter – Best for skiing, winter sports and nature. Hiking trails mostly closed
- Spring – Far less visitors, lower elevation hikes start to open again as the snow melts away.
- Summer – Peak season for exploring the mountains and sightseeing with perfect weather. Prices rise and the number of visitors increases hugely.
- Autumn – Less visitors due to cooler temperatures. Most hikes remain open but the mountain cabins close
