Our time in the Dolomites was nothing short of spectacular. We were thoroughly impressed by this unique geological phenomenon and incredibly happy to have finally visited this UNESCO World Heritage site.
Also known as the “Pale mountains” due to the carbonate rock dolomite, these mountains are full of beautiful trails that will delight any hiking enthusiast. We hiked every day with the kids (of varying distances), usually between 2200 and 2800m.
Places to Visit in the Dolomites:
Compatsch – Sassolungo / Alpe di Siusi
Covering an area of 6000 hectares, Seiser Alm or Alpe di Siusi is the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe and was our first stop in the Dolomites.
We took the cable car up to Compatsch and did a 6km loop hike to see Mt Sassolungo (3181m). We understood it was 9km but as (we felt) the trails were so poorly signed, we took the wrong path from the start and ended up doing a 6km loop, much to the kids’ relief.
Tre Cime di Lazaredo
The 10km Tre Cime di Lazaredo or Drei Zinnen loop hike was the highly anticipated activity for us during our time in the Dolomites.
The three distinctive peaks can only be fully appreciated by doing this loop hike which I would highly recommend.
Learn more about our hike here.
Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri is a group of five towers located nearby Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Park your car where the restaurant Baita Bai de Dones is located and hike or take the chair lift up to Rifugio Scoiattoli. From there it is a short walk/hike to Cinque Torri.
Our boys loved their time there as they were able to do a lot of scrambling around the rocks.
We also saw many rock climbers scaling all the five towers as it is a very popular rock climbing destination.
During the First World War, the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies fought in these mountains and you can see the trenches, tunnels and more that were built back then to this day in the open-air museum.
Passo Giau
At 2236m, Passo Giau is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites not far from Cortina d’Ampezzo at the foot of Nuvolau (2574m) and dell’Averau (2647m).
There are many hiking trails and via ferratas you can do from here.
Lago Ghedina
We were incredibly lucky to have seen the sign pointing towards Lago Ghedina as we were driving up to catch the cable car to Rifugio Pomedes.
We made a stop at this beautiful lake on the way back to Cortina d’Ampezzo and had the loveliest time. The boys loved playing in the water filled with trout while us parents were in awe of the beautiful mountains in the background.
Rifugio Lagazuoi
Located on the peak of Mount Lagazuoi above the Falzarego Pass, Rifugio Lagazuoi (2752m) attracts many tourists, hikers and climbers alike.
We took the cable car up to this mountain hut where you can also visit the Great War Open Air Museum here as well as enjoy the Finnish sauna at 2752m high with a view of the Dolomites.
The food up here was also really good. Come up just for a meal with incredible views if nothing else.
Rifugio Pomedes
Located at 2303m above sea level in the Tofane mountains, the large terrace of this beautiful mountain hut overlooks Cortina d’Ampezzo and many beautiful iconic peaks in the Dolomites.
As we were taking a slightly easier day after having done the Tre Cime hike the day before, we opted to take two chair lifts all the way up to Rifugio Pomedes. The alternative is to take one chair lift and hike the rest of the way up.
Bear in mind though, that you are hiking up some of the most legendary ski runs in winter, such as the slope where the Women’s Alpine Skiing World Cup takes place – it is steep.
On your way up, look out for the via ferratas along these massive rocks with varying difficulties – some are suitable for families with children.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Known as the Queen of the Dolomites, this famous winter ski resort was our home for 4 nights as we explored the area.
We couldn’t believe our eyes upon arrival when we saw that the town was surrounded 360 degrees by soaring cathedrals of dolomitic limestone with some peaks rising above 3000m. Below is a picture of Hotel Oasi, our home during our time there.
The scenery, the shops, the restaurants, the church square, the buzzing atmosphere of the high street – made Cortina the perfect holiday spot. A restaurant we loved was Il Vizietto di Cortina.
Restaurant Ariston Bar served the most incredible spaghetti with white meat sauce and truffles – like bolognese with beef but without tomatoes, instead with cream.
Lago di Misurina
Situated 1754m above sea level, Lago di Misurina is a lake near the famous Tre Cime in the Dolomites. People usually combine a visit to this lake with the Tre Cime loop hike.
We however figured that we would just want to head back to the hotel and rest after the hike, so we ventured out to see this lake the day before.
It was the right decision.
Normally, it is possible to rent boats to row on the lake but it was not the case due to coronavirus.
Sadly, that beautiful yellow painted hotel looked more like a ghost town when we drove closer past it.
The boys had a great time doing their favourite activity – throwing stones into the lake.
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I hope you have enjoyed reading the places to visit in the Dolomites. We had an incredible time there and hope you will too.
For other places to visit in Italy, click here.
