Clockwise from top: Alpine meadows in San Martino di Castrozza; a stele from World War I commemorating soldiers; Vigo-Catinaccio cable car at Ciampedie, Val di Fassa |
FIVE MOUNTAIN HUTS WORTH THE WALK
A long lunch in a rifugio( mountain hut) is a rite of passage in the Dolomites. Originally built to accommodate shepherds, or later soldiers and mountaineers, these refuges range from cowsheds to comfortable inns.
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images: alamy |
Due to overtourism, several of the bestknown attractions, including Lake Braies, the Three Peaks of Lavaredo and the high Alpine meadow of Alpe di Siusi, have been forced to restrict visitor numbers during the peak summer months. But while all of these are beautiful, they’ re not unique— the region is full of crystal Alpine lakes, soaring summits and rolling pastures flanked by phalanx-like peaks. And if you know where to go, it’ s perfectly possible to escape into mountains that are almost as empty as when Dolomieu himself passed through some 250 years ago.
CORTINA D’ AMPEZZO
Often dubbed the queen of the Dolomites, Cortina d’ Ampezzo combines some of the region’ s most iconic mountain views with old-world Alpine glamour. Sitting in a broad valley ringed by peaks— the Tofane, Cristallo and Sorapis massifs rise dramatically on all sides— the town became a favourite with Austrian royals in the 1800s, before exploding in popularity with the growth of skiing in the 20th century.
Ernest Hemingway visited— and wrote a short story about it— in the 1920s. And in the postwar period, when it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics( seven decades before this year’ s extravaganza), it was the fashionable place to go skiing, attracting the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren. These days, summer visitors come for panoramic hikes, made easily accessible by ski lifts that can whisk
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you up thousands of feet in a matter of minutes. Evenings are for aperitivi on Corso Italia, the storied central street where climbers, hikers and fur-wearing Milanese mingle.
POZZA DI FASSA & VIGO DI FASSA
Technically, Pozza di Fassa and Vigo di Fassa are separate towns, but in reality they feel like one ribbon-like settlement, which stretches out along the Val di Fassa, one of the Dolomites’ most visually striking valleys. This is one of the centres of the Ladin language— an ancient Alpine tongue that’ s only spoken in certain areas of the range— and the culture is subtly different from what you find elsewhere in the region. Pozza di Fassa and Vigo di Fassa are less flashy than Cortina( think wooden farmhouses with flower-filled balconies as opposed to grand old Alpine hotels) but the scenery is equally beautiful, and they have the added advantage of natural hot springs. In summer, this valley, flanked on one side by the Rosengarten Group, is among the best places to appreciate the phenomenon that Italian-speakers call enrosadira, and Germans call alpenglow— when the sunset paints the pale cliffs red and orange.
SAN MARTINO DI CASTROZZA
On the southern edge of the Dolomites, San Martino di Castrozza sits beneath one of the region’ s most spectacular skylines— the Pale di San Martino mountains. The village is blessedly quiet compared to
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Rifugio Passo Principe Set among the towering peaks of the Catinaccio massif, this feels remote, despite being reachable on foot from a valley parking lot in two and a half hours. The atmosphere inside is welcoming and the food is excellent.
Rifugio Rosetta Perched above the ski resort town of San Martino di Castrozza( see left), the Rifugio Rosetta is accessible by cable car and sits amid spectacular landscape. From the hut, trails lead to panoramic viewpoints, while the hut itself boasts an impressive sun terrace.
Rifugio Montanara Accessible via lift or a gentle hike, this refuge provides one of the most rewarding viewpoints in the Brenta Dolomites. This one is for travellers seeking spectacular views over Lake Molveno without a strenuous climb.
Tuff Alm Although it’ s a stone’ s throw from Alpe di Siusi, Tuff Alm attracts fewer crowds. It’ s gorgeous in fall, when the larch trees turn, and the food is a cut above your average rifugio fare, with real care taken over presentation.
Rifugio Tissi Perched opposite the immense Monte Civetta, this hut involves a longer hike— three and a half hours from the nearest cable car— but the reward is the sense of standing face-to-face with one of the Alps’ great wonders.
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