From Ridgelines to Rifugios: the Dolomites Highlights

After we went to Lake Garda, I made a comment to my family that there was no possible way the Dolomites could do better than Lake Garda. If that were the case, this would’ve been a particularly boring blog post. Fortunately, it seems the Dolomites took that personally and made it their goal to prove me as wrong as possible. So, while I’m a bit disappointed to be proven wrong, I’m mostly just happy to share what may be the most beautiful place I’ve been to yet on this trip. The giant peaks were incredible, spearing up into the sky all around you, and the valleys were even better. Surrounded by giant mountains, they were little carpets of green in the most dramatic locations. And, if you think that’s all, you’re wrong. We were there during wildflower season, meaning that the entire area was covered in a carpet of rippling colors. It was incredible, at one point, we got to look down into one of these valleys where the flowers were growing from snowmelt water, and it looked like a giant, abstract mosaic, with clusters of moving colors overlaid against a green background. It was like walking into an art piece, and the mountains certainly made a wonderful background. This place was one of the most spectacular places I have ever been, and I recommend it the most highly out of any of the places we went on this trip, which is a high bar, considering the other places we went.

I’d say that the best way to explore the Dolomites (as with most outdoorsy destinations) is by hiking. My preferred method is day hiking from hotels, which is pretty easy and allows you to choose places for views, not transit value. I did a ton of great hikes here, the first of which being Cinque Torre. For this hike, we took a chairlift up the mountain, then hiked the trail around the top of the mountain. This place was incredible, with panoramic views across the valley below and, the defining feature of the hike, five enormous rockfaces sticking out of the floor at the top of the hill. Each one of them stretched high into the air, looking like the fists of giants. The hike stretched around them, and, at some points, even took us into the cervices between two of the rockfaces. The entire place was also scattered with giant boulders and was right on the cusp of a ridiculously deep valley. This place made you feel incredibly small, and the effect was jaw-dropping. The sloping cliffs, distant snow-capped peaks in the background, and the enormous drop-off to either side made you feel like you were little more than an ant. The area also boasted a different feature, one that didn’t have the same effect of sheer scale, and could even be classified as claustrophobic. The cliff face was dotted with WWI bunkers and artillery shelters. The area was used during the war, and had lookout posts, trenches, and spots for artillery cannons, including one reconstructed cannon that was on display in one of the outcroppings. The area was strikingly picturesque, with rolling green hills, towering rock spires, and a sheer gray rockface behind it. On this rockface there was a rifugio, which, in case you’re wondering, is a lodge for hikers. They’re typically designed for hiking overnight across the peaks, but they also are a bit of a foodie destination. Rifugios (at least, most of them) offer gourmet food and are actually quite well-known as having the best food in this region. Therefore, at every excuse we found, we tended to hike to rifugios and grab lunch. The one here was excellent, and I will talk more about it later in the food section of this post, but just know, if you’re looking for delicious, convenient food in this region, rifugios are your best friends.

While the hike to Cinque Torre was spectacular, hands down the most incredible hike was Seceda Ridge. Now, because it’s a famously beautiful area, it’s notably also the busiest, so make of that what you will. I’d say it’s worth it, though. We took a gondola up, followed by a chairlift, and when we got to the top, I was immediately hit by the sheer beauty of the area. The area is directly on the precipice of a drop-off thousands of feet down to a forest, with a stone cliffside that has grass across the downward sloping opposite side. The whole area was a slanted, windswept meadow perched precariously on the edge of the hill, crowned with a series of peaks making an imposing background silhouette, with rippling yellow flowers and tufted mountain grass ruffling in the winds, and wisps of cloud that were diverted upwards by the cliff hung around the ridgeline like a scarf. It was a nightmare to get a photo of the ridgeline where there wasn’t a cloud obscuring the camera’s view of one part or another, but I did my best. After that, I walked along the ridge and admired the flowers, then turned and walked the other areas near the ridge. There was a second hike there, and our search for a lunch spot ended up being shut down by renovations to the rifugio we chose. After that, I ended up wandering around and trying to get to another rifugio using a trail I underestimated the length of, but, eventually, I was able to get there. The scenery of the area I went to then was great though, especially sabretooth rock, a rocky, grass-covered spire jutting into the air like a sword. It was super pretty, and the surrounding rock formations were nice, as well. There were also marmots in this area, but we only heard those, not saw them. Overall, if you want a striking view and don’t mind there being a lot of people there, Secada Ridge is a popular place to hike for a reason, but even if you don’t want to deal with people, there are still plenty of back trails in the region you can take.

Another hike that I highly recommend is taking the trail from Tre Cime towards Cadini Di Misurina. This place is amazing. Tre Cime alone is wonderful, with enormous rocks that rise high above the trail in the shape of a triangle, but the really beautiful part is the destination of the trail off to the side. I turned off across a side trail, and started walking across the fields of tall, fluffy mountain grass (I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I love that stuff). I had to scramble across a few thin sections of rock along the edges of hills, but I eventually got down to the end of the hillside. From there, I looked out at the Cadini Di Misurina, and oh boy was it worth it. This rock formation is a horseshoe-shaped ring of peaks set off the valley, ringed with peaks and looking like a stone circlet crowning the valley below. To top it off, there was a viewpoint where you could walk out on a thin outcrop jutting out into the valley like a spear and giving nearly unobstructed 270-degree views of the valley (part of the view looks back at the line of people waiting to take your spot, so only 270 degrees of it are interesting). I recommend this hike if you want an extremely striking view, but don’t want to deal with the crowds of the Cinque Torre, as this hike is nearly as picturesque as that hike, with only a fraction of the tourists (what I said earlier is just because of the bottleneck formed by the thin path). I definitely liked this hike as a quick little excursion with a great view and not too many crowds (if you don’t go on the Tre Cime path, as that one is a common tourist attraction).

If you’re looking for a short, more chill hike, the top one on my list is the hike to Lago Di Boe. This hike is relatively short and flat and is broken up by multiple gondolas and chairlifts. There’s also a lot of really nice scenery, as the gondola takes you up a mountain, above the cloud line. Once you’re up there, the terrain changes to a steep, rocky spear (the trail remains simple, though) and takes you up the hill to Lago Di Boe, a small circular lake tucked in between the rocks and the cliffside. It’s a wonderful place, and the reflections of the hills rising high above the ground are beautiful to see in the glassy green water of the lake. After visiting the lake, you may notice that you’re still not done with the hike, and you’re right. There’s a chairlift going all the way up the peaks to the top, which, at the time we went, was still covered with snow in the summer. It was a crescent-shaped segment of peaks with rocks and snow filling the center, and it was really interesting to see, especially on a summer vacation. We walked around for a little bit up there, then hiked back to the car. If you want a simple hike with a nice little lake and a cool mountain peak, this is your best bet, and it has the added bonus of gondola breaks, which are always fun (at least for me, but it’s your trip, not mine, I already went here). If you want rolling green hills instead of jagged peaks, my second choice of chill hike, Piz La Ila, is the one for you. This hike takes you through numerous wildflower meadows blooming in all different colors, and looks like a rainbow painted onto the ground. I certainly recommend this one, too, and if you want to stop for a drink on this hike, one of the rifugios here (I don’t remember which one exactly) has some very nice skiwasser (a local berry drink) that I enjoyed greatly.

My first food recommendation is Tschoch Alm, as the food here was truly insane. We took a small hike here from the valley below, and after a long gondola ride, we got up to the restaurant. The rifugio was a small, charming log-sided hut set on a small cliffside looking out over an enormous meadow, and I honestly spent quite a while just looking at the view before I got cold and went inside to have food. Once we were there, I ordered a pasta dish that was truly incredible. The homemade pasta was super flavorful, and the meat was incredibly tender, as well as pairing well with the sauce and bacon, making for an amazing dish. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I do know that I would be willing to fly back to the Dolomites to get another bowl of it (though I’d be willing to fly back there anyway).

My second recommendation comes with a recommendation for a hotel, too. For at least part of your time in the Dolomites, I recommend the Miraval Naturhotel. It’s an amazing hidden gem in the region, and has really comfortable rooms, incredible views of a nearby rockface that if the light hits right, it turns pink, and some of the most incredible meals I have ever had. If you get half board here (and by all means you should) you will get a five-course meal every night from an extremely talented chef. You’ll get wonderful (and inventive) pasta dishes like branzino with apple and orzo, which, by the way, was super unique and delicious, or octopus pasta, or even wild boar one night (you know how much I rave about boar). You’ll also get a battery of amazing soups made with fennel and other flavorful ingredients, wonderful meat dishes like ribs, steak, pork tender loin, and more. You also get an amazing desert every night, usually focused on fruits, as we had strawberry four ways one night and something similar for passionfruit another night. Oh yeah, and I’d be forgetting something if I neglected to mention the fully stocked cheese board of local cheese and bread every night. Everything I had there was amazing, especially the food from the gala dinner night. I know this is Italy, and the food from here stands out regardless, but it takes something truly special to stand out among meals in Italy, and this place was more than capable. We stayed here for a long time, and not a single meal, in fact, not a single course, was bad. I understand if you aren’t looking for a hotel in the region it is in (although that region is great, and you should be) but if you are, you should definitely stay here. Take my word on this, you’ll thank me later.

My next (and final) recommendation for food in this post is Rifugio Averau, a convenient option for if you go to Cinque Torre. I don’t have quite as much to say about this one as the others, but they did have a wonderful selection of dishes, including a wonderful white ragout that was just exploding with flavor. As usual, it was made with amazing homemade pasta, and the sauce here was stupendous, giving it a rich, delicious flavor. I don’t entirely recall what my family got here, but I do remember that those dishes were excellent as well. I definitely recommend this rifugio for anyone going to Cinque Torre during the lunch hours, and even if you aren’t planning on it, I could recommend going to Cinque Torre during the lunch hours just to go here.

All in all, I will say I loved the Dolomites. Picturesque hikes, amazing food, and wonderful scenery, and while those seem to often be present on the trips I go on, these were another level. Towering peaks, carpets of wildflowers, fresh-made pasta, and some wonderful animals (I didn’t mention the choughs because I doubt others got as much enjoyment out of them, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there). The Dolomites are a truly special place, and if you go there, you’ll notice that, too, so please do yourself a favor and do that. You’ll love it, and it is a wonderful destination. I can’t vouch for how good it is as a ski destination, but for general outdoorsy fun, I do recommend it. My only regret was not trying paragliding somewhere on this trip, but if that’s my greatest regret, I am extremely happy with the whole thing. In Italy, there’s a lot of beauty out there, and odds are most of it is lying around in the Dolomites somewhere, so do yourself a favor and go find it.