Nova Levante Tel 0471 613126 www.welschnofen.com
Tires Tel 0471 642127 www.tiers.it
When to go
The Dolomites! It was full fifteen years since I had first seen sketches of them by a great artist not long since passed away, and their strange outlines and still stranger colouring had haunted me ever since. I thought of them as every summer came round; I regretted them every autumn; I cherished dim hopes about them every spring.
Amelia Edwards (1873)
Visit the Dolomites between June and October for walking, unless you’re equipped with snowshoes or skis for the marvellous snow season that extends from Christmas to Easter. From early summer many low-altitude walks are feasible and the paths quiet, but it’s worth waiting until July for high-altitude routes to be free of late-lying snow, otherwise accumulations in gullies can conceal waymarking or turn into treacherous ice. Several other factors affect walking: the rifugi (refuge huts) open from late June through to late September, should you rely on them for overnight accommodation or meals, while bus services run from about late June to September (see Local transport). August is the busiest month, with the peak Italian holiday period focusing on August 15th, a national holiday. It is advisable to book accommodation in advance for this time.
July is the best month for flowers, while September to October have cooler conditions and superb visibility as autumn and its crispness approaches, with the chance of the odd snowfall. Late-season walkers will be rewarded with improved chances of observing wildlife in solitude. Italy stays on summer time until the end of October, when there is daylight until about 6pm.
Accommodation
All the Dolomite valleys and villages offer a vast choice of hotel (albergo), guesthouse (locanda), bed & breakfast (affittacamera, Garnì) and even farm stay (agriturismo) options for all pockets. Families with small children will appreciate the freedom of a house (casa) or flat (appartamento); rentals are common, usually on a weekly basis. Suggestions for medium-range hotels are given in Appendix B, otherwise consult the tourist office websites above for full accommodation listings and availability. Reservation in key resorts such as Cortina is not usually necessary outside the August to September peak season, but it is always best to book in advance to save disappointment. Look for signs with zimmer frei or camera libera (room free) if you’re driving through.
Although each walk described in this guide can be completed in a single day, to allow you enough time to return to comfortable valley accommodation, an overnight stay in an alpine refuge is always a memorable experience and can be the highlight of a walking holiday. Contact details are given at the end of the relevant route descriptions. With the odd exception at road level, these marvellous establishments are set in spectacular high-altitude positions accessible only to walkers or climbers. They are open all through the summer months and offer reasonably priced meals and sleeping facilities that range from spartan dormitories with bunk beds to cosy, if simple, guest rooms. Charges are around €18 for a bed and €40 for half board, which means bed, a three-course dinner and breakfast. Most huts are run by the Italian Alpine Club CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) as well as its Trentino branch SAT (Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini), and the South Tyrol club AVS (German Alpenverein Südtirol), as denoted with their listing. All mountain huts, run by the clubs or privately managed, are open to everyone. Members of affiliated alpine associations from other countries receive good discounted rates (50% off bed rates) in line with reciprocal agreements. Brits can join the UK branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (Tel 01929 556870; www.aacuk.org.uk). Members of the British Mountaineering Council and Mountaineering Council of Scotland can buy a Reciprocal Rights Card from the BMC website, www.thebmc.co.uk.
Cheery Rifugio Padova (Walk 15)
Walkers heading for Rifugio Vaiolet (Walk 36)
Pillows and blankets are always provided, so sleeping bags are not needed. Sleeping sheets, however, are compulsory in the club-run huts, so carry your own. Some huts have them on sale. You’ll also need a small towel, not that showers (either hot or cold) are common. A pair of lightweight running shoes or slippers is a good idea, as boots must not be worn inside huts, although guests are sometimes provided with rubber flip-flops or clogs. Hut rules include no smoking and lights out from 10pm to 6am, when the generator is switched off.
Rifugio accommodation should be booked in advance for July and August, especially on weekends for the hot spots. When you phone, tell the guardian: ‘Vorrei prenotare un posto letto/due posti letto’ (I’d like to book one/two beds). Be aware that a booking can set costly (for you!) emergency search procedures in motion if you don’t turn up, so remember to cancel if you change your plans. The occasional ultra-modern rifugio accepts credit cards, but it’s best to carry a sufficient supply of euros in cash, to be on the safe side. All the towns and large villages have an ATM.
The magnificent Vallon delle Lede is flanked on either side by soaring rock towers (Walk 47)
Camping should be restricted to official valley sites, which are always well equipped and often in superb locations. However, a discreet pitch well off a path and away from the huts should not be a problem (unless you are in a park area, where it is strictly forbidden).
Food and drink
While this may not be the gastronomical heart of Italy, foodies will not be disappointed. The German-speaking valleys pride themselves on delicious cereal breads, such as the crunchy rounds of unleavened rye bread with cumin seeds, Völser Schüttelbrot, or a softer yeasty version. Both are a perfect taste match for thinly sliced Speck, a local smoked ham flavoured with juniper berries, coriander and garlic.
Rifugio Viel del Pan is popular with walkers (Walk 41)
In a restaurant, Knödelsuppe or canederli in brodo means traditional farm-style dumplings the size of tennis balls (made of bread blended with eggs), flavoured with Speck and served in consommé. With any luck, the pasta course will include Schlutzkrapfen, home-made ravioli filled with spinach. For a main course in the southern valleys, Tosella – a fresh cheese (vaguely resembling mozzarella) lightly fried in butter or oven-baked with cream – is definitely worth tasting. Otherwise, go for Polenta con formaggio fuso, corn meal smothered with melted cheese, hopefully accompanied by funghi, wild mushrooms. Meat eaters can order spicy goulash or variations of Bauernschmaus, smoked pork and sausages on a bed of warm Sauerkraut, stewed cabbage.
For those with a sweet tooth, the dessert front is dominated by Kaiserschmarm, a scrumptious concoction of sliced pancake with dried fruit and redcurrant jelly. Another special treat (and a meal in itself) is Strauben, fried squirts of sweetened batter with bilberry sauce. Ask at the bakeries for Apfelstrudel or Mohnstrudel, a luscious pastry roll stuffed with apple or poppy seeds respectively.
Some memorable wines hail from the Dolomites. Among the reds are the full-bodied Teroldego and lighter Schiava from the Trentino, as well as excellent Lagrein and Blauburgunder (Pinot nero) from the slopes round Bolzano. The list of whites is headed by the heavenly, aromatic Gewürztraminer, which reputedly originated at Termeno (near Bolzano), while very drinkable Riesling and similar others are produced from grapes grown on the steep terraces over the Isarco valley.
The non-alcoholic Holundersaft, elderberry blossom syrup, is refreshing on a hot summer’s day. Coffee