Dreaming of the Dolomites: Italy's most dramatic peaks
In Italy's northeast, jagged pale mountains rise above green valleys in one of Europe's great landscapes.
In the far northeast of Italy, where the country brushes up against Austria, rise the Dolomites, a range of jagged, pale limestone peaks so dramatic and distinctive that they seem almost unreal — a landscape of sheer towers and spires above emerald meadows and still lakes.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dolomites glow a famous shade of pink and gold at sunrise and sunset, a phenomenon locals call the enrosadira. The mountains draw hikers and climbers in summer and skiers in winter, but their beauty needs no special skill to appreciate; a cable car or a mountain drive delivers staggering views.
The region is a cultural crossroads, with a blend of Italian, Austrian and Ladin influences reflected in its villages, architecture and food. Mountain huts, or rifugi, offer hearty meals of dumplings, polenta and strudel to walkers along the trails, and a glass of local wine with an unforgettable view.
Towns like Cortina d'Ampezzo and the valleys of Alta Badia and Val Gardena serve as gateways, offering comfort and charm amid the peaks. In between lie turquoise lakes like Braies, mirror-still in the morning, and high passes that thrill drivers and cyclists.
Whether laced up for a long hike or simply gazing from a terrace, the visitor to the Dolomites encounters one of the great mountain landscapes of Europe, where the scale and strangeness of the peaks leave a lasting impression.