Italy is one of the best-loved destinations in the world. But while many visit its fantastic and historic cities when exploring the country, Italy has just as many natural wonders as man-made ones. Take the Dolomites. This mountain range in North-eastern Italy is the ideal place for active individuals who want to explore the unknown beauty of Italy.
Visited by over 35 million people in 2022, the spectacular mountain range is home to dizzying peaks, rolling Alpine hills, and pristine glacial lakes. Many excellent hiking trails run through the region, but which are the best? To help you experience the best walking when exploring the Dolomites, here are three of our top picks.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
An iconic peak, Tre Cime di Lavaredo is a must-visit for anyone planning an adventurous trip to Italy. At around 10.3km, it’ll take you a good three to four hours to circumvent the loop route, which is a medium-difficulty hike with plenty of well-kept paths.
On your hike, you’ll witness the jutting, jagged peaks the Dolomites are so well known for. And if you love a massive panorama, you’ll have plenty to soak in all through the walk.
Alta Badia trail
Alta Badia is more well-known for its skiing, and while that’s a must-visit if you love snow sports, even walkers can get lots out of exploring the area’s 400km of safe, well-maintained, and clearly signposted trails.
Running all through this fantastic alpine wonderland of peaks, woodlands, and rolling valleys, elevations run between 1,200 and 3,250m at a range of skill levels. You can view the various hikes available here.
Viel Dal Pan trail
A historic trail once used by flour merchants transporting their wares between the various valleys thatmake up the Dolomites region, the Viel Dal Pan trail goes through the mountain pass of Passo Pordoi and heads down towards Lago di Fedaia.
A relatively long route taking around two and a half hours to complete in its entirety, it’s a moderate difficulty hike which offers great up-close views of the mountainside thanks to elevations of between 2,238m and 2,539m. One of the best bits of this trail is the extreme views – you can see for many miles at plenty of points of the trail, so make sure to factor in lots of time to sit amongst the rocks and soak in the views.
The Italian Dolomites are a great choice for anyone wanting to enjoy a slice of Italy’s natural beauty while flexing their limbs and working off last night’s rich Italian cuisine.
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