The Marmolada

Touching the heavens

The Queen of the Dolomites rises majestically above the alpine landscape. Her crowning point is 3,343 m high on Punta Penia, the looming shape of which can be seen from afar. Beneath her, human beings look tiny. She demands nothing more than respect, which can be felt by anyone who tries to approach this huge mountain group.

This famous plate armour made of limestone, which stretches for 2,208 ha between the two provinces of Belluno and Trento, is almost one kilometre high and two kilometres wide. Vertical rock faces, wild glaciers, and demanding peaks over 3,000 m like Punta Rocca (3,309 m), Punta Serauta (3,218 m), and Gran Vernel (3,205 m) reflect the diversity of the Marmolada mountain range. The highest museum in Europe is located in the Serauta cable car station at 3,000 m above sea level, just a few steps from the Marmolada Glacier. The Marmolada Grande Guerra Museum tries to present the First World War from the perspective of the soldiers and to provide historical food for thought.

But the Queen of the Dolomites' abode is as contrasting and varied a large alpine landscape as one can only dream of. The Marmolada is a mountain of superlatives for sports enthusiasts in both summer and winter. Countless vie ferrate, snowshoe hikes, hiking trails, and ice climbing and ski routes attract thousands of people to the mountain every year. Until the glaciers shrank, the only summer skiing area in the Dolomites was also located on the Marmolada. Today, paragliders land on the summit and then try to spiral their way back into the sky to see the beauty of the mountains from above.

The Tofana

The heart of the Dolomites beats on high...

Cortina d'Ampezzo is considered the heart of the Dolomites. But it is the surrounding area more than the resort itself that deserves this title. To the west of the Cortina d'Ampezzo, the triple peaks of the Tofane rise above an ocean of lush green meadows and forests. Nowhere else does the heart of the Dolomites beat more clearly than here, between the flawless mountain massifs of the Tofane, where the three giants dominate this imposing mountain range.

The Tofana di Mezzo (3,244 m) is the highest of the three Tofane and the second highest mountain in the Dolomites after the Marmolada. On the northern side is the Tofana di Dentro (3,238 m), the easiest peak above 3,000 m in the Dolomites. The medium-difficulty Via Ferrata Formenton offers climbing enthusiasts spectacular views and alpine exhilaration.

The southernmost and lowest elevation of the Tofane, the Tofana di Rozes (3,225 m), stands independently. It is separated by Forcella Fontananegra and the other two tofane. A hiking route that leads around the Tofana di Rozes is a classic for many tourists and takes an estimated total walking time of five to six hours.

You can go hiking, climbing, and skiing on the Tofane. A cable car leads from Cortina up to the Tofane di Mezzo. The cable car here is called "Freccia nel cielo" (Sky Arrow) – and often it seems as if Cupid is trying to shoot the arrow through the middle of Cortina towards the Tofane to hit the heart of the Dolomites.

The Civetta

The scouting night bird of the Dolomites

Heading from the Falzarego Pass into the Cordevole Valley, you come to the small mountain village of Alleghe, with its legendary lake of the same name. On the shores of the lake, you can feel a special energy that seems to flow 3,320 m down the majestic flanks of the Civetta into the valley. The local population calls the Civetta "Zuita", which means "scouting night bird". With a little imagination, you can actually picture the protruding spurs of its ridge as the wings of a huge bird protecting the small village below at night.

The Civetta is without a doubt most impressive from the north. The rock faces drop down almost vertically for up to 900 metres. Mountaineers celebrate it as the "Wall of the Walls" and call it the "Empire of Grade VI", since the first ascent up the Civetta was the first climbing route of this difficulty level. The situation is different on the south side, which presents a friendlier face to the typical mountain farms of the Zoldo valley. Well-known long-distance hiking trails such as Alta Via delle Dolomiti No. 1 or the Munich-Venice Dream Trail also lead past the Civetta. But even if you have to take some impressions of alpine joy with you in passing, it is worthwhile taking some time and effort to explore the area, as the Civetta offers countless possibilities for a family-friendly voyage of discovery.

The Sassolungo

The rugged beauty of Val Gardena

A sight that's sure to catch the eye in Ortisei in Val Gardena is the Sassolungo at a height of 3,281 m, which rises impressively from the green alpine pastures into the sky. The people of Val Gardena call it their own local mountain, because, depending on your requirements everything is possible here – around the mountain or on the mountain.

The Ladin name "Saslonch", the Italian name "Sassolungo", and the German name "Langkofel" all mean something like "long rock". The famous Sassolungo Group consists of the five independent peaks, which are in turn encircled at the foot: the Punta delle Cinque Dita (Fünffingerspitze: 2,918 m), Punta Grohmann (Grohmannspitze: 3,113 m), Il Dente (Zahnkofel: 3,000 m), Sasso Piatto (Plattkofel: 2,969 m), and Sasso Lungo (Langkofel). It separates two Ladin valleys, the Val Gardena in the north and the Val di Fassa in the south.

From easy hikes to demanding vie ferrate to outdoor eMTB routes, the Sassolungo Group offers guaranteed adrenaline-filled mountain experiences. Via ferrata fans will choose to climb up to the Sasso Piatto via the Oskar-Schuster via ferrata. Hikers can reach the Toni Demetz Hut, which is an ideal starting point for many hikes between the Sassolungo and Punta delle Cinque Dita, via the steep Sassolungo pass or with the cable car directly at the Sella Pass. If you want to enjoy this mountain scenery from a bird's eye view, you can experience the miracle of flight on the Sassolungo with a paragliding adventure.

An insider tip: finally, hiking and mountain enthusiasts are truly spoiled here in this mountain landscape, since the famous Comici hut, named after Emilio Comici, probably the best Italian climber of the interwar period, is located at an altitude of 2,200 m at the foot of the Sassolungo. Famous personalities such as Fernando Alonso, Prince Albert of Monaco, and George Clooney, one of Hollywood's most sought-after men, have been guests here. The hut serves a wide variety of dishes, from grilled seafood delicacies such as scallops or sea bass to ribbon noodles with fresh porcini mushrooms from the forest. However, the right reward after a strenuous day of skiing or a summer excursion together in the mountains is a delicious nougat mousse with biscuits.

The Three Peaks

Three wonders of stone in Alta Pusteria

Even pictures cannot fully convey the uniqueness and beauty of these mountains. So words have no hope, as our linguistic means of expression quickly reach their limits. They have magical powers, as their slender yet monumental beauty draws everyone under its spell. But fortunately, we have feet that can carry us beneath the 450 m high north face.

The Three Peaks, also known as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in Italian and the Drei Zinnen in German, are probably the most famous mountains in the Sesto Dolomites. They are located on the border between two provinces, South Tyrol in the north and Belluno in the south. You can admire them and see the extent and size of the bare rocks from the Drei Zinnen Hut, also known as Rifugio Antonio Locatelli. In the middle, you can see the highest elevation, the Cima Grande or Große Zinne (“great peak”), at 2999 m. Next to it are the Cima Ovest / Westliche Zinne ("western peak": 2973 m), and the Cima Piccola / Kleine Zinne ("little peak": 2857 m). Thanks to the numerous climbing routes of different levels of difficulty, the Three Peaks were chosen as the centre of alpine climbing. Tens of thousands make pilgrimages to Misurina every year. From there you can reach the Auronzo Hut via the “Three Peaks Road”, where there are huge parking spaces for hikers and tourists. From there, the route around Three Peaks begins.

The route around the Three Peaks is an easy, almost four-hour circular hike on partly stony paths, which requires good fitness, some mountain experience, sure-footedness, and reliable weather. It is also suitable for families, as it is an area where the wonder of nature, magnificent architecture, and years of climbing history come together to form a monument.

Gaisl

Gentle alpine pastures and dramatic high mountains

You simply have to go up at least once. Not to a summit, but to a mountain meadow. And not just any meadow, but the Prato Piazza (Plätzwiese), with its magnificent 360-degree panorama. It is surrounded by famous high mountain massifs such as the Three Peaks, Monte Cristallo, Tofana, and last but not least the Hohe Gaisl.

Called the "Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo" in Italian, the Hohe Gaisl is the highest mountain in the Prags Dolomites at 3146 metres. It is considered one of the most difficult three-thousand-metre peaks to climb on the normal route. Because of its striking red rocks, it is also known as the "Red Mountain". But this was not always the case, as the stories from South Tyrolean mythology tell.

The reason for this was Moltina, a tender girl who grew up as an orphan among marmots. When she had to tell of her homeland and her ancestors during a festival before her wedding to the prince of the royal house of the Landrines, her face turned fire-red and she fled. The Hohe Gaisl also changed colour and has kept its colour to this day.

Puez

A lunar landscape on Earth

The Puez Group has no three-thousand-metre peaks to offer, so many summiteers do not focus on it. This is nonetheless one of the most interesting areas in South Tyrol in terms of its landscape, geology, and botany. Due to its beauty, the Puez Group is completely protected in the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. It is bordered by two Ladin valleys, Val Gardena to the south and Val Badia to the east.

The Piz de Puez (Puezspitze), at a height of 2913 m, and the western Piz de Puez are the highest elevations in the Puez group. The technically relatively easy ascent attracts many mountaineers who want to enjoy the mountain summer. There are different hiking routes leading into this magical mountain landscape. You can reach the Puez hut from the Langenstein in Sëlva, in the Val Gardena, from the Gardena Pass over the Cirjoch and the Ciampei Pass, and from La Villa.

Another interesting hike leads through the secluded Antersasc valley in Kampill. From the centre of the village, walk in the direction of the Juvel Pass to the signposted turn-off leading through the forest to Antersasc on the right. From the partially dilapidated huts on the Antersasc Alm plateau, a steep, winding path leads up towards Puezjoch, where a flat terrain opens up. A short descent will take you to the Puez hut. This mountain landscape has a strikingly lunar surface; when you walk over it, it's almost like being on the moon. On a different world.

Fanes

A picturesque mountainscape steeped in myth

On clear days, the mighty peak of the Seekofel is reflected in the emerald green sparkling Lake Braies, one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in South Tyrol. Lake Braies has not only been the setting for the famous Italian film series “Un passo dal cielo” (One step from heaven) with Terence Hill, but has always been the scene of legendary stories. Yet in the area around the Fanes Group, there are not only lakes, legends, and myths, but also a fascinating mountain landscape waiting to be discovered.

With famous mountain peaks like the Sas dla Crusc (Heiligkreuzkofel/Sasso di Santa Croce), the Sas dles Diesc (Zehner/Sasso delle Dieci), the Sass de Stria (Hexenstein/Sasso di Stria), and the Piz de Sant’Antone (Antonispitze/Monte Sella di Fanes), the Fanes Group lies in the north-western Dolomites. Most of the Fanes Group is located in South Tyrol, but some parts are also in the province of Belluno. From South Tyrol, the Fanesalm pasture is accessible from two sides, via the Rautal and Pederü or from Alta Badia via the Col de Locia. The highest mountain in this mountain group is the Piz dles Cunturines, or Conturines, at a height of 3,064 m, where bears once lived high on the eastern flank. They lived here 40,000 years ago and were the size of grizzly bears, but pure herbivores.

An insider tip: after an excursion to the Fanes Group, it's well worth visiting the Ursus Ladinicus Museum in San Cassiano. It presents the best bone and fossil finds and you can learn interesting facts about the climate, life, and animals in the Dolomites. The basement display depicts a cave on the mountain, including a hibernating Ursus ladinicus.

Pütia

The top destination in South Tyrol for connoisseurs and adventurers

It is cold and quiet on the mountain and in the sky a few sparkling stars twinkle as morning approaches. Hikers get up early to greet the first rays of sunshine at the Peitlerkofel, as the sky first turns fire-red. They bring hot tea with them to warm their ice-cold hands. Slowly, the sun rises, bringing warmth with it. The view up here at 2875 m is vast and the enchanting Dolomites landscape is at its most beautiful in the early morning hours. Sunrise at the Peitlerkofel is a must for holidaymakers and mountain enthusiasts who want to enjoy this landscape in peace and quiet.

Situated on the Würzjoch pass between the Eisack Valley and Val Badia, with its mighty north face, the Peitlerkofel is above all a mountain for families and adventure-seekers. The route around the mountain massif is a classic. Starting out from the Würzjoch pass along the forest road marked No. 8A, you easily reach the Fornella Alm pasture, a popular destination for many families with children, as well as for older hikers. To the right of the Fornella Alm, after a slightly tougher stretch up the steep hiking trail, you reach the Peitlerscharte pass, where the ascent to the summit branches off on the left. The long-distance hiking trail from Munich to Venice also leads past here. But this isn't the place to stop and admire the summit, because the wonderfully maintained high pastures on the southern side tempt you to keep going to the Gömajoch pass. There, you continue through woods and meadows until you reach the starting point again after a four-hour excursion.

An insider tip: try a piece of warm apple strudel with custard, the homemade goat's cheese dumplings with coleslaw, or a venison goulash with bacon dumplings at Würzjoch “Ütia de Börz” – dishes that will delight your taste buds after a strenuous day.

The Rosengarten

A legendary mountainscape

Its name means “rose garden” and, if you look at the Rosengarten from Bolzano, it has a ledge two thirds up the height of the rock face where, according to the loveliest Alpine legend of the Dolomites, the roses of the dwarf king Laurin once grew. Having hopelessly lost the fight for his love, the angry dwarf king had no choice left but to curse the garden. No human eye would ever see this garden again, neither by day nor by night. But he forgot the Enrosadira, the sunset – an extraordinary natural spectacle that makes the cursed garden blossom again in the evening with its changing interplay of colours from pink to red to violet.

The Rosengarten is doubtless one of the most impressive pieces of scenery in South Tyrol. It is situated in the Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park and features bold spires and rock walls, such as those of the Vajolet and Latemar towers and the Schlernriff. The highest peak is the Kesselkogel at a height of 3,004 m, followed by the Rosengartenspitze at 2,981 m. It stretches from Welschnofen in the Eggental valley in the west to the Fassa valley in the east and from the Schlern massif in the north to the Karer pass in the south. This mountain region has a lot to offer, and not just for curious families with a spirit of discovery and love of hiking and climbing. Mountaineers can venture directly into the steep walls in summer, while hikers can approach the slender Vajolet towers on an easy route from the Niger Pass above Tiers (3 hrs, 10.5 km, 430 m). Families with children can enjoy a family hike from Lake Carezza to the Stadlalm farm. So if you want to discover the secrets of the Rosengarten, all you have to do is put on your hiking boots and head out – maybe King Laurin is still hiding here somewhere.

Piz Boé

Scree paths leading to panoramic views

The stunning Franz Kostner hut, which is surrounded by steep walls at 2536 m above sea level, offers the finest Ladin cuisine. Think of a warm barley soup, home-made Schlutzkrapfen, a Tyrolean stuffed pasta speciality also known as "Cajencí" in Ladin or "Tutres", also known as "Tirtlan", home-made pastries stuffed with spinach and curd cheese, cabbage, or poppy seeds. Well fuelled-up on these specialities, you'll be able to tackle the medium-difficulty via ferrata to Piz Boé (3,152 m), the highest mountain and only peak over three thousand metres in the Sella Group. Due to its easy accessibility from the top station of the cable car on the Sass Pordoi, it is often described as the easiest to climb three-thousender in the Dolomites, so it is highly frequented.

Behind the Franz Kostner hut, which can also be reached via the Vallon chairlift, take trail no. 672 downhill into the wild scree under the Pizes dl Valun. Although parts of the trail are secured and no climbing equipment is required, sure-footedness, concentration, physical fitness, and alpine experience are necessary in order to overcome minimal difficulties that arise on the mountain. After reaching the wide scree terrace, the next prominent point on the ascent is Piz Lech Dlace (3,009 m). From there, a short intermediate descent via Cresta Strenta leads to the Forcela dai Ciamorces or Gamsscharte passage (3110 m), where a short ridge leads to the summit of Piz Boé.

A first-class natural spectacle awaits you at the summit, as much of the Dolomites world natural heritage site can be seen from here. The view extends from the peaks of the Geisler and Puez group over the Kreuzkofel in Badia and the Conturines to the Sesto and Cortine Mountains. The Civetta, Queen of the Dolomites, and King Laurin's Rosengarten can also be seen from here.

Sass Rigais

A natural wonder in the truest sense of the word

It is the home of Reinhold Messner, the most famous mountaineer in the world, who climbed the high summits of the Geisler peaks at the tender age of five and discovered a love of climbing. Today, these Geisler peaks at the end of the Villnöss Valley are still jagged and sharp-edged. They're world-famous. Although these slender mountain peaks are only visible to travellers on the Brenner motorway for a few moments, they arouse curiosity and the desire for a day trip to the quiet and unspoilt Villnöss Valley.

At a height of 3025 m, the massive Sass Rigais is the main peak and middle mountain of the Geisler peaks. This mountain and the neighbouring Furchetta form the two highest peaks of this stunning mountain group. The Sass Rigais can be reached via two vie ferrate. Due to the brittle rocks on the upper part of the Furchetta, hardly anyone climbs there today. Climbers prefer to enjoy the climbing garden above the Adolf Munkel Trail. Simple mountain boots are all you need to enjoy the view of the Geisler peaks here. The easiest route is the round trip from the Zanser Alm pasture at 1680 m above sea level. You can get to various alpine huts and refreshment stops such as the Kaserillalm, Gampenalm, Glatschalm, and Gschnagenhardtalm from there.

Insider tip: in the Puez-Geisler Nature Park, you can find the rustic and cosy Geisleralm directly beneath the Geisler peaks and the Sass Rigais. A true paradise for families with children, hikers, and mountain bikers. Chef Gerry spoils hikers with the finest cuisine. While some enjoy their meals on the sunny terrace, those seeking peace and quiet can relax in the Geislerkino.