ITALY
Road trip - Bologna to the wondrous Italian Dolomites
Trip Duration: 8 days
Time of Year: Summer (End of June)
Traveled With: Just the two of us!
Highlights: Mountains, animal pastures, blue lakes, mountain huts & food culture
Before you Go -General Tips/Knowledge:
-Hiking in the Dolomites is a hidden treasure “most” Americans do not know about! It is overshadowed my Italy’s other offerings & the Swiss Alps. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed!
-Basic hiking gear is a must (hiking shoes/boots, day pack & hiking sticks)
-Day hikes in the Dolomites are easy to navigate without a guide. Trails are well marked, parking is accessible & many trails are suitable for beginners/intermediate hikers.
-Mountain huts are accommodations only accessible by hiking. Think of a hostel in the middle of the mountains. These book months in advance, so be sure to plan way ahead! Many of the huts are accessible to stop at for food, beverage & toilets without having to stay overnight! Great perk!
-Hikers are friendly and will greet you with salutations from around the world!
-Driving through the Dolomites is an adventure in itself. The extremely windy, narrow roads embedded through the mountains is unlike any other driving we’ve experienced. Not to mention the # of bikers sharing the roads with you!
-The sound of cowbells in the mountain meadows will be one of the most soothing memories you take with you from this trip.
High-Level Itinerary:
Day 1 - Bologna
Day 2 - Bologna
Day 3 - Lake Sorapis
Day 4 - Adolf Munkel/Seiser Alm (Hike to Tierser Alpl)
Day 5 - Seiser Alm (Hike back from Tierser Alpl)
Day 6 - Seceda
Day 7 - Lago di Braies/Tres Cimes
Day 8 - Bologna/Milan
Day 9 - Travel Home
pending - add map
Trip Cost: $1,800 (TBD)
DAY 1 & 2–bologna
XXXXXX
FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!
DAY 3 - lake sorapis/balzano
XXXXXXX
shorter hike with incredibly rewarding views!
only regret is not at starting earlier- would have been nice to have a picnic by the lake ‘& linger longer!
DAY 4- adolf munkel/seiser alm
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In retrospect, least favorite trails we experienced in the Dolomites
Challenging to navigate trails
however gave us our first experience of Italian Dumplings!
DAY 5 - seiser alm
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cable car!
drivint through the windy mountain roads!
DAY 6- seceda
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After days of back to back beauty & deeming Seiser Alm our favorite part of the Dolomites, Seceda quickly went up the rankings & earned an unexpectedly special place in our hearts. From the first few steps into the park, we were overwhelmed with a sensation that truly felt magical. The scenes’ beauty and overall environment overwhelmed us with emotions in a way that we had never experienced. We are not religious, but during our hikes here, we even contemplated if it was possible we had died & gone to heaven. The sunshine on our face with the l mountain breeze, rolling hills & mountains all around with buttercup fields throughout resulted in a perfect scene that seemingly could not even be real!
DAY 7- lago di braies/tres cimes
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The internet gave us a very clear warning this picture perfect destination is generally overwhelmed with tourists, making the opportunity to enjoy the landscapes & capture the perfect photo nearly impossible. Despite the odds against us, we decided it’s beauty was worth the the risk & arrive as early as we could! Even bright & early, there were a handful of others. We were lucky to enjoy the views in peace & capture some of its beauty to ourselves for ~20 minutes. Sure enough, the crowds rolled in quite swiftly! Glad we had a few minutes of relaxation to soak it in nonetheless :)
In true Italy fashion, we stumbled upon ANOTHER stunning lake with crystal clear waters & postcard mountains upon our road trip. What a pleasant surprise :)
note - roadside coffee & sandwiches rn route to Milan