Breathtaking, spectacular, unique, unforgettable, awesome, picturesque, photogenic, amazing, beautiful, memorable… You get to the point where you simply run out of adjectives to describe these mountains!
To Die For
An age-old Italian proverb says ‘See Naples and die’, as a tribute to the city’s (former) beauty. But whoever coined that saying obviously wasn’t familiar with the Dolomites. Well-known to the winter ski set who flock to chic cosmopolitan resorts such as Cortina d’Ampezzo, for me the Dolomites are infinitely more beautiful in summer – when they also become accessible to a broader range of visitors. Lush green meadows overlaid with a rainbow of wildflowers are backed by soaring pale mountain towers and forbidding rock citadels, the playground of climbers, mountain bikers, walkers and simple strollers alike.
Rather than a continuous chain, there are separate distinct groups: the Sella massif akin to a solid gigantic fortress, the triple-peaked Tofana giants, throne-like Sorapiss (a petrified king according to legend), the awesome Marmolada, ‘Queen of the Dolomites’ with the region’s only (albeit shrinking) glacier. And the Catinaccio or Rosengarten, so-called for a mythical rose garden which turns the mountain an amazing pinky-red at sunset, the renowned enrosadira effect.
What’s in a Name?
The name ‘Dolomites’ is a simplified version of Dèodat Guy Sylvan Tancred Grated de Dolomieu, the French mineralogist who discove-red their unusual composition in 1789 – a type of limestone or calcium carbonate which has magnesium added. The rock itself came into being 230 million years back when a shallow tropical sea abounding in coral covered north-eastern Italy. Dinosaurs left their footprints in it, ripples were ‘frozen’ and preserved for posterity, and countless crustaceans and shells such as impressive ammonites were fossilised, captured in the nascent rock. The major earth upheavals responsible for raising the Alps came around 65 million years ago, squeezing and pushing the newly-born mountains to dizzy heights.
But that’s just the official version. For the locals the ‘Monti Pallidi’ (Pale Mountains) as they were formerly known, owe their legendary origin to a princess from… the moon! Her earthling husband kindly arranged for the landscape to assume the light shades she was accustomed to, so she would feel at home, and he even went as far as to transplant the native lunar-white felt-petalled edelweiss!
Towering Inspiration
The mountains have continued to inspire generations of creative artists. Remember the heart-stopping opening scene in Cliffhanger when Sylvester Stallone is transfixed in horror as his mate’s girlfriend plummets down a sheer precipice to her death? Filmed on location in the Dolomites – not the Rockies (on a renowned aided Via Ferrata climb on the Cristallo group, for the record). Film buffs of an earlier generation will need no memory-jogging to remember David Niven as expert skier in The Pink Panther running rings around Chief Inspector Peter Sellers in glitzy snowbound Cortina d’Ampezzo back in 1963. On a slightly different plane, the late 15th-century artist Tiziano Vecellio, better known to English-speakers as Titian, hailed from Pieve di Cadore. Though the master made his home in Venice, he often used the unmistakable outlines of his beloved mountains as the backdrop for many marvellous canvases.
Straight out of The Sound of Music on the other hand, nature’s handiwork can be seen all around. Colourful summer wildflowers totalling over 1500 species enliven rock face and meadow alike, vying with each other in brilliance for the attention of overworked bees. Vivid blue trumpet gentians (their roots used for a bitter liqueur), showy wine-red martagon lilies, the rare lady’s slipper orchid, pretty lilac pennycress and scented yellow poppies sprouting in otherwise barren scree – each miraculously endures an alpine winter to see another spring. Feeding on the blooms, and more interested in their carbohydrate content than beauty, are shy chamois of the mountain goat family, and comical furry marmots. Make a point of spending an afternoon marmot-watching, it’s immensely rewarding. These gregarious cuddly beaver-look-alike animals make their burrow homes in stony meadows, and it’s hard to miss the youngsters romping in the sun. The chances are that they’ll spot you first, so when you’re suddenly brought to a halt by a heart-stopping shriek, look around for a marmot sentry trying to appear inconspicuous in a vertical position on a rock.
Sightseeing without Tears
A relaxing way to admire the mountains is by funivia cable-car, if not cabinovia, as well as the older seggiovie chair lifts. Cortina boasts the ‘Freccia nel Cielo’ (Arrow in the Sky) lifts which whisk visitors up to a breathtaking 3243 metres above sea level. Only a tad lower, at 2700 metres, is the dramatic Lagazuoi car, departing from Passo Falzarego. Added interest here comes in the form of fortifications dating back to the 1914-18 First World War when the crumbling Hapsburg Austrian Empire fought Italy for possession of these impossible strongholds.
A Must-Do Walk
If you only embark on one walk, make it the circular route around the soaring pinnacles of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. English travellers in the 1800s likened them to ‘Egyptian Colossi’, ‘shark’s teeth’ and ‘splintered spires’. From Misurina, take the shuttle bus up to Rifugio Auronzo for the start of the walk. Anti-clockwise on clear paths, head for Forcella Lavaredo, then drop across the vast stone basin to Rifugio Locatelli in its spactacular location. The return trip takes you via Forcella Col di Mezzo and back to the car park. Four hours is sufficient for this memorable route which touches on a number of rifugi, hospitable mountain huts, perfect for lunch.
Haute Cuisine
The Dolomites straddle the two regions of the Veneto in the east, largely Italian in character, and the westernmost Trentino-Alto Adige (alias South Tyrol) which is dominated by German influences. This is reflected in the language and traditional festivities, as well as the cuisine.
Knüdeln are dumplings made from a blend of bread, eggs and usually flavoured with Speck, smoked pork. Served in either zuppe or smothered with melted butter, they make a filling first course that you may choose to follow with a simple platter of Kaminwurst, a miniature salami flavoured with cumin seeds. Look out for Schlutzkrapfen, luscious home-made ravioli. Only highly adventurous eaters are advised to order Graukäse; you would be forgiven for thinking it had come straight from the cow stall due to its distinctive smell – an unappealing grey cheese served with raw onions and… vinegar. Unforgettable if nothing else! You can’t go wrong with Kaiserschmarm, certainly designed to satisfy starving walkers – a pancake studded with sultanas and sprinkled liberally with icing sugar and lashings of redcurrant jam.
On the drink front, the Dolomites produce quality wines such as Lagrein, though beer from the South Tyrol breweries such as Forst, is excellent. A refreshing non-alcoholic summer drink is Holundersaft, made with elderberry blossom.
Museums to Visit
Find time for a visit to Ützi, the 5000-year-old Ice Man, at the Bolzano Archaeological Museum (tel. +39 0471 320100, open Tuesday-Sunday). The wize-ned mummified body of this Bronze Age hunter came to light in 1991 on the mountainous glacier-bound Italian-Austrian border, complete with an astonishing tool and medicine kit and outfit of bear-skin cap and boots stuffed with straw. Recent studies show that he was killed by an arrowhead imbedded in his shoulder. ‘History’s very first murder mystery!’ the headlines proclaimed.
Witchcraft enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to Castel Presule, close to the Fiè. Medieval witch hunts and trials, including ducking in a special pond, were a common pastime, fired by tales of Sabbath celebrations on neighbouring Monte Pez.
In the town of Bolzano itself, Castel Roncolo has a marvellous fresco cycle depicting 13th-century life. Lunch is served in the atmospheric courtyard.
Souvenirs
Plenty of ‘original’ bric-a-brac ranging from cuckoo clocks to Heidi aprons and cuddly marmots in miniature can be found. Shoppers following the graceful porticoes in Bolzano’s pedestrian-only city centre will find genuine Tyrolean lederhosen on sale, along with an excellent selection of sporting goods. The Val Gardena has been famous for centuries for its family tradition of wood carving – everything from beads to gigantic statues and toy trains.
