The Italian Dolomites

Having enjoyed a lovely time in Venice and the surrounding countryside we have now ventured north, and upwards, into the Dolomite mountains.  To the east of the Alps the rock colour is lighter and pinker and the peaks are quite weathered and blunt, so the visual experience is quite different – and pleasing.

There is a lovely mixture of alpine meadows and pine wooded slopes out of which loom the vertical stacks of the mountains themselves, and quite surprisingly for July there is plenty of snow on the north facing slopes.  Needless to say the roads are quite winding with the ascent or descent in the steeper parts being a series of hairpin bends.  However we take these nice and steady in the van and have had no problems.  

Lake Mis near Belluno

As we drive through this wonderful landscape our fellow road users are mainly Lycra clad cyclists out on their road bikes (both men & women) and motorcyclists.  Not the Sunday morning racer boys but couples on touring bikes with their big panniers.  I would think 9 out of 10 bikes are the big BMW GS1200 touring bikes – a fair mix of Italian and German registered bikes.  In fact we have seen no other British registered motorhomes since we entered the Dolomites and have only seen about 5 British registered cars!

Snow in July

Being up in the mountains the motorhome comes into it’s own as we have stayed at some lovely spots.  A night at the small hamlet of Taibon (northwest of Belluno) where we were woken about 7.30 am to the sound of sheep (see Jeans diary entry on the Blog site for more details), 

followed by a night at Alleghe where we had a lovely bike ride around the lake and to the next two villages.  Part of the cycle route we took is used as a cross-country (Nordic) skiing route in the winter!  The next day we made a longer journey north to Arabba (height about 1800 metres) where we had a family skiing holiday about 9 years ago.  It looks quite different in the summer sun, and is still a lovely self-contained, and unspoilt, village.

Bike ride at Alleghe

Alleghe across the lake

The Sella at Arabba

More windy roads the following day with uphill driving to a high level pass in the mountains at Passo di Falzarego where we stopped for a walk and lunch break.  As it’s one of the highest passes in the area it is very popular with motorhomers, cyclists, motorbikers and the large tourist coaches who visit the roadside cafes and souvenir shops, however stick on your walking boots get walking and you are very soon in quiet mountain countryside.  There is a telecabin that takes you right up to the mountain peak from which you can walk back down, but we could see some of the way at the top was within the snow, so we passed on that!  Plenty of colourful Alpine flowers were enjoyed along the way.

After lunch it was downhill winding roads to Cortina d’Ampezzo where we stopped for a walk around – but a bit ritzy for us so we moved on to a stopping place by a nice lake at Misurina.  Again, quiet and peaceful and a lovely morning stroll around the lake (after thunder the night before), we had lunch at the van and then set off along the valley to Auronzo di Cadore where we parked at an aire which was easy cycling distance from the town.  A drive through town along a strip with some nice shops, although very much centred on walking clothing.

Cortina

Lake Misurina

Auronzo

The next day we decided to travel east along the valley to our furthest point and were pleasantly surprised by Sapadda.  The aire was set in a lovely bowl with a river running through and mountain peaks all around us.  See Jeans diary pages for more detailed information about the farm shop, town and fishing lake.  

Sappade - ski piste in winter, golf course in summer!

Two nights here were followed by a drive up a steep and windy dead end road to a remote restaurant and aire at Albergo Gasperina.  A remote place with walks through the meadows and forests with the big grey peaks looking down over us.  Rivers and streams abound – in fact at one point we came to a stream that was just to deep to cross with our shoes on, and the footbridge had been washed away when the spring ice melt had no doubt washed through, so it was time for a bit of improvisation.  I found some large rocks and tossed them into the stream at the shallowest part and built up enough to create some stepping stones.  With steady feet I made it across to the other side where I did the same and built up more stepping stones.  I threw Jeans walking pole back over the stream and she set off across – however not being so steady she managed to slip and get both feet immersed in the cool water.  So it was shoes and socks off for a wring and dry out!

Steady!

Whoops!

Typical mountain farmhouse

So the next, and final day in Italy dawned and we departed the Albergo (after they proffered a complimentary coffee each) for the drive further up into the mountains – to San Candido/Innichen (near the border with Austria it seems that the place names are in both Italian and Austrian, as are most signs).  A fairly narrow and windy road with plenty of hairpin bends, and lovely mountain views.  W thought we would get a last night in Italy but it seems most of the aires are no longer there, and the one we did find near the border was right alongside the main road and needless to say quite noisy, so we decided to cross into Austria.

As we have travelled in northern Italy and the Dolomites we have seen many war memorials about the 1915 – 1918 war, we assume there was some conflict between the Italians and Austrians (or what would have been the Hapsburgs?) – we must investigate this when we get the chance.

We’ve also seen many lovely Alpine flowers – small delicate flowers in lovely colours such as pale blue, violet and yellow.  And in particular an abundance of orchids.

Don’t forget to look at Jeans Diary entries for more detailed information.