Alpine Adventures in The Dolomites
Hello from Italy — the fourth country on our world trip! We’re in the Dolomites, a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps that’s been high on my bucket list for years. We’re visiting just after peak season, which means fewer tourists but also chillier weather. This morning, we woke up to a dusting of snow outside, something we hadn’t expected to see on this trip since we’ve been trying to chase warm weather wherever possible. While I’m not exactly a fan of the cold, I have to admit, the snow makes everything look even more magical.
Road to The Dolomites
On our way from Munich to the Dolomites, we made a few scenic stops along the way. First up was Neuschwanstein Castle, the real-life inspiration behind Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella’s castles. Built by Bavaria’s King Ludwig II in the late 1800s, it sits high on a hill surrounded by forests and lakes. Because of some unexpected highway traffic, we got there right before sunset and just missed the last shuttle up to the top (running late has kind of been a theme for us this trip — more on that later). Luckily, there was still a pedestrian path, so we hiked up to Mary’s Bridge, a wooden walkway suspended high over a gorge. The view from the bridge was incredible, especially with the last bit of golden light hitting the castle’s façade. It was so picture-perfect I could practically hear the Disney opening theme playing in the background.
Afterwards, we drove to Innsbruck, Austria, a charming Alpine town halfway between Munich and the Dolomites, where we stayed the night. We’d originally planned to go hiking the next day, but the rain forced a change of plans. Instead, we spent the day wandering around Old Town, a cozy medieval quarter tucked between the Inn River and the surrounding Alps, filled with narrow cobblestone streets, pastel-colored buildings, and ornate churches. Between historic landmarks, we ducked into little boutiques and cafés, sipping coffee and snacking on homemade apple strudel.
That evening, we went to a traditional folk show called A Tyrolean Evening with the Gundolf Family. Hosted by a local family who’s been performing for generations, the show featured everything from yodeling and slap dancing to alphorn playing, giving us a lively peek into local traditions. At the end of the night, the family closed with snippets of songs from each country represented in the audience. People stood up and cheered when their country was highlighted, and it was all very festive and fun.
The next morning, we made one last stop at Bergisel, a hill just south of Innsbruck known for its panoramic views and iconic ski jump. The site hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, and it’s still used today for international competitions and training. We arrived just in time to catch two professional ski jumpers practicing, which was wild to see up close. Watching them fly through the air gave me a whole new appreciation for how fearless the athletes are and how much effort goes into every jump: the long ride back up after each run, the tape review, the setup - all for just a few seconds of flight.
Hiking Through The Dolomites
The Dolomites cover a vast area across three regions of northern Italy, so we decided to split our week between two bases: Val Gardena in the north for three nights and Cortina d’Ampezzo in the east for another three. Much of the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until it was annexed by Italy at the end of World War I, resulting in a melting pot of different cultures. Even today, both German and Italian are official languages, and you can see that blend everywhere - in the architecture, the traditions, the food. Most restaurant menus feature hearty Austrian dishes like Wiener schnitzel, bread dumplings, and strudel right alongside Italian staples like pasta and pizza - a very welcome change for me after weeks of mostly schnitzel and sausages.
We arrived in the northern Dolomites around mid-afternoon and decided to squeeze in a quick hike in Val di Funes, a small, picture-perfect valley known for its peaceful meadows and dramatic white limestone peaks. One of the things we’d been most excited about in the Dolomites was the alpine hut culture — cozy mountain lodges where hikers stop for snacks, drinks, and desserts. Since we started late in the day, we were on a mission to reach Geisler Alm, a popular hut about halfway through the trail. We hustled up the mountain and made it just 15 minutes before closing — enough time to grab a couple slices of cake and enjoy them on the patio, watching the mountains glow in the golden light of late afternoon.
We took a cable car the next morning up to Seceda, one of the Dolomites’ most iconic spots with its dramatic ridgeline and sweeping views in every direction. The Dolomites has one of the largest networks of cable cars and chairlifts in the world, originally built for skiing but now just as popular in the warmer months to transport sightseers to trailheads and viewpoints. After arriving at the top, we spent the day hiking the trail at a relaxed pace, stopping often to soak in the scenery, and capped it off with a drink at an alpine hut. As we sauntered back, I realized the trails had gotten unusually quiet. After a few more minutes, I asked, “Hey, when does the cable car stop running?” “Five o’clock,” said Hanqing. I checked my watch — 4:40, and we were still over a mile away. Cue the frantic jog. We made it just in time, narrowly avoiding a long, cold trek down the mountain. On the ride back, we agreed to make a more concerted effort to stop cutting it so close.
The next morning, I was up by 6:30, partly to get an earlier start like we’d agreed, but mostly because it was October 3rd, the release day of Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl. To be honest, there are very few things I’ll wake up before dawn for, but Taylor is at the top of the list. We listened to the new album on repeat all morning as we drove to Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude meadow in Europe. Once we got to the top, we hiked through rolling meadows dotted with cows and horses, framed by mountain peaks in every direction. And, of course, we stopped at another alpine hut for coffee and breakfast before heading back down.
On Saturday, we packed up and made our way to the eastern Dolomites. Compared to the north, which featured gentler meadows and green valleys, the east felt more rugged with steeper cliffs, sharper peaks, and a more dramatic landscape. On the way to our next hotel, we stopped at Cinque Torri (“Five Towers”), a cluster of — you guessed it — five rocky pinnacles. During World War I, Cinque Torri was a key Italian stronghold on the front line between Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The area’s rocky towers and ridges made it a natural lookout point, so Italian troops built trenches, tunnels, and artillery posts among the rocks to defend nearby Cortina d’Ampezzo. We took a chairlift to the top and hiked around the formations, exploring remnants of World War I trenches and barracks along the way. Today, the area is also a popular rock climbing spot, and it was captivating to watch climbers up close working their way up the sheer faces of the five towers.
The temperature dropped sharply over the next few days, and we got our first snow of the trip. We spent an afternoon in the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where we sipped on thick Italian hot chocolate and bought some beanies and gloves to stay warm. The next morning, bundled up in our new accessories, we set out for Tre Cime di Lavaredo (“Three Peaks of Lavaredo”), a seven-mile loop with panoramic views of the peaks. The first half of the hike was a comfortable walk along the leeward side of the mountain, but once we rounded the bend, the windchill hit hard and we found ourselves trudging through a few inches of snow. I silently thanked my past self for packing a puffer jacket and thick waterproof socks. Even so, the views made it all worth it. The best part of the hike came when we made it to some caves that once served as World War I bunkers, now framing incredible views of the three peaks — a photographer’s dream.
We wrapped up our time in the Dolomites with a hike to Lago di Sorapis, a stunning alpine lake famous for its milky turquoise color. It ended up being my favorite hike of the trip so far — the water was every bit as vivid as the photos, and the journey there was just as breathtaking. The narrow trail wound along the mountainside through pine forests, opening up to sweeping alpine views at every turn. I wished I could bottle up the crisp, pine-scented air and take it home with me. It was a good reminder that hiking isn’t just about reaching the destination, but also about savoring the moments along the way.
That’s a wrap on our time in the Dolomites, and our time in Europe for now!
Talk soon,
Tanya
