The Dolomites

Finishing off our Italy travel series with our adventure into the Dolomites. 

This is my last Italy post from our family trip this summer. I’ve shared every city and region we visited, save one. As with all good things, at some point they have to come to an end, so other good things can take place.

But I believe I saved the best for last…

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, the further north we went in Italy, the more I loved it and the more relaxed I felt.

This had to do with several things, but the standout reasons are that the weather was cooler in northern Italy and it is mountainous. All in all, northern Italy reminded me of my big green mountains and made me feel at peace.

One of our last stops in Italy was a quick trip into the Dolomites, a mountain range that makes up the southern part of the Alps.

As you can see from my photos, the weather during our stay in the Dolomites was a little sketchy. Yet even with scattered showers and cloud coverage, it was completely breath-taking.

We drove north from Verona, Italy a couple hours up to Bolzano. This drive alone, was worth a plane ticket to Italy.

The whole two hour drive, we gazed out the windows at the massive rock formations growing larger and larger the further north we went.

We also noticed that the architecture was changing the farther north we drove. You see, many German immigrants live in this part of the country, so close to the Austrian border.

This unique mixed culture of free-spirited Italian artistry and German precision, means the little towns speckled through the Dolomites are meticulously planned, yet full of life, color, and of course natural beauty.

You could spend weeks hopping from village to village, hiking, enjoying natural hot springs, and experiencing amazing german-italian fusion food.

Yet since our time was short in the Dolomites, we headed straight to the city of Bolzano, then used the cable cars to ride up to mountain top villages high above the cityscape.

The cable car ride was another transportation moment that was worth international airfare, just for the experience.

We could not believe how high and how fast we moved over the lush green mountaintops!

Once we hit the top of the ridge, we got off the cable car and hiked up to several little nearby villages.

After so much eating in Italy, the exercise was very refreshing. Everywhere we looked, the mountains called to us.

It was hard not to break out choruses from The Sound of Music.

These hikes were one of the most memorable parts of our time in Italy… Breathing in the fresh mountain air and taking in the glory of nature visible in every direction.

The kids are used to hiking at home, so these treks weren’t anything they couldn’t handle.

But that didn’t stop us from taking lots of breaks in the alpine villages.

All in all, I would go back to Italy just to spend time in the Dolomites again.

The unique culture and architecture, the relaxed lifestyle, the natural beauty are whispering to me even now.

Going back is not an option. It’s a must, and a privilege.

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