Italy Beyond the Obvious

Tips for driving in the Dolomites

 

Driving anywhere in Italy is not straightforward for many travelers, and there are many general things travelers to Italy need to know about driving. But travelers to the Dolomites? That's a separate conversation.

If I were brainstorming descriptive phrases about roads in the Dolomites, I'd include:

• winding
• narrow
• no shoulder
• guardrails optional
• steep drops
• mountain face next to the road
• hairpin bends
• steep
• dark (not lit at night)
• icy

 

You can avoid driving in the dark or not rent a car in the wintertime. But the rest of those descriptive terms? You'll meet them, so just be prepared. Skip to the video below, or read these common-sense tips:

Rent a small car. Rent what you need, of course, but as small as possible, since the roads are narrower.

Allow more time to get from A to B since you're not going to be driving very fast on those narrow and winding roads.

Use your eyes and ears while driving, meaning look out for mirrors that help with blind curves, and listen for the light "beep beep" of other drivers coming around a blind curve and warning you of their approach.

Trust Italian drivers as they know the roads and can overtake safely (even though it may not seem that way to you). The key is that you drive consistently, without any sudden swerves or changes in speed, and keeping the distance between you and the side of the road the same. Don't go faster than you're comfortable with, and if there's a pullout area and a long line of cars behind you, pull over and let everyone go by. But don't let aggressive Italian drivers stress you out, be safe.

Use taxis. Many people get around the Dolomites with buses and taxis, and if you know it will be dark when you're returning from dinner, leave the car at the hotel and call a taxi. 

Get a good paper map and use it, along with directions you got from your hotel, to get to your destination. I usually sing the praises of having a GPS, but the Dolomites is somewhat of an exception. Your GPS will not have information about road closures, and may try to route you to your destination via a narrow gravel road over a mountain pass (a road that in wintertime is not passable with a car).

Winter driving makes all of the above slightly more complicated. Some roads will require chains, which are not included in a standard car rental so you must ask about them. Some smaller roads close in the winter and become cross-country ski trails. Call your hotel and have a chat about the local roads if you're planning on driving in the Dolomites in the winter.

 

This video is worth a million words: 

 

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

 

Photo of winding road by Nordique

Hiking trails with bridges, ladders and ropes: the Via Ferrata of the Dolomites

 

 

The Dolomites are one of my favorite places to hike, because of the scenery, the many mountain-top refugi that serve lunch, and the fact that the ski lifts take hikers up the mountain throughout summertime; but add to that some very unique trails equipped with ladders, bridges, and iron ropes called the Via Ferrata (translated as iron way, road with irons, or iron trail). The routes were designed during WWI so that the Italian mountain infantry could navigate mountain trails more efficiently, which means that you can, too.

Here's what you need to know if you want to hike a Via Ferrata trail:

There are trails for every level of hiker. There are over 80 Via Ferrata trails in the Dolomites, with difficulty levels of 1 - 5, Level One being an easy walk and Level Five requiring climbing skills. There are actually a couple different rating systems, and here's a great explanation of the Via Ferrata trails rating systems.

There are trails all over the Dolomites. Use this very handy map of the Dolomites' Via Ferrata trails to identify a trail of the right hiking level and in a convenient location for your trip. Click on a trail icon to get details and often photos of the hike. Ivano Dibona is probably the most famous trail, and takes about 8 hours to hike, while the Lagazuoi Tunnels hike is one of the easiest and most unique - I've sent clients there with kids.

You still need to do your research. Most of the hikes will require helmets (which you can rent) and headlamps (easy to tuck into your suitcase). Here's a great overview of how to prepare yourself for a Via Ferrata hike . Make sure you know what you're getting in to before you start off - it may help to look at the photos below.

 

Trails with ladders, bridges and ropes?

By bridges, I mean:

 

And: 

 

Here is a photo of a Via Ferrata ladder:

Or below (though I think there may be a more technical name for this type of ladder): 

Ropes are usually for the more experienced hiker or climber:

 Here you can see the rope along the trail.

And if all this sounds fantastic but you haven't the slightest idea which hotels to book, how to get to the Dolomites or how to get around, let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip for you or help you along as a travel consultant. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

 

Photo credits: Hikers walking, vertical ladder, and sign by Giustino; Photo of bridge with hikers from Wikimedia Commons; Pinut photo by beety; Photo of ladder over Lake Garda by Jon Shave; photo of mountain ropes by Dimitris Iliopoulos.

Five favorite hikes in Italy - guest post at Italylogue

It was a challenge to narrow down my list of favorite hikes in Italy to just five for Jessica at Italylogue (but I did it!) The hikes I ended up picking include the Dolomites, Lake Como, Liguria, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily. Notably missing from the list is the Cinque Terre - don't worry, I explain why.

So head on over to Italylogue and read about all the details!

That's me hiking in Ortisei. Photo by Sanjay.   

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

A hike, a walk and a soak: Three underground favorites in Italy

Want to explore Italy where a flashlight or even hard hat is required? There are lots of options to go underground. Tuscany alone has 1,500 grottoes and 270 km of underground tunnels. Here are three of my favorite underground spots (only one requires a hard hat!), places I recommend often to clients, in no particular order....

 
 

1) Hike the Lagazuoi Tunnels in the Dolomite mountains (Northeastern Italy)

These tunnels were dug through the mountain by both Austrians and Italians during WWI and now provide an easy 1-2 hour hike in gorgeous scenery (photo above) near Cortina. Choose whether to walk through the tunnels going up or down, then take the cable car the other way. I recommend walking down unless it bothers your knees. Before starting the hike, rent helmets and flashlights next to the cable car station. Note: the restaurant at the top is excellent. Here's a great detailed account of the Lagazuoi hike.

 

2) Walk the Etruscan pathways of Pitigliano (Southern Tuscany)

For some reason I get along really well with Jewish people (though I don't usually find out they're Jewish until we've already gotten to know each other pretty well) which includes many of my clients. This means that I've spent quite a bit of time researching Jewish Italy (there's a lot there!), and I often end up recommending a visit to the Tuscan town of Pitigliano, also known as Little Jerusalem. 

Not only is this gorgeous town historically significant in more ways than one, it has some very interesting walkable Etruscan pathways. Some of the tunnels are completely covered, and are underneath the city. They're accessible on walking tours - ask the tourist office. Other pathways, the Via Cave, are in the area around Pitigliano. Also carved by the ancient Etruscans and up to a mile long, they're narrow with tall vertical walls, open at the top. They don't go anywhere in particular but are fun to walk through. This article lists the Etruscan pathways around Pitigliano and provides a good description from the traveler's perspective. Here's an interesting article speculating on why the Pitigliano pathways were built.

 

3) Soak (or dive!) in the thermal waters, or just inhale the therapeutic steam of Grotta Giusti (Northern Tuscany)

There are many natural thermal waters in Tuscany, but Grotta Giusti is at the top of my list. It's an actual cave and natural sauna, even equipped with lounge chairs, as you can see from the photo above. Kids under age 12 can't go into the grotto but can visit the swimming pool, which is also filled with the natural thermal waters and is at ground-level (as opposed to cave-level). SCUBA divers can even explore the cave underwater.

Do you have any favorite underground spots in Italy?

Photo of Lagazuoi by Marco Bellucci, Photo of Pitigliano by Arielarts used with permission, Photo of Grotta Giusti from Grotta Giusti Spa

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Seven weeks of travel in Italy

How would you spend your time if you had seven weeks to travel in Italy? My husband and I had that opportunity before we moved from Milan to the USA, and because I get the "what should I see in Italy" question so often, I thought I'd share what we decided to see on that particular trip, and why we chose each place.

If it had been our first trip to Italy, I would have started with something along the lines of Jessica's (aka Italylogue's) fabulous two week detailed Italy itinerary (which as she explains you can easily stretch out to 3 weeks or more). But after 5 years in Italy I'd done all that, so our itinerary became a mix of places neither of us had been (Dolomites, Isola della Maddalena, and Ischia), and places I'd been but my husband hadn't.  

 

 

The Dolomites  We started at the end of June, and spent a week hiking in the Val Gardena in the Dolomite mountains. Why we chose it: We both love hiking, and July is the perfect month to visit the Dolomites, because it's warm and not as crowded as August. Some of the most incredible hikes I've ever done were on this trip - and I grew up hiking in the Rocky Mountains.

Tuscany  We rented a car and spent 10 days in Tuscany exploring the countryside. We also hit Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Montepulciano and Pienza. Why we chose it: It was partly a wandering-the-hills-of-Tuscany trip for photography (which meant early mornings), looking for fields of sunflowers and just waking up in the morning and doing what we felt like that day.

 

Naples, Pompeii, and Ischia  We spent 5 days in Naples, then hit the archaeological ruins of Pompeii and spent 4 days on the island of Ischia. Since it was high season, we chose Ischia over the island of Capri because there were fewer crowds. We rented motorinos on Ischia to get around, and loved Ischia's natural hot springs. Why we chose it: I like the balance of putting Naples, Pompeii and Ischia together, because you start with a big vibrant city, then visit an incredible must-see attraction (but with lots of tourists), and then end with off-the-beaten-track island beach time. 

The Amalfi Coast  We spent 4 days on the Amalfi Coast after driving on impossibly narrow and twisting roads over the mountain from Naples -- which I would not recommend for any couple ;) Why we chose it: I had been, and wanted to go back with my husband because it's such a romantic spot (or became romantic after we made up post mountain-crossing!)

 
 
 

Isola Maddalena, Sardinia  We flew to Sardinia and then took a boat to Isola Maddalena and spent a week exploring the island, lying on the beach, going for bike rides, and SCUBA  diving (I got my certification there). Why we chose it: With only a week, we didn't have nearly enough time to visit the huge island of Sardinia, so we chose 1 spot, saw it well, and relaxed.

Sicily  We spent 2 weeks on the island of Sicily, which I've written about before. Why we chose it: I had been to Sicily before and wanted to go back. Sicily is another great place for a balanced vacation. We climbed a volcano, lay on the beach, walked through Greek ruins, spent time in large bustling cities, saw incredible art, and ate and drank well. 

So that adds up to a little more than 7 weeks believe it or not! (We actually had more time off, and also took a week to go up to Switzerland and see the Montreux Jazz Festival, on at the end of July every year.) And after all that, am I satisfied? Well, yes. But my still-to-visit list in Italy is long, because when you go to Italy with a list of things to see, you don't come home with everything checked off. You come home with a longer list.

Photos: me hiking in the Dolomites, detail from the Nile Scene mosaic at the archaeological museum in Naples, view from Isola Maddalena of the bridge to Caprera. All photos by Sanjay.

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Short Trips from Milan

When I worked in Milan I took advantage of weekends to travel. Below I've made a list of my favorite places to visit from Milan in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days. I've put cities in a list based on the minimum amount of time I recommend spending there. Unless otherwise specified, all travel times are by train.

 

If you have just 1 day...

• Visit the Carthusian Monastery of Pavia, only 20 minutes away.
• The town and beautiful park of Monza are just 10 minutes away.
• The ancient town of Bergamo is under an hour away.
• The Roman town of Como, on the lake with the same name, is just an hour away.
• The Lake Maggiore is also one hour away. Take the train to the beautiful town of Stresa and go from there.
• Go to Switzerland! In 1 hour you are in the pretty lakeside town of Lugano.
• Gawk at the the picturesque alpine scenery of the Aosta Valley.
• In just over an hour, you're in the atmospheric university city of Bologna.
• Visit the gastronomically and architecturally significant Parma, less than 90 minutes away. Arrive hungry.
• At 90 minutes away, Turin is somewhat of a long day trip but one of my favorite people lives there so I've done it many times.
• The port city of Genoa is also about 90 minutes away. It's a long day trip but if that's all you have, then go, and at the end of the day you'll be promising to return as soon as you can.

 

If you have 2 days, consider any of the above, and in addition....

• The spa town of Sirmione, on Lake Garda is a couple hours away. 
• Visit the town or see an outdoor opera in the small city of Verona, under 2 hours away.
• Get a little off the beaten track in the town of Vicenza about 2 hours away - and don't miss Palladio's Villa Rotonda.
• Go to Florence, just under 2 hours away.
• Enjoy art, architecture and food in the gorgeous city of Padua, just over 2 hours away.
• Spend time in Venice, about 2.5 hours away. Two days in Venice is a little rushed but if that's all you have, then go.
• Hike the Cinque Terre, which is about 3 hours away by train.
• Sure why not - go to Pisa and climb the leaning tower.

 

If you have 3 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• From Florence, visit the towns of Lucca, Siena, San Gimignano - or if you have a car, Monteriggioni or Volterra.
• Spend a couple days on the island of Elba. Allow about 4 hours for the train plus 1 hour for the ferry. (Though this trip is easier by car when starting from Milan.)
• See the spectacular Byzantine mosaics in the city of Ravenna, and while you're in the area, stop in and visit the town of Brisighella. 
• In 4 hours you're in the gorgeous Umbrian city of Perugia. From there visit Assisi as well.

 

If you have 4 days, consider any of the above, and in addition...

• Venture further into Tuscany, visiting the towns of Pienza and Montepulciano.
• Go to Rome.
• Explore more of Umbria from your base in Perugia. Visit the towns of Gubbio, Spoleto, Todi, and Orvieto.
• Explore more of the Veneto, going up to Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, and the countryside - red and Prosecco wineries! - north of Verona.
• Go skiing at Cortina D'Ampezzo in the Dolomites. Or if it's summertime, go hiking near Ortisei in the Val Gardena.

I don't recommend going south of Rome if you have only 4 days total, nor do I recommend trying to go to Sardinia or Sicily. You just need more time that that (even though, I know, Italy does look misleadingly small on the map!)

Photos from top to bottom: Parma, Sirmione, Lucca, the Dolomites near Ortisei. All photos by Sanjay

Not sure which of the locations above to pick? Italy Beyond the Obvious can plan your entire trip or coach you to do it yourself. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

The best skiing in Italy

 

Ask virtually any serious Italian skier where the best place to ski in Italy is and they won't blink before recommending Cortina D'Ampezzo. With jaw-dropping views and 12 ski areas, there are 750 miles of downhill runs, 73 miles of cross-country ski runs, a snowboarding park and an Olympic Bobsled. And the town itself, surrounded on all sides by the gorgeous Dolomite mountains (photo, above), is fabulous for apres-ski and people-watching. I don't even know what more to say.

For rates & information on all 12 ski areas, ski rental, ski school, weather conditions, webcams and more, here's a useful website.

Summertime: the rock faces in the photo above are known for mountain climbing, and there is also plenty of hiking in the area, as well as other great things nearby to see and do.  

Photo of the 3 Cime di Lavaredo by Gianni Basaglia

 

Need help planning a ski trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

Possibly the most unique photo you'll take in Italy

The photo below was not done in Photoshop, I promise. The medieval tower rises out of Lake Reschen, only a few miles from both the Swiss and Austrian borders (set foot in 3 countries in 1 day!). It's not quite on the Rome-Florence-Milan-Venice route, but if you're coming to Italy via Innsbruck, Austria, or are planning to ski or hike in the Dolomites or bike in the area, definitely stop for a visit. 

The Story

The partly submerged bell tower (and fully submerged town) were not the result of a natural disaster but of a man made dam. Over 150 homes in the towns of Graun and Reschen were covered in water when the Montecatini energy company (now Edison Energia) dammed the area in the 1940's to unite the Reschensee and Mittersee lakes. 

Now just called the Reschensee (or Lago di Resia or Lake Reschen), it's much more than a photo-op. In the winter, walk across the ice to the tower, or ski in the area. In the summer, kite-surf, cross the lake on a boat, or go hiking or mountain biking. Scuba divers say there isn't much to see underwater anymore, since the rest of the submerged town has become mostly sediment.

Photo by Cristina63

Need help planning your trip to Italy? Italy Beyond the Obvious does custom trip planning. If you like what you read, subscribe to this blog for free.

An Easy and Scenic Bike Ride from Italy to Austria

You'd never guess from looking at the photo below that any cycling path in the Dolomite mountains could be easy. But the paved route from San Candido, in the Sud Tyrol region of Italy, to Lienz, Austria, is 42km / 26mi of gentle downhill. It's ideal for kids, rollerbladers, or anyone who wants to focus on the scenery and breathe fresh air - and maybe not get much exercise.

San Candido, Italy - Lienz, Austria

You'll need about half a day for the whole trip, after you get to San Candido. If you need to, rent a bike in San Candido, then just follow the well-marked, well-maintained path. Take a break at one of the many playgrounds or small towns en route, or continue to the very pretty town of Lienz. Allow some time to explore the town before loading your bike on the train back to San Candido. 

Useful To Know...

• The path is busiest on Sundays.   

• Not recommended to ride in reverse because most of the bike traffic is heading the other direction. You'd be dodging a lot of people, some pedaling as fast as possible and assuming nobody's coming in the opposite direction.

• Here's a map of the route.

  

The Trains

• San Candido is 2 hours by train from Bolzano, 3 hours from Trento, or 5 hours from Venice. 

• Trains back to San Candido run about once an hour.

• If you are traveling in a group of 4 people or more, it's less expensive to buy a group pass (person + bike) on the train from Lienz to San Candido.

  

 

What's Nearby?

Add this bike ride to a week of hiking in the Dolomites out of Ortisei. Or, if you're comfortable driving in Italy, add it to an itinerary around the Veneto countryside. Or add another couple days to the Italy Beyond the Obvious sample itinerary from Milan to Venice, but instead of heading down to Venice on Day 2, drive up to San Candido.

Photo of Monte Baranci, Dolomites, at sunrise by Pier/?

Photo of scenery along the bike path by Nico.P

Photo of the bike train by Guido Allibrante

Let Italy Beyond the Obvious plan your trip: have a look at the sample itinerary, or learn more

Hiking in the Dolomites

I grew up hiking in the Rocky Mountains, and I must say that the Dolomites are at least as spectacular as the rockies, and more hiker-friendly (no bears!)

The reason it's so easy for hikers is that the ski infrastructure has been completely leveraged: the lifts and gondolas function all summer to take hikers up and down the mountain. At the top, lots of marked hiking trails continue both upwards and back down, so there is a huge choice of hikes. I had some knee pain so we mostly hiked up, and took the gondola or lift down, which was really nice.

We stayed in the town of Ortisei, which is just northeast of Bolzano, in the Val Gardena. As its name suggests, the "Val" Gardena is a valley, so every morning we had a choice of several gondolas, each going up a different mountain, each with many hiking trails from the top. The trails are well-marked, well-worn, and our Val Gardena guidebook gave us lots of detail on the hikes, like length, difficulty, and what time to aim to be back at the bottom in order to catch the bus through the valley back to our hotel. We encountered a few other hikers but in general we didn't see many other people until we got back down to the town at the end of the day.

In Ortisei, as in much of the dolomite region, the local dialect is "Ladino" which is a cross between Italian and German. The people reminded us more of Germans than Italians: we found them very precise, punctual, and reliable (which is not necessarily the way things are run in the rest of Italy....!). The food also seemed more German, so we sort of forgot we were still in Italy.

When to go

I'd recommend July. It's warm enough to hike in shorts and a t-shirt, but in the mountains it still isn't too hot.

I'd avoid August unless you prepare for higher prices and crowds. The dolomites are a major tourist destination so, as with all tourist destinations in Italy in August, they get crowded and expensive. If you can't do July, try end of June or the beginning of September. Of course the days are longer in June which is a good thing when hiking!

Photos by Sanjay