Painters, writers and poets have all extolled the beauty of the Dolomites. The Dolomites boast some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on the planet. In addition to abundant snow and sunshine, the Dolomites also boast a particularly seductive art of living.
By Eric Vancleynenbreugel
German or Italian? When I ask him what his mother tongue is, the cab driver taking us from Bolzano airport to Val Gardena replies: «Neither, I speak Ladin. There are only a few thousand of us, but in my village of Ortisei, everyone speaks it. It's a very old language, not widely spoken, and it's said to be in the same family as Rhaeto-Romanche from Grisons,» he continues. It's easy to see that South Tyrol is an astonishing patchwork of languages and traditions. Veronika, our guide, confirms this when she takes us on a tour of the ski region, which extends over a vast area at the foot of the famous Plattkofel and Langkofel mountains. Although she speaks German at home, she explains that here, people often start a conversation in one language, then continue in another, adding a few words of a third along the way... Which just goes to show that here, people always manage to understand and make themselves understood in one way or another!
Pink ramparts
The landscapes of South Tyrol are sublime! This is perhaps the first reason to visit: nature is so incredible. Some mountains seem to spring from the ground, with slopes of unheard-of verticality, ending in... flattened peaks. Other peaks are so chiselled and biscornus that they seem almost artificial. And as soon as the rays of the rising or setting sun graze them, the dolomitic rocks turn purple and pink before turning purple. This phenomenon is so unique that it has been given a name: «enrosadira». No wonder Reinhold Messner, the first mountaineer to have conquered all 8,000 metres of the planet, called them «the most beautiful mountains in the world». In 2009, UNESCO decided to follow Messner's lead and classify part of the Dolomites as a natural World Heritage Site.
Knödel and spaghetti
The Dolomites, an exceptional backdrop for snow sports. Emperor Franz Joseph was already skiing here at the end of the 19th century.e century, in what was to become the resort of Madonna di Campiglio. Every year at the end of February, a Habsburg carnival revives this history. Hussars, ladies in troikas, old-fashioned carts - all in period costume, of course, and certainly for those taking part in the Grand Bal de l'Empereur (admission to which is open to all), which is invariably held at the Grand Hôtel des Alpes, in the prestigious Salle Hofer!
Historically, then, it was in these splendid mountains that skiing first developed in Italy. And it's even easier to understand why, when you visit the slopes. Starting with the Alpe di Suisi, a ski area stretching over the largest alpine pasture in Europe, at an altitude of 2,000 metres above Val Gardena. Here, you can ski either on very wide slopes or among the trees. An area much appreciated by families for its pleasant but not too steep slopes, its alpine huts made of weathered wood and where you can dine on the best the region has to offer. With the added nuance that in South Tyrol, the culture of the table, tasty and generous, combines knödel and spaghetti. Smoked hams, wines, cheeses and homemade bread, usually flavored (with caraway seeds, for example), plus all the typical Italian specialties and ambience that families love.
More experienced skiers (who don't need to be champions) can try a famous day-long ski tour around the Sella massif, the mountain that rises to over 3,000 metres just opposite Santa Cristina. The «Sella Ronda» passes through the Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa and Arabba ski areas, covering just over 23 kilometers of runs. To go from valley to valley, you need to take some fifteen lifts. It's a journey that isn't just the brainchild of a sportsman in search of a feat. In the past, the only way for locals to reach other villages and do a bit of business was with their two wooden planks and a good dose of courage, since there were no ski lifts! Today, it's pure pleasure, an exquisite hike from valley to valley, with breathtaking views of this mountain wonder.
Birthplace of the via ferrata«
In the villages that dot the Val Gardena, the influence of nearby Austria can be felt in the accommodation, dominated not by large buildings but by medium-sized chalets. Their facades are colored in pastel tones and often decorated with frescoes.
Après-ski is an institution in Italy: shopping above all, but also relaxation, since most hotels in the region offer a spa. And then there are all the snow sports and, above all, snowshoe trekking, which is very popular for admiring the wild landscapes and unusual features of these unique mountains. And don't forget the via ferrata. Did you know that it was born here, in these mountains, during the First World War? On what was then the border with Austria-Hungary, soldiers from both sides had devised and installed an incredible network of metal cables and ladders, enabling them to traverse the vertiginous walls more quickly. Today, one of these routes makes it easy (albeit in 5 hours) to reach the highest peak in the Dolomites, the Marmolada, which for a long time marked the boundary between Italy and Austria.
Now it's time to enjoy some of the many hours of sunshine that South Tyrol enjoys (over 300 days of sunshine a year!), before taking the convenient Bolzano-Antwerp direct flight again.
Carnet de voyage:
How to get there SkyAlps direct flights Antwerp-Bolzano. Note that South Tyrol offsets the CO2 of each of these flights! www.skyalps.com.
Accommodation/eating :
- Hotel Vitalpina Dosses, Santa Cristina, www.dosses.it. Lots of charm, run by the same family for generations. Après-ski spa.
- Hotel Mirandola, Loc. Ospizio 3, 38020 Passo Tonale, www.lamirandolahotel.it. A former hospice near a mountain pass, now converted into a superb hotel with undeniable charm. The view is breathtaking and, what's more, it's right on the slopes. And there's a spa for après-ski.
- Hotel Chalet del Brenta, 38086 Pinzolo, www.hotelchaletdelbrenta.com. A contemporary address on the Madonna di Campiglio estate with, once again, a state-of-the-art spa.
- Gostner Schwaige, www.aussergost.com/de/gostner-schwaige. Alpine chalet and dairy for a gourmet stopover in the sun.
Ski The Dolomiti Superski area covers the entire heart of the massif. www.dolomitisuperski.com.
More info : www.suedtirol.info.
Photo gallery: Süd Tirol-Alto Adige
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