Question about the Dolamites
Jul 26th, 2005, 07:04 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Question about the Dolamites
Greetings!
I should start off by saying that my husband and I are very active people, and during our stay in Europe, will be seeing some museums, but are more intersted in the country-side.
That being said, we will be in Europe for 2 weeks, flying into Zurich, and flying out of Rome.
Right now our plan is to go from Zurich, straight to Interlocken, onto Salzburg, and then this is the question.
Are the Dolamites worth seeing? I've heard how grand they are, but in many of the tour books, it's sort of last on the list of sites to see.
What do you all think?
Also, from there we're going to the Florence area, and then a brief stop in Rome. (Rome south will be another trip.
Thanks in advance for you answers!
I should start off by saying that my husband and I are very active people, and during our stay in Europe, will be seeing some museums, but are more intersted in the country-side.
That being said, we will be in Europe for 2 weeks, flying into Zurich, and flying out of Rome.
Right now our plan is to go from Zurich, straight to Interlocken, onto Salzburg, and then this is the question.
Are the Dolamites worth seeing? I've heard how grand they are, but in many of the tour books, it's sort of last on the list of sites to see.
What do you all think?
Also, from there we're going to the Florence area, and then a brief stop in Rome. (Rome south will be another trip.
Thanks in advance for you answers!
Jul 26th, 2005, 08:18 AM
#2
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
D2roberts,
We just visited the Dolomites in June. They were beautiful. We stayed in Castlerotto. We stayed for 3 nights and we were ready to move on. You could stay for 2 nights and still enjoy. I would weigh the rest of your trip and see if it really fits in. We took the gondola to the Alpe di Suise. Very beautiful. German is spoken everywhere. It is a charming area in town. We stopped in Bolzano to see the Ice Mummy at the archeology museum. It was worth the visit. But again, don't try to put too many things in your itinerary.
Happy planning,
Travelatte
We just visited the Dolomites in June. They were beautiful. We stayed in Castlerotto. We stayed for 3 nights and we were ready to move on. You could stay for 2 nights and still enjoy. I would weigh the rest of your trip and see if it really fits in. We took the gondola to the Alpe di Suise. Very beautiful. German is spoken everywhere. It is a charming area in town. We stopped in Bolzano to see the Ice Mummy at the archeology museum. It was worth the visit. But again, don't try to put too many things in your itinerary.
Happy planning,
Travelatte
Jul 26th, 2005, 08:22 AM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Visited the Dolomites in August, a few years ago. I remember my little sister getting sick and throwing up in the car. We stayed in Merano, an hour away. Merano has a lot of charm and is a great town. The Dolomites are beautiful, but it's a dead place on Sunday: nothings open.
Jul 26th, 2005, 09:05 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
travelatte:
That's is exactly what we were planning on doing! Great. I think we're going to go for it! (That whole mummy thing...I really could care less, but my husband seems interested...I'll do whatever!)
That's is exactly what we were planning on doing! Great. I think we're going to go for it! (That whole mummy thing...I really could care less, but my husband seems interested...I'll do whatever!)
Jul 26th, 2005, 09:13 AM
#5
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,707
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm a bit puzzled - you're heading SW from Zurich (to Interlaken), then back NE towards Salzburg - right?
After that, where do you intend to enter Italy? If you leave Austria via the Brenner, the Dolomites are on your way and very much worth the stop. As travelatte says, the Alpe di Suisi is special - even for the Alps. Disregard the tour books IMO.
The answer to our question would have to depend on how much time you have and how much other mountain scenery you've taken in on your drive to Salzburg.
After that, where do you intend to enter Italy? If you leave Austria via the Brenner, the Dolomites are on your way and very much worth the stop. As travelatte says, the Alpe di Suisi is special - even for the Alps. Disregard the tour books IMO.
The answer to our question would have to depend on how much time you have and how much other mountain scenery you've taken in on your drive to Salzburg.
Jul 26th, 2005, 09:28 AM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, I know, a bit of backtracking. We got a great deal to fly into Zurich. We were going to go to Innsbrook instead of Salzburg, but was swayed from doing that. But, we are coming down the way you mentioned, through Brenner. The way I figure it, the train ride should be beautiful, and it will give us time to rest from our whirlwind tour. ;-) That being said, we are trying to stay at least 2-3 nights in each place we are going.
Jul 26th, 2005, 09:29 AM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 602
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The day-long drive from Bolzano to Cortina along the Great Dolomites Road is very scenic - the road climbs over a number of passes, plunging down into the valleys between them. The view of the valley that Cortina sits in from the road is amazing, one of my most memorable vistas anywhere in the Alps.
If you have any curiosity about archaeology at all, and maybe even if you don't, you'll find the exhibit of Oetzi (The Ice Man) in Bolzano fascinating. It's extremely well done and there's much more to see than his preserved body. The museum also has many other exhibits and would be a worthwhile visit even without Oetzi. I've been twice, driving hours out of my way the second time just to see it all again.
If you have any curiosity about archaeology at all, and maybe even if you don't, you'll find the exhibit of Oetzi (The Ice Man) in Bolzano fascinating. It's extremely well done and there's much more to see than his preserved body. The museum also has many other exhibits and would be a worthwhile visit even without Oetzi. I've been twice, driving hours out of my way the second time just to see it all again.
Jul 26th, 2005, 11:24 AM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,214
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We enjoy mountains and hiking, and really appreciated the Dolomites. Because it's not on everyone's itinerary, it was less touristy, but the people who live there were very welcoming. I'll never forget the conversation we had with our young waiter who was heading off in the fall to go to school in Milan (where we had flown into). He asked us about the cows in Milan - we were very concerned, until we realized he meant the "crowds!"
Jul 26th, 2005, 11:51 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 321
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My husband and I have been to the Dolomites 11 times in the last 13 years and have another visit planned. Almost every trip has ended in 4-6 days in the Dolomites and we just can't imagine a trip without the wonderful relaxation, the beautiful vistas, the way of life from a different era, the lovely walking paths from village to village... We love staying in traditional inns with half board and just being served a wonderful variety of food (Italian-Austrian) without a lot of decisions on our part. We have never been disappointed!
Jul 26th, 2005, 12:03 PM
#11
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi again d2roberts (just posted regarding your Florence thread). Personally I love the Dolamites.
The air is so crisp, the Dolamites are so beautiful, the atmosphere is so relaxing.
Unfortutantly I have always stayed in places that require a car so my suggestions to you would not do you any good but others here have given you good idea.
I just wanted to add to the chorus of how wonderful the Dolomites area is.
As far as Sunday's, take a beautiful walk, have a long leisurely lunch perhaps, just relax and enjoy life, the way the Italians do. Best wishes.
The air is so crisp, the Dolamites are so beautiful, the atmosphere is so relaxing.
Unfortutantly I have always stayed in places that require a car so my suggestions to you would not do you any good but others here have given you good idea.
I just wanted to add to the chorus of how wonderful the Dolomites area is.
As far as Sunday's, take a beautiful walk, have a long leisurely lunch perhaps, just relax and enjoy life, the way the Italians do. Best wishes.
