I am considering a driving holiday to the Dolomites, Italy in mid June. I will be travelling with my mother so hiking/walking is not an option. We enjoy beautiful scenery and strolling round pretty villages. If there were some shops to browse round that would be good too. My plan is to perhaps fly to Treviso then drive to the Dolomites from there. Tour duration 7 or 8 nights. We would stay in one place two or three nights before moving on somewhere new. (Inital thoughts are Cortina, Ortisei, Madonna Di Campiglio - but would like advice). Does anyone have any recommendations as this area is totally new to me. What is the weather likely to be like from mid June onwards

Hello Yorky,
Based on your plans/ideas I'd suggest staying in any of the three villages/towns of Val Gardena. Each of the three villages/towns are just a 5 minute drive from one another. Plenty of beautiful scenery! We can recommend staying at the Garni Ariston in St. Christina.

www.garniariston.com

Ortisei has a pedestrian zone with shops, cafes, etc. There is also a cable car right from Ortisei up to the Seiser Alm with a cafe/restaurant at the top with beautiful Dolomite panorama. No hiking is neeeded.

With a car, take a drive over the Gardena and/or the Sella Pass for some truly stunning up close Dolomite vistas.

For an afternoon or day trip, I can highly recommend visiting Brixen/Bressanone nearby. Gorgeous old town with plenty of shops, cafes, churches, etc. plus we found the Diocesan Museum Brixen to be fascinating. Sterzing/Vipetino is another very charming old town nearby as is Brunico/Bruneck and Chiusa/Klausen.

www.val-gardena.com

www.alpedisiusi-seiseralm.com/index.html

www.brixen.org

If you're interested, our recent photo's are at:

www.worldisround.com/articles/324504/index.html

Hope this helps.

Paul

Good advice from Paul. I would add that your best 3rd destination can be Lago Garda,staying at the very pretty north end at Riva or malcesine.

Thanks both for your useful advice. Seems like there would be plenty for us to do. As we stayed at Lake Garda two years ago I didn't really want to go back when there are new places to see.

Oh my gosh! Paul, those photos are gorgeous!!

When did you take the photos in Bruneck/Brunico? Because I want to go there when the gorgeous fall foliage is at its peak.

Would you say mid-October?

Thanks!

Hi Bettyo70,

Thank you!
We were there the third week of October. A week earlier would probably have been ideal for the folliage though. We loved the Dolomites and the towns of Bruneck/Brunico, Stezing/Vipiteno and especially Brixen Bressanone. We've been three times in the last seven years and would love to go back.

Paul

You've really inspired me to go there.

Thank you!