Rifugio Locatelli, eastern Dolomites


We spent a week in September 2025, exploring the Dolomites for the first time and absolutely fell in love with this incredible area.

A bit of info on my husband and I. Chris will be 70 early next year and I’m not far behind. We do a fair amount of regular walking/hiking at home in Scotland and are reasonably fit. When we are abroad, we enjoy walks which are not overly challenging but offer good bang for our buck. All the walks we did in the Dolomites were easy despite most being at the 8,500 feet mark. That said, we did notice a bit more huffing and puffing on the few minor ascents!

As ever, I’d researched our trip endlessly, browsing countless, very enjoyable blogs (AFarAwayLand’s images were just a wow, I kept coming back to this one though the girl herself is a Via Ferrata fan, something which does not appeal to me at all as I am not a fan of edges and ledges.) This Forum was also really useful and we took Lonely Planet’s Italy guide with us too. To be honest, this wasn’t such a useful guide for the mountains as the section on that was very short but it was handy for the others places we visited.

Our itinerary was:

5 nights Cortina (for Rifugio Lagazuoi, Tre Cime Lavaredo, Lago di Braies and Cinque Torres walks.)

2 nights Ortisei (Seceda, Bolzano and Bressanone.)

2 nights Venice (staying outside the city.)

GETTING THERE

Flew to Venice Marco Polo airport from Edinburgh (2.5hr flight with EasyJet),picked up a prebooked car from Italy Car Rental and headed off on the 2hr 10min drive on good fast roads to Cortina.

On Car hire: we always use a third party booking site – usually Discover Cars, sometimes Zest – as we find we get the best deal that way. We also take out our own, separate Excess/Additional Car Insurance with a UK provider to avoid the hard sell hassle at the rental desk. That means we are secure in the knowledge that we are covered for any eventuality. In our experience of many trips throughout mainland Europe, there is particularly hair-raising driving at times in Italy and it’s common to see many cars which are badly dented and scratched.

Despite several road work sections, it was indeed just over 2hrs later than we reached Cortina.The scenery had been spectacular as the road climbed higher and higher, up through Auronzo and past gorgeous Alpine chalets with flower filled balconies set in emerald green meadows, backed by grand rocky peaks. Onion domed churches were a reminder that this was Alto Adige, with strong historical links to Austria. It didn’t look like the Italy we knew from previous trips at all.

RIFUGIO LAGAZUOI (8,500ft)


Rifugio Lagazuoi


The mountains were so clear, we decided to push on to the Falzarego Pass instead of making for our accommodation. The forecast for the week was not looking great so thought we’d better make the most of the views while we could!

The Pass was a further 25 mins winding drive beyond Cortina where the Lagazuoi cable car was running until 5pm.

What a stunning drive it was to the Pass and what a gorgeous spot! Got parked (free) opposite the cable car station. It was 3pm by now and the area was really quiet. Had a quick look at the lovely Cappella della Visitazione chapel sitting on its own below Sass Di Stria mountain as we waited for the next run up (26.50 euros each return.)


Falzarego Pass and chapel


I get a bit nervous on the first cable car of any trip ( there had been a terrible funicular accident in Portugal a week before which didn’t help) though the more I go up them, the less anxious I feel. In fact, it was one of the shortest rides ever and we were soon standing on the terrace stunned by the view. It was incredibly mild too with not a breath of wind and we spent the next hour with just a light jumper for me and Chris in his shirt. Our rucksack , packed with my heavy duty duvet jacket, hats and gloves, was overkill today and for most of the rest of the trip.


The rifugio and cafe


The mountain behind me is Tofane, above Cortina

Marmolada zoomed from Lagazuoi path

There was a wonderful path from the terrace café all the way to the summit cross which took about 15 mins. How good the path is, is clear below...


Excellent wide path


Detour section - dramatic but very safe and barriered

The photo above shows a wheelchair/disabled section of path which has been built out around the rock face at one point. This avoids a minor ascent over a rocky knoll which might not be for everyone given the drop off. One thing about the Dolomites is, they are particularly precipitous!

Many areas of the Dolomites were tunnelled during WW1 and there were various small caves to peer into though others looked to be in quite intimidating positions with cables for assistance.

We signed the book at the summit cross though felt like frauds given we had come up the cheatie way!


So lucky to get the mountains clear...

Rifugio Lagazuoi itself sits above the cable car station in a tremendous location. I had tried to book us in here for an overnight way back in February but had no luck. Next trip, I would prioritise at least one hut stay as seeing sunset and sunrise must be superb (albeit weather dependent.) In the centre of the photo below , you can see the path up to Rifugio Nuvolau, amidst the moonscape and another ‘must do’ walk on my list this week - if weather allowed.


Rifugio Nuvolau and path just visible

It’s possible to hike back down to Falzarego Pass though it looked quite steep and scree-y. We really didn’t have the energy for that, being straight off the plane, plus I’d left my poles in the car and would definitely have needed them on that descent. Scree/gravel can be very slithery!

By 5pm we were back down at the Pass and so excited that we’d had such a fantastic vista of the mountains on Day 1. It really couldn’t have been a better arrival day!

CORTINA

Got into one of the edge of town parking areas (2 euros an hour) and walked down to Cortina’s centro storico, a 10 min stroll away.

We both loved Cortina. It’s elegant, classy and very upmarket, with a stunning location. Dramatic mountains are all around, rearing above the emerald green meadows dotted with Alpine chalets. To me, it also offered the walking areas that most appealed – the eastern Dolomites definitely looked more spectacular than images I’d seen of the western side.


Cortina townscape



The town has lots of great outdoor shops and some very expensive designer places too ( Dior, Dolce and Gabbana and many others well outside my budget!) It also has a great Co-op Supermarket which is also a very smart department store. I’m not much of a clothes shopper but the posh stores were such a beautiful addition to the townscape somehow. Dior’s golden themed display was a work of art.Plenty of traditional South Tyrol architecture too, balconies draped with flowers and some venerable old hotels. Quite a bit of road work going on as the town is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics so this led to tail backs at times on the one -way road system.The long, pedestrianised main street was wide and just so lovely to stroll with attractive cafes and fancy hotel terraces all lit up at night.

Picked up supplies and finally, at 6.30pm, made it to our 1st floor apartment (Airbnb) in a traditional , stand alone building set in a neat meadow. Not cheap for just the 2 of us but it has 3 bedrooms so for a group, it would be fantastic value.Very characterful with lovely decoration, great books and two big balconies.In fact, the whole first floor of the building with wraparound balconies, was ours.




Sat out on the terrace off the sitting room with a glass of wine in the last of the light and breathed a sigh of relief that we were here and had had such an amazing first day! I really wondered if it could get any better...little did I know...

Rustled up a very quick pasta favourite for dinner – smoked salmon with peas, mixed through with crème fraiche and parmesan. Easy peasy (so to speak) as we were a bit knackered by now!

Tomorrow: Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike plus Rifugio Locatelli


Start of Tre Cime hike, Rifugio Auronzo

The scenery looks incredible.

Thats a dream holiday Scotlandmac, you hit some of our favourite spots in all of Italy. Looking forward to more!

Thank you both!
Anuj - yes, what an area! Absolutely incredible. Tre Cime walk up next...

DAY 2 : TRE CIME HIKE - RIFUGIO AURONZO TO RIFUGIO LOCATELLI


Rifugio Locatelli appears

Some nice light in the morning from our balcony as we enjoyed a few cups of tea and some of the local bread rolls and honey/jams our hostess had left us. The forecast suggested that rain was due in by 11am and frustratingly, we had no access to the Auronzo parking area, the hike start, until 9.30am (reasons below.)


Croda di Lago lit by morning sunshine


From Cortina it was a 40 min, superbly scenic drive to Lake Misurina and the toll road. Good quality road too – no potholes as we have at home! - lots of switchbacks as we climbed higher through the forest, past meadows and some lovely smaller lakes. Lake Misurina itself was a stunning spot. From here, we could see the Auronzo Hut car park at 7,870ft and the Tre Cime rearing behind. Wow!


On route to Misurina


Lake Misurina and Auronzo parking visible high above


The Toll Road to Auronzo Rifugio

The Toll road begins just outside Misurina on a well signposted road for Tre Cime Lavaredo. This is the name for the famous 3 rock pillars which dominate the landscape and which rise to nearly 10,000 ft in height.

I booked our parking permit /space (40 euros) many weeks in advance to make sure of getting a place. This gives 12 hours of parking but I should have booked a time as early as possible (any time of day or night can be the starting time) instead of 9.30am , allowing us to drive up super early and beat the weather. The rules are, you can arrive any time after your time slot but not before.

As we spent about 4 -5 hours in the area, a 7am starting slot would have been ideal. The toll road works on number plate recognition, so this info has to be added online.As we didn’t know the number plate of our hired car at this point, we were able to input this later but not beyond midnight before the parking day itself. Good concentration is also required as there is only one go at inputting the correct licence plate number! I did it cautiously as we drove away from the airport, worrying that we might forget later in the day.

Doing this walk again, we would probably park before the toll road where there was a big area for cars and take the reliable shuttle bus up to Rifugio Auronzo and the hike start.That would at least allow a good weather window to be chosen nearer the time/the day before etc.

It was a beautiful start to the morning with blue skies but cloud was billowing. There were a couple of guys on duty at the toll, presumably in case of issues.(I’d kept our email confirmation of booking just in case but it wasn’t needed and we swept through.)

The views on the 20 min drive up to the Auronzo parking were just stunning, with the Cadini Di Misurina range coming into view.The parking was very well organised and we were directed into a specific space.This made it all very orderly.


Cadini di Misurina

Rifugio Auronzo to Rifugio Lavaredo

Got our rucksack ready (Chris was carrying for us both as we didn’t have that much, just rain gear) grabbed a loo at the spectacularly situated Auronzo Hut and set off.


Getting sorted at Auronzo Parking

The path was so wide! It’s actually a service vehicle gravel road between the huts and this made for very comfortable walking given the very steep ground on our right.The views were truly magnificent from the off.


Auronzo Hut and Cadini behind


That view!

I looked longingly at another hike I’d hoped we’d get in today - out to Cadini Di Misurina – but the jagged peaks were already being swept by cloud coming up rapidly from the valley.In fact, I’d thought about doing that short walk first (about 1 hr return) but the views were disappearing fast already.

Still, walking along that big track, it was such a joy to be here AND in a bit of sunshine.


Setting off from R.Auronzo

It was a gorgeous, easy , flat walk of 25 mins to the Lavaredo Hut where we stopped for a much needed Latte Macchiato and my first Apple Strudel of the trip.Lovely, cosy place with a great outside terrace in wonderful surroundings.It would be worth it just to walk to this point.One complaint – they never heat the Strudel, a bit odd.Never mind, it came with a dollop of cream and was delicious.Definitely the most scenic spot I’ve ever eaten my favourite pastry!


Near Lavaredo


Lovely chapel on the Auronzo path



First of the trip


To Rifugio Locatelli

Onwards and upwards to Forcella Lavaredo, the high pass above the Rifugio with two paths options. We chose the less steep, slighter longer, wider path which gave a gradual ascent to a tiny chapel overlooking an outstanding mountain landscape.


Rifugio Lavaredo below the Forcella path


We chose the easier path on the right (from Lavaredo) to the Forcella



Tre Cime at the Pass (Forcella)


Chris admiring the towers

Looking further than it actually was, I could see the distinctive red roof of our next objective, Rifugio Locatelli. The paths are all well signposted with walking times too and it suggested the hut was only another 50 mins away.


50 mins away - Locatelli


Once again we were on a wide service road though this one had a bit more up and down though easy and no difficulties. I needed my poles as the gravel was a bit slithery at times but it was all very straightforward. Very steep ground to our left but with such a wide path, it was very comfortable. Technically, the true route to Locatelli follows a higher path above the scree of Mount Paterno (visible in the photos) but neither of us fancied it so stayed with the more popular route.

50 mins was optimistic as we stopped at so many points for photos ! It’s a place to savour, that’s for sure AND it was now 11am and no rain! Everything was clear, apart from the Cadini range.


One of several spots to enjoy the amazing views

What also came into view was the pyramid of rock which is Mount Paterno. It was a fantastic sight.
Mount Paterno

Met an older chap (well, our age!) just below Locatelli who offered to take our photographs. He took so many, almost like a professional, kneeling down, this angle, that angle. Very kind of him, though slightly disconcerting as I really don’t like getting my photograph taken but it was nice to get some images together for a change!

Mount Paterno really impressed me, probably as much as the Tre Cime.


Mt Paterno

And finally, the Rifugio itself which was in an amazing location.


Locatelli


The hut was going like a fair but we got a terrace table and tucked into excellent Hungarian Goulash and chips, the beef melt in the mouth.


Much better in taste than it looked!

This was the life! It was cooler once we sat down but still, September, no wind at over 8,000 feet and we were comfortable being fairly lightly clad.
By 12.30, cloud was building but it was still dry. Thank goodness Il Meteo gets it wrong as much as our own forecasts!

We had two options for the return hike. We could loop back a different way with an initial drop then a longer re-ascent or, go back the way we’d come. The latter got the vote as I wanted a last chance to see if the Cadini might clear. Plus, it would be very nice to sample some of Rifugio Lavredo’s excellent coffee again.

Back the way we came


Cloud building


Lakes behind and below the Rifugio


As we climbed back up to Forcella Lavaredo, the mist had descended ( a prelude to torrential rain which led to flood warnings throughout the area.)The path signage was topped by a wrecked drone, a warning not to use them as they so often crash and litter this World Heritage landscape.


Drone on display, broken

Made it back to Rifugio Lavaredo just as the rain came down. Inside, the hut was jam packed though we managed to find a bench to sit with our coffees. What a brilliant place it was inside with a blazing stove going and plates of tasty food getting delivered to hungry hikers. Another rifugio, along with Auronzo which must be brilliant to stay overnight in. I had tried, but no luck.

I was really impressed with a sunset (or sunrise) photo of Tre Cime which was on a wall beside the bar though it must have been taken from another mountainside - or by drone!


Not my photo, on wall of R.Lavaredo


Another 25 min stroll took us back to Rifugio Auronzo where the day had begun.

Dinner in the apartment again, spicy chicken and our own potato salad and veg. Rain had now come in really heavily with flood warnings on place! Would we make Lago di Braies tomorrow? Or be completely rained off?

DAY 3: LAGO DI BRAIES



A bit like Lake Louise...

The rain had pelted down all night. I’d spent the evening sorting out our parking at the lake as this was the last day of the season that parking restrictions applied and we needed a permit for the toll road (for arrival after 9.30am) Somehow, I found a private parking operator’s website (Eggerhof)and managed to get the permit and P3 parking for 18 euros instead of the 40 I’d expected on the Park website.It was just under 1 hour’s scenic drive to the lake from Cortina, taking us very near the Austrian border.Very drizzly weather but not torrential at least!We arrived pre 9.30am so the toll was open and we drove straight through. P3 parking was quite quiet.This put us only 500m walk from the lake.

Known as Pragser Wildsee in German, the lake was stunningly beautiful, even in the rain.

In fact, the scenery reminded me of Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies. There was a venerable old hotel at one end, overlooking the crystal clear, teal coloured water, with pine and larch covering steep craggy mountains and cliffs. We couldn’t see the bulky, 2,810m Croda del Becco peak which gives the lake its famous backdrop but nevertheless, the whole area was just beautiful.




Before we set off on the perimeter hike right (2.3 miles with an ascent of 189m/620ft ) it was time for a coffee and Almond Croissant in Emma’s Café, a really nicely converted stables just a short way beyond the Lago di Braies hotel. We had tried to snack in the hotel itself but they were repelling everyone but residents!


Emma's Cafe terrace


Emma's was quiet and we enjoyed great coffee again, smooth and creamy – Latte Macchiatos were the way to go. My Almond Croissant was a bit dry with very little almond filling unfortunately. On a sunny day, the café must be a glorious spot with all the little outside tables under the pines and edged with flower covered troughs. Gorgeous.
By 10am, it was time to head out into the mizzle, full waterproofs on, the pine forest giving us a bit of shelter.


We spent the next couple of hours strolling the excellent path round the lake shore with many places where you could drop down onto tiny beaches.

It was a very easy hike until we reached the opposite side of the lake where the path did a surprising amount of climbing up hill and down dale, making us huff and puff a fair bit! This was probably the side with the prettiest views, though the whole area was a delight, even in the drizzly grey weather. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. The weather also kept the crowds to a minimum.




Uphill and down dale...




Back to the walk start
No boats out today either, the place was closed which also made for a more peaceful looking scene too.

Paid another visit to Emma’s Café where the various hot dishes for lunch now looked really good. But we were eating out tonight and just shared a panini plus I had some of their coffee ice cream.

A quick turnaround back at the apartment, showers and a change of clothes and we headed back to Cortina, rain still falling.It felt quite cold now.

Dinner tonight was in Cortina at La Vizietto and it was good. I only booked it that afternoon as we drove back from the lake but was very glad I did (albeit we had to eat early at 5.30pm; it was that or 8.30pm.) They turned so many people away on the night.

We were served a hefty Amouse Bouche of fresh Ricotta and Honey with a selection of homemade rolls. Then shared a starter of Veal Cheeks, Red Wine sauce and Creamed Potato – very filling and rich. For mains, I had Fresh Tomato, Mushroom and Pecorino pasta while Chris had a Venison Stew with Juniper and Polenta. All very good though neither of us are polenta fans and I can't say we changed our minds about this regional staple on the trip.

Ooft! We were absolutely stuffed by now but I ordered some Tiramisu which was nicely done with lots of alcohol - soaked sponge.

We'd been served by a lovely girl who raved about her recent visit to Edinburgh, having spotted our RBS bank card! She insisted on giving me a little sample of a light, pistachio sorbet and Chris got a hefty glass of Grappa on the house to wash down his meal – he loved it. Then a small plate of chocolates was laid before us, again complementary. Would definitely eat here again - plenty of tasty food in a cosy atmosphere.

Had a stroll through lovely Cortina, admiring the Dior shop again.

Flickr album here of meal and Cortina and apartment photos...https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCuNDC

The rain was not easing up and I had real worries given the forecast that tomorrow’s mountain walk would not go ahead, or at least, might not be very pleasant with no views.However, just before it got dark, the skies cleared giving us some wonderful light on the mountains from our balcony...



Fingers crossed it would remain this clear, as this was not the forecast!

TOMORROW: Cinque Torri , Rifugios Averau and Nuvolau Hike

Wow! Our favorite hiking areas in the Dolomites. You were so lucky to have a beautiful day at RIFUGIO LAGAZUOI . We had a heavy downpour and cloudy gray sky when we visited the Refugio. We did not see anything up there, but did enjoy having the coffee and apple strudel at the restaurant.

We visited the same trails like yours except for Lago di Braises. We had wonderful days in all the other areas. It is time for us to visit the Dolomites again. Thanks for bringing back our fond memories of the beautiful Dolomites.

Cherthor - lovely to know the report and photos have brought back good memories of this fabulous area! What nice light you got over the Tre Cime...
Very sorry to say goodbye to our lovely Airbnb apartment.Fingers crossed our hotel in Ortisei would be as enjoyable as we had that journey to make later today.The weather last night had taken a sudden turn for the better and we had had a view of the beautiful Croda da Lago mountain lit up by a burst of late sunshine.Tofana di Rozes was also beginning to have some gorgeous light...


That boded well for today though it was totally the opposite of the Il Meteo forecast.(As it turned out, a quick check on the BBC and Met Office websites, revealed a much more accurate forecast of the day ahead.) Woke up to a beautiful morning of cloud clearing quickly with some great light on that beautful pyramid mountain which our apartment looked onto.We also had a first clear view of Tofana di Rozes, the 10,600 ft mega peak which rises above Cortina. Wow – what a great start to the day!
Felt really excited to get underway and drive the 20 mins or so to the chairlift for the Cinque Torri (5 Torri) rock cluster and - possibly – a walk to nearby rifugios.
Tofana di Rozes looked amazing as we headed once more along the Falzarego Pass road. We were amongst the first to arrive at the parking area (free) and we had a half hour or so wait until the lift opened at 9am. No hardship – I’d read that parking can be at a premium especially on a lovely sunny day as this was turning out to be.I couldn’t stop taking photos of Tofana – what a peak!
Not a breath of wind again as the chairlift whisked us up to Rifugio Scoiatolli, which has a reputation of offering great food. The outside terrace was already all set out for lunch – an incredible lunch spot! The 5 Torri below from the top of the chairlift...

This whole area - I really began running out of superlatives, it was magnificent.Spent a bit of time sitting having a coffee, getting our bearings and admiring the panorama. A very wide gravel path headed off towards the Rifugio Averau on the right which we could just make out at a low pass. Nuvolau was a dot on the left, higher up agai. Decided to focus our time on getting to the huts, leaving out the explore of the Cinque Torri; we knew we couldn’t fit everything in today and the next two days were suggesting thunderstorms coming in.


Cinque TorriThe walk to Averau turned out to be a delightfully easy stroll of 20mins or so with outstanding views all around. In fact, the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest, was clearly visible, a great snow covered mountain to the east.

Grossglockner, Austria, just visible on zoomAverau sits at the base of the craggy peak of the same name and there were a few people heading up there with Via Ferrata equipment.

For more on our amazing day in this area ,please see the more detailed write up I did on my blog in the links below (as posting separate text and photos is taking so long here and I'm not sure there's all that much interest... )

https://annestravelsandhikes.com/202...u-and-nuvolau/

Firstly, a minor clamber up onto the escarpment. It was easy enough though a bit of a slithery scramble given the limestone was very slippy from the rain.( In fact, there was a much easier way up and down to Nuvolau by missing out the Averau hut.)We now joined many people slowly ascending the limestone pavement.
We had noticed that our breathing was coming a bit heavier, this high up and had been aware of this on other walks. The path was much rockier now but there WAS path which made it a simple ascent and plenty wide to feel secure on.Things narrowed a bit more near the Rifugio itself but there was no exposure and we were soon standing at the amazing perch that is Nuvolau at 8,500ft.Wow! We were now surrounded by a 360 degree panorama of mountain ranges – Cristallo (above Cortina), Croda da Lago, Fanis, Tofana, Cernera, Marmolada, Pelmo. It was really a complete thrill to be up here and also to have got here so relatively easily.

Chatted to an Irish chap who we took some photos of, as his wife had turned back halfway up. If you are not used to mountain ascents I suppose the dizzying drops on each side of the rocky promontory which we had come up, might have been unsettling but it was so wide there was no need to look down at all. That said, I do suffer from vertigo and logic doesn’t always come into it, if you feel spooked.
After a good 40 mins or so on this lofty perch with a coffee and seat in the warm sunshine, it was time to descend.This was a travel day and we still had to reach Ortisei in the western side of the Dolomites, about a 2 hour winding drive away.The path was much busier than it had been earlier, with loads of people ascending. We now also found the very benign path off the escarpment and which took us down to the main service road to the Cinque Torri and Rifugio Scoiatolli.Had lunch here, sitting out on the outside terrace, admiring the amazing vistas all around. Wiener Schnitzel and chips for Chris, home made pasta with fresh tomato, basil puree and pecorina for me. Both delicious, really big platefuls!

As at Locatelli, we bought a quality professional photo panorama of the area for 15 euros, identifying the mountains we could see. Very sorry to have to head down the chairlift, we really could have spent the rest of the day just wandering about up here it was all so dramatic and beautiful.What an amazing experience though Ortisei and Seceda lay ahead!
Previous days with links to the blog site/photos:THE BEST OF THE DOLOMITES TRE CIME LAVAREDO AND RIFUGIO LOCATELLI HIKELAGO DI BRAIES – WALKING IN THE RAIN

Later this afternoon - Ortisei, Hotel Hartmann and Seceda.

Thanks for posting, I will check out your blog but enjoying your report!

You kept me reading and admiring your photos much longer than I'd planned for, but I couldn't stop! Looking forward to the rest.

Enjoying your photos. We were in the Dolomites at what sounds like a similar time, mid September, although we only had four nights (stayed in San Candido which we enjoyed). I can tell you Lago de Braies looks much different on a sunny day (with all the Instagrammers!). Be thankful for your rainy day.

We ended up not taking the Tre Cime walk, for reasons I can't now recall. Your photos make me think we have to go back and do it before we get too much older.

We took one day to drive to Val Gardena and took the Col Raiser cable car, returning via three passes (plus Cortina and the Tre Cime viewpoint), so looking forward to your next installment.

Enjoying your report Scotlandmac, and the stunning photos. Is this a DSLR camera or phone you're using to take pictures ?

Thanks Beth - I always feel it's a bit lazy just to link to my blog but I had forgotten how long it takes to combine text and photos!

Fra Diavola - thank you. Hopefully it will be of some use to those planning on some gentle hikes in the area and deciding which part of the Dolomites to visit too.

traveler - glad the photos are of interest.We didn't get to the Col Raiser cable car due to the weather though I think by then we were maybe cable-car-ed out! That Tre Cime area is just SO great.Hope you manage back there and in decent weather.Just loved it.

Hi Anuj - thank you for those kind comments. I use a Nikon D5200 mostly (pretty ancient now but I baulk at how much a replacement would cost!) I use my phone for sending snaps back home immediately to the family and occasionally use them in posts.

ORTISEI AND SECEDA

It was a great scenic drive to Ortisei from the Falzarego Pass via SP 24 and SP37 to La Villa Stern and onwards to Passo Gardena where we had a first view of the great mountain, Sassolungo.



Pass Gardena drive




Santa Cristina looked like a beautiful little village before we arrived in busy Ortisei where forested slopes replaced the mountains in the narrow Val Gardena valley.I wondered whether we should have stayed here as it looked very pretty.

With thunderstorms predicted tomorrow, we headed straight for the Seceda chairlift to make sure we saw this much photographed spot. It was late – around 3.30pm – so one advantage again was no queues and it was easy to get parked!

Ouch – this was the most expensive cable car (2 lifts) of the trip – 52 euros return each.

Two cable cars took us to the top station, all well synchronised so you step out of one, into another pretty much.Not sure if it works so quickly as we had it when it's a very busy time - each of our cars was packed to the gunnels; everyone got on.Once at the top of the final lift we stepped out into an area of meadow, very different to the more precipitous, rocky terrain of our previous mountain trips. It was then a very short uphill pull on a wide path to Forcella Pana, the famous viewpoint over the Odle/Geisler group and the arrow like Seceda peak.


Clearing...
There were fine views all round with the very green, chalet-dotted pastures directly below.







It’s possible to walk closer to the knife edged pinnacle, across a piece of farmed land.The farmer is now charging 5 euros for this privilege. However, I’d read that there isn’t any real advantage re views to doing this. That strip of land looked very odd as it had recently been harvested and looked like a neatly cut lawn! Instead, we walked the pleasant loop back to the cable car café and -that was it.

To be honest, Seceda wasn’t really doing it for us and dare I say it, felt a little tame.Maybe it was the gentle valley which made up a lot of the view below us but it didn’t feel as wild or impressive a spot as where we had been these past few days.


We hung around until cloud cleared off Sassolungo; it looked great.I think that was the view that held the most appeal to us both.


Sassolungo


That's a mountain!



Finally we arrived at our hotel. This was Hotel Hartmann, a delightful little place, very quiet, overlooking forest and on the edge of Ortisei. Our room was quite small but very comfortable and with a pretty balcony. A pedestrian path ran alongside the hotel's garden, giving a 15 min downhill stroll into Ortise i(albeit a steady uphill on the way back!) A bus stop was nearby too, a half hourly service we’d been told, though there seemed to be lots of buses plying that route on our walk to and from town later on.


Hotel Hartmann and our balcony 1st floor

Picked up a few supplies from the local supermarket for some dinner on the balcony, given we'd had a hefty lunch at the Rifugio.Tomatoes, cold chicken, olives, cheese and some nice bread with a glass or two of Prosecco. It had been a packed day and we were now quite tired! But - another magical day too. As ever, I had a look at the forecast and yes, those thunderstorms and low cloud were on their way, no change there unfortunately.

TOMORROW: AN EXPLORE OF ORTISEI, BOLZANO AND BRESSANONE

Seceda is not as wild as it is a big piece of farmland but it sure has its own vibe. Visiting the Dolomites area is always weather dependent. We were lucky to have a good nice day when we were there. We enjoyed the walk and it was early July and not crowded, so it gave us a peaceful atmosphere when walking through the edge of the cliff.

Thanks again for your report, it sure brings back a lot of our fond memories of the Dolomites. Looking forward for your next installment!

I have so enjoyed reading this, a wonderful distraction from real life.
A stunning part of the world. Thanks for sharing.

Cherthor - thank you, great to hear you’re still with this! You got some cracking photos too - everything looking so much greener too.

Adelaidean - glad you’ve enjoyed the write up.I feel that way myself when reading trip reports/blogs!

Enjoying this report tremendously. We're just back from a trip which included the Dolomites, but this time we did not visit Val Gardena. It was a difficult choice to skip it this time around, so I am very glad to see your photos!

PJTravels - thank you, that's great to hear the report and photos have been enjoyable and also a reminder of a little of Val Gardena!