Main image: the sun sets on Val di Funes in the Dolomites
The Dolomites’ famous limestone peaks have inspired adventurers, artists and holidaymakers for centuries. With plenty of mountain trails, adventure sports and cultural attractions, Italy’s Unesco-listed hiking hotspot is easy to reach from the UK, and easy to explore through an Inghams walking holiday. Here are a few reasons to make the Dolomites your next mountain trip.
Take to wheels, water or the sky
In the Dolomites, opportunities for adventure are practically limitless. Take an easygoing stroll along Merano’s Waalweg, stopping for a spritz by the riverside; soar above lakes and vineyards on a paragliding adventure, taking in views of Alpine peaks and ancient valleys; make waves on a paddleboarding trip on a mountain lake; or kick up dust on a mountain bike or e-bike tour. With Inghams, you get to focus on the adventure. Your destination expert is on hand to help you sort out permits, equipment hire and transport, so it couldn’t be easier to explore the Dolomites in whatever way you prefer.
Hitch a ride to the top
After a few days in the Alps, even the hardiest hiker might like to kick back and relax on a mountainside without having to get their boots dusty. If you’re looking for breathtaking views without getting out of breath, the Dolomites are a great place to visit.
Summer lift systems around Kronplatz, Alta Badia and Val Gardena open up a whole world of high-altitude adventures, and the extensive cable car and chair lift network around Merano can get you into Alpine foothills with little fuss. An Inghams holiday opens up the Alps with ease, offering you support and advice on transport links and tickets as you plot your route to high places and unforgettable views.
Family-friendly
Inghams holidays are a great way to introduce your kids to mountain adventures. In the Dolomites, you’ll find adventure parks, mountain roller coasters, nature trails and even llama walks, and plenty of hiking trails to suit little legs. Child-friendly via ferrata and other mountain sports offer thrills for parents and kids alike – and family-focused public transport makes exploring a breeze. It couldn’t be easier to inspire the next generation of hikers and mountaineers with Alpine adventures they’ll never forget.
An adventure for the tastebuds
The Dolomites lie in a region that takes food and drink very seriously, even by Italian standards! Think Ladin stews in cosy refuges, homemade pastas, Michelin-starred tasting menus and alpine aperitivos with a view. And if you’re into wine, you’ll want to make time for vineyard tours and wine tasting in one of the world’s most dramatic winemaking landscapes. With Inghams, you’ll have all the advice you need to find the best places to sample all the best food and drink the Dolomites can offer – whether that’s in a rustic hut or a Corvara wine bar.
Walk through Alpine history
Few places on earth display deep time in as dramatic a fashion as the Dolomites, with jagged limestone peaks raised from ancient seas. Human history is laid bare here too. Medieval castles and via ferrata pioneered in the First World War speak of the Dolomites’ place in European history – and one look at those serrated summits is enough to understand why these mountains loom large in the history of Alpinism too. The Dolomites have inspired some of the finest mountaineers of each generation.
Reinhold Messner has an especially close association with the region, and his six Mountain Museums – all based around South Tirol – are a great way to understand how people and mountains have shaped each other over millennia. With an incomparable understanding of local transport links, key times to visit and little-known landmarks, your Inghams destination expert can help you get up close to the Dolomites’ rich history.
Easy to get there (but hard to leave behind!)
Inghams makes it easy to explore the Dolomites, with holidays based in eight resorts across the region. Spectacular scenery and nature trails abound in Kronplatz, alongside thrilling zip-lines and via ferrata. Merano and San Cassiano offer a wealth of cultural attractions and gourmet dining. And mountain giants – the wild sugarloaf profile of Sassolungo and the Dolomites’ highest peak, Marmolada – tower over Selva and Canazei. With flights from 11 UK regional airports into Verona and Innsbruck, it’s easy to get there too. Just be prepared to have to tear yourself away!
Inghams Walking holidays in the Dolomites run between May and October. Book yours at www.inghams.co.uk – and bank a saving of up to £150pp if you book this summer.
