Dolomites

The Dolomites or Pale Mountains are a beautiful mountain range in northeastern Italy. They are part of the Southern Limestone Alps and stretch from the river Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. These mountains sit between the Puster Valley to the north and the Sugana Valley to the south.

The Dolomites lie in several regions, including Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. They cover parts of many provinces such as Belluno, Vicenza, Verona, South Tyrol, Udine, and Pordenone.

There are many special places in the Dolomites, including the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and other regional parks. In 2009, the Dolomites were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area also includes the Adamello-Brenta UNESCO Global Geopark, and you can visit the Geological Museum of the Dolomites in Predazzo, located in the Fiemme Valley.

Etymology

The Dolomites get their name from a special kind of rock called dolomite. This rock was named after a French scientist from the 1700s who first described it. Before that, people called these mountains the Monti Pallidi because they look reddish or purple when the sunset shines on them.

History

For many years, people have explored the Dolomites. In the 1790s, a priest named Franz von Wulfen climbed some of the mountains. In 1857, an Irishman named John Ball was the first to climb Monte Pelmo. Later, climbers like Paul Grohmann and Michael Innerkofler made many important climbs.

During the First World War, soldiers from Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Army fought in the Dolomites. They built paths through the rocks called vie ferrate, which people still visit today to explore.

There are also special walking trails called alte vie that go through the Dolomites. The most famous one is the Alta Via 1. These trails take about a week to walk and have places to stay along the way.

Geography

The Dolomites are a beautiful mountain range in northeastern Italy. They are split into two parts: the Western Dolomites and the Eastern Dolomites, divided by a line that goes through Val Badia, the Campolongo Pass, and the Cordevole Valley.

The Dolomites include many famous mountain groups such as Sella, Marmolada, Tofane, Langkofel, Brenta Group, Odles Group, Fanes-Sennes-Prags, Schlern Group, Rosengarten, Latemar, Pala, Civetta, Pelmo, Marmarole, Cadini Group, Cristallo Group, Sorapiss, Antelao, Bosconero, Vette Feltrine, Schiara, Sexten Dolomites, and Friulian Dolomites.

Tourism and sports

The Dolomites are famous for winter sports like skiing and summer activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, cycling, BASE jumping, paragliding, and hang gliding. Free climbing has been popular here since 1887, when a young person named Georg Winkler climbed the Vajolet Towers alone.

Popular places to visit include Rocca Pietore, near the Marmolada Glacier, and towns like Alleghe, Falcade, Auronzo, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, along with villages such as Arabba, Urtijëi, and San Martino di Castrozza. The area also includes the Fassa, Gardena, and Badia valleys.

Every July, people enjoy the Maratona dles Dolomites, a big bike race that goes through seven mountain passes.

Other interesting spots are Mount Pasubio and the Strada delle 52 Gallerie, a historic road with many tunnels built during World War I. You can also visit Altopiano di Asiago and Calà del Sasso, which has a very long staircase with 4,444 steps—the longest open to the public in the world.

Major peaks

Major passes

Major parks