We meet today in downtown Bolzano, largest city of the Dolomites and the governmental center. As Bolzano is on the main rail line between Italy and Germany, there are frequent trains from Milan, Venice, and Munich. Our downtown hotel is a five minute walk from the Bolzano train station and easy to find. We gather in the early afternoon for introductions and a trip orientation, and then walk to the regional archaeological museum to see Ötzi, the 5,300 year-old mummified man found in the mountains nearby. Afterwards we enjoy a traditional Tyrolean dinner. Night Bolzano. D

We walk through town to a cable car up to Oberbozen, a small community in the hills above Bolzano. Here we board the narrow gauge Ritten train and ride it to the end of the line. Walking through a suburban area we come to an overlook of the earth pyramid. These erosional towers are similar to the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon. Returning to the train we ride part way back before getting off near the bee museum where we learn about the bee keeping activities here. If time allows we can include a walk to the second earth pyramid area before returning down the lift to Bolzano. The second walk would add an additional 1.25 miles +/-300’. Night Bolzano. BLD

In the Alps, the word alp refers to a high meadow, not a mountain. Alpi Siusi, or Seiser Alm in German, is the largest alpine meadow in Europe. We take a taxi or bus up to this open expanse, dotted with both farms and resorts, and wander through it’s rolling terrain, saying hello to the grazing cattle and admiring the views of the surrounding mountains. Night Bolzano. BLD

Leaving Bolzano, we take the inter-urban bus east about one hour to St. Christina, a cable car up 1,800’ to Col Raiser, and then hike to one of the several mountain refuges here for lunch. Meanwhile, our luggage moves by taxi to our next hotel. After lunch we descend into Selva where we check into our four star hotel. Night Selva. BLD

From Selva, the Ciampinoi cable car takes us 2,100 feet up the side of Mount Plattkofel. We walk along the north side of the mountain with cliffs rising on our left and forests running down into the valley on the right. After a couple of miles we turn away from the mountain and begin our descent through the forest to Monte Pana and take two chair lifts down to the valley floor. From there we have the option to walk through town to our hotel or take a city bus saving 2.5 miles. Night Selva. BLD

Starting from town, we walk up the floor of the pleasant Val Lunga. Its gentle, nearly flat bottom is filled with wildflowers and flanked by steeply rising hillsides. We pass some cattle, a small chapel, and to our left, up the side of the valley, a view of the ruins of Rovine Castle. We go only as far as we feel like before enjoying our packed lunch and then returning to our hotel. (shorter if we stop early) Night Selva. BLD

Taking the Ciampinoi cable car again, this time we walk south along the east side of the mountain. To our left are views of the Sella Group and Marmolada, Queen of the Dolomites and its tallest peak at 10,968 feet, wearing its glacier like a tiara. At the end or our hike, we climb up to Rifugio des Alpes for lunch and its great views. Afterwards, we walk down to Passo Sella and return to Selva by taxi. Night Selva. BLD

While a taxi takes our luggage to our new hotel in Corvara, we walk from our hotel to the Dantercepcies cable car which takes us almost two miles along our route. From the top of the lift, we walk east along the base of the towering Puez-Odles Group towards Corvara, crossing from Val Gardena into Alta Badia. Piz Boé anchors our view across the valley to the right. After contouring along the mountainside for a while, we reach the Edelweiss hut at the top of a ski slope. Here we get a taxi down and on into Corvara itself and to our lodging for the remainder of the trip, a four star hotel renowned for its cuisine. Night Corvara. BLD

After a week of walking it’s time for a day off. This is an unstructured day; feel free to wander around Corvara, visit one of several museums in town or within reach by taxi in nearby villages, go to one of the WWI outdoor museums, shop, or just relax at the hotel. Lunch on your own to allow for maximum flexibility. Night Corvara BD

A very different type of walk awaits us today as we go down the Val Badia. Sometimes walking along the river, sometimes on small roads going past suburban homes and farms, we pass through a variety of land uses that surround the town of Corvara, all interlaced with the natural environment of the hillsides rising above. At the end, we stop for lunch at a local pizzeria before returning up the valley the way we came. Night Corvara. BLD

This morning we take an inter-urban bus to Cinque Torri, The Five Towers. Taking the chair lift up to the World War I Outdoor Museum, we find ourselves in a most dramatic setting. This was the site of an Italian artillery unit which, during the Great War, fired at the Austrians on top of Mount Laguzuoi across the valley. We have a couple of hours to wander around at our own pace, learning from the exhibits and admiring the scenery, before reassembling for lunch at one of the rifugi here. Then we go back down the chair lift and take a taxi back to Corvara. Today’s mileage depends on your completion of the circuit of the towers. Night Corvara. BLD

We walk directly from our hotel, cross the Badia River, pass the community athletic fields, and come to the Cascate del Pisciadu. The waterfall steps down in stages, twisting through a narrow canyon as it drops from Piz Boé far above. It’s about 250 feet high. For our return, we cross the highway and climb the hills above Kofulsch. Night Corvara. BLD

Alas, our time in the Dolomites has come to an end and we must say Arrivederci. Safe travels onward and we hope to see you on another Big Round World adventure. Ciao! B

This is an hotel-based day hiking trip. Breakfast is served at 07:30am allowing about an hour before leaving for the day and usually taking a bus or taxi to our trail-head. We’ll hike until mid-late afternoon and then return to the hotel. All meals are included except for lunch on Day 9. Lunches will be a mix of eating at mountain huts or simple pizzerias, or carrying sack lunches prepared by our hotel. These are typically cheese or ham and cheese sandwiches, a piece of fruit, and a candy bar or cookie.

For dinners, we eat as a group. We are in Italy so be aware of the cultural impacts this entails. The higher-end restaurants where we will be enjoying dinner in Bolzano open at 6:30pm or 7:00pm at the earliest. This allows us about an hour after returning from our hikes to relax, prepare our gear for the next day, and clean up before dinner. Expect service to be slow and leisurely, that’s the way it is in Italy, no one here likes to hurry through dinner. It’s a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Two hour dinners are the norm. Anticipate returning to the hotel by about 9:00pm. In Selva and Corvara we have half board arrangements; that is dinner is included with our rooms at the hotels. These hotels both have excellent kitchens. There will always be a vegetarian option; other dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice, just let the trip leader know of your requirements.

Look carefully at the trail distances and elevation gains and losses listed in the itinerary. Be certain that you are comfortable hiking these distances on a daily basis. The trails are generally well maintained but can be quite stony or have loose gravel and there are some very steep sections. We will be using chair-lifts or cable-cars to go up and down mountains. Some of our trails are in open terrain above tree line, exposed to inclement weather. We will not do these above tree-line hikes if the forecast is not promising – we take no risks with lightning.