Dolomites Holidays

South of the Alps, the towering peaks of the Dolomites range dominate the landscape, and while a popular ski destination in winter, the summer here is also a great holiday option. To many people the Dolomites are something of a secret anyway, but word is getting out about this staggeringly beautiful region, and its skiing (and summer holiday) potential. The Dolomite super-ski area comprises some 800 miles of slopes, including the Marmolada glacier, creating a network that rivals the Trois Vallées in France. After the snow melts, the mountain landscape morphs into lush green valley pastures and thick forests dotted with remote mountain huts and isolated villages, all set against a backdrop of the sharp rock formations of the Dolomites. Mountain biking, hiking or climbing are the ideal ways to explore the countryside and there are a wide range of routes to suit people of all abilities and plenty of mountain restaurants to stop at for long leisurely lunches. On Dolomites holidays in summer you can stay in quintessentially Italian rifugios (refuges), and travel between them along Via Ferrata trails, ladders and metal steps fixed into the rock faces that allow the non-climbers to experience some of the thrill of mountaineers, but in a much safer environment, all the while learning about the region's extraordinary WWI history. Read more