The national parks of the Dolomites

A 7-day walking tour
Walking tour
Walking Tour
Difficulty level 3
Individual tour
Self guided tour
code: ITTRE01W
Italy
Trentino – South Tyrol

Prices

from 829€

Idyllic mountain lakes, lush pastures & green forests

Villabassa-Dobbiaco-Pragser wildsee-Plätzwiese-Cortina d’Ampezzo

Experience breathtaking scenery: idyllic mountain lakes, lush pastures, green forests and of course the legendary rocky Dolomites. This tour will take you through three national parks: National Park d’Ampezzo,  National Park Fanes-Senes-Braies, National Park of Dolomites of Sesto. Visiting these stunning places you will undoubtedly understand why the Dolomites are declared a Natural World Heritage Site of UNESCO. As a preamble to the hike, we will introduce you to the splendours of Sesto (Sexten), the valley of mountain climbers and mountain guides.

Dolomites
Dolomites

Those who believe that nothing more can top this experience can rest assured that high above Cortina d’Ampezzo, the pearl of the DOLOMITES, you can survey some of the most striking summits, all wrestling for attention: the ‘Cristallopeaks, the pinnacles of the massif Tofane and the summits of the Fanes can all be admired from here. Finally, you are greeted by Lake ‘lago di Braies’ (Pragser Wildsee), in whose crystal clear waters the white walls of the mount Croda del Becco (Seekofel) are mirrored.

Dolomites
Dolomites

Your overnight stays are in typical mountain villages, as Dobbiaco visited all year round. In the summer by hikers and in winter by skiers. Cortina d’ampezzo is surely the Queen of the dolomites with its quality seal ‘Best of the Alps’, situated in a beautiful valley. It is also a tour in which you can taste the local cuisine, a blend of Italian and Tyrolean flavours. There are many good restaurants offering your delicacies as spätzle, goulash, polenta, canederli and speck to be combined with a good gewürztraminer.

The daily program of the 7-day tour

Individual arrival at the hotel in Villabassa (Niederdorf). Free, unguarded public car parking near the hotel. Handing over your travel documents

Today’s first walk starts at the idyllic “Pragser Wildsee”, which fascinates the sightseer with the clear turquoise waters of the lake. The valley will fascinate you with its dark-needled coniferous forests, the white rock walls of the mountains, and the clear turquoise waters of the Lake. You reach the alpine pasture “Rossalm” and you continue to the high plateau of the “Plätzwiese”, considered the most treasured walking areas in the country, over which the mountains “Dürrenstein” and “Hohe Gaisl” sit in state majestically. Besides silence and nature, you encounter here also a perfect panoramic view: of the mountains “Cristallo”, “Tofana” and the world-famous “Three Peaks” (Drei Zinnen). The charismatic magnetism of the unusual flora and natural lakes has an enthralling charm on even the most discerning visitor.

 

More leisurely walkers have the possibility to choose a shorter variant for the first stage, at which they are taken to the guesthouse “Tuscherhof” and start their walk from there. Following the river “Stolla” you will reach the homonymous “Stolla” hut and “rock paintings” (cases of erosion, which are produced by the constant influence of water and the different composition of the rock) to reach the “Plätzwiese”.

 

Longer route:

Overnight with breakfast in Plätzwiese

Distance: 14 km / 8,7 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 1100m – 580m

Walking time: 6/7 hrs

Shorter route:

Overnight with breakfast in Plätzwiese

Distance: 11 km / 6,8 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 790m – 0m

Walking time: 4/5 hrs

The starting point of today’s stage is the alpine pasture “Plätzwiese”, which together with the mountains “Hohe Gaisl” and “Kreuzkofelgruppe” are very attractive for walkers; the charismatic magnetism of the unusual flora and natural lakes has an enthralling charm on the discerning visitor. The bizarre and fascinating fables according to legends of the ancient tribes of the Fanes Empire are relevant here.

In the Nature Park “Fanes Sennes Prags”, the largest nature park in the Dolomites, you can make your choice between two walking options. Starting at the “Plätzwiese” depending on the variant you reach either the “Strudelkopf” (short variant) or the “Dürrenstein” (longer variant). Both options offer you a spectacular view on the “Hohe Gaisl”, the “Three Peaks”, the “Tofana” and the “Monte Cristallo”.

Variant A:

Overnight with breakfast in Plätzwiese

Distance: 8,2 km / 5,1 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 850m – 850m

Walking time: 4/5 hrs

 

Variant B:

Overnight with breakfast in Plätzwiese

Distance: 9 km / 5,6 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 360m – 360m

Walking time: 3/4 hrs

Walking time: 3/4 hrs

You hike through the “Plätzwiese” and descend through the Knappenfuss Valley to the “Gemärk/Cimabanche” – the frontier between South Tyrol and Belluno. Here are two possibilities to continue: either the direct way using the public transport to Cortina d’Ampezzo or the longer variant to the hut “Ra Stua” and under the “Col Rosa” to Cortina d’Ampezzo. Your today’s destination, the former Olympic city, impresses with its unique location in the middle of famous Dolomite peaks. There are various possibilities di shorten the route: 25 km / 15,3 miles or 20 km / 12,4 miles or 12,2 km / 7,6 miles or 10,5 km / 6,5 miles

Longer route:

Overnight with breakfast in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Distance: 20,5 km / 12,7 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 610m – 1300m

Walking time: 6/7 hrs

 

Shorter route:

Overnight with breakfast in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Distance: 4,5 km / 2,8 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 0m – 460m

Walking time: 1,5 / 2 hrs

The panorama of the starting point of this stage is quite simple and stunning. The panorama has an understated elegance and is simply incredible. The colossal rocks of the Ampezzaner Dolomites push high into the sky. The Cristallo, Tofane and Fanes mountain groups are the principal features in this spectacular scene.

There are two options for today: the longer route leads you to towards Forcella Faloria and the shorter one is following the new Dolomite Panoramic Trail. Both of them are heading towards passo Tre Croce. The descent to Cortina d’Ampezzo is for both routes the same. Let yourself be enchanted by the natural beauty of the fascinating nature of the Dolomite peaks. If you do not want to take the cable car, there will be the opportunity to have a nice circular route in Cortina.

 

Longer route:

Overnight with breakfast in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Distance: 15 km / 9,3 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 270m – 1150m

Walking time: 5 hrs

 

Shorter & easier route:

Overnight with breakfast in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Distance: 11 km / 6,8 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 100m – 990m

Walking time: 3-4 hrs

 

Circular route of Cortina

Overnight with breakfast in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Distance: 12 km / 7,5 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 650m – 640m

Walking time: 4/5 hrs

After breakfast with a bus transfer (ticket not included) you will reach the mountain hut “Auronzo” Three Peaks (Tre Cime /Drei Zinnen), the best-known rock formation of the Dolomites. From her you descend into the Rienz Valley and a relaxing walk will bring you to the Three Peaks viewpoint. This was a region where terrible battles took place during the First World War. By bus you go back to your hotel starting hotel in Dobbiaco/Villabassa It is also possible to choose an easier route around the Auronzo Mountain hut passing the Three Peaks. Then you take the bus from here to the starting hotel (ticket not included) in Dobbiaco/Villabassa.

 

Longer route:

Overnight with breakfast in Villabassa/Dobbiaco

Distance: 12 km / 7,5 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 120m – 1000m

Walking time: 3,5-4 hrs

 

Shorter route:

Overnight with breakfast in Villabassa /Dobbiaco

Distance: 9 km / 5 miles

Ascent & Descent: + 350m – 350m

Walking time: 3-4 hrs

After breakfast ends your tour through the National Parks of the Dolomites

Dolomites

The national parks of the Dolomites
Self guided tour
Difficulty level 3
A 7-day walking tour

Villabassa-Dobbiaco-Pragser wildsee-Plätzwiese-Cortina d’Ampezzo

Code | ITTRE01W
LEVEL 3

For experienced walkers with good physical condition. Needed a good knowledge of walking in the mountains. Routes middle/high landscapes with some steep climbs. Day distances have an average of 3 km an hour. Walking over footpaths, mountain tracks, forest trails and little road walking. Well marked trails. Most days you can choose between shorter and longer routes.

Daily distances between 8,2 km / 5,1 miles and 25 km / 15,3 miles

Total km/miles: about min. 67,7 km /42 miles and max. 75 km / 46,6 mi

 
DEPARTURES:

Starting days: every Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 15/06/2024 until 22/09/2024. No start is possible from 29/07 to 28/08/2024 (incl).

 
PARTICIPANTS:

2 or more people (solo traveller on request)

 
START / FINISH:

Dobbiaco (Toblach) or Villabassa (Niederdorf) / Dobbiaco or Villabassa

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The national parks of the Dolomites

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