The magical spiraling towers of the Italian Dolomites afford some of the most spectacular scenery for hiking in the world. This summer, my family set off on a seven-day hiking trip through the Dolomites basing ourselves in three different places: Alleghe, Salva di Val Gardena and Cortina. We opted to do long day hikes as opposed to staying up in the rifugios (high mountain huts) so we could enjoy hot showers, delightful dinners, and the coziness of our own space where we could spend time together as a family versus sharing accommodations with a handful of fellow hikers. While I’ve done it both ways, for our family of four this trip strategy proved to work very well. And, the trip was one of our best family trips yet.  A trip that we will be sure to remember for years to come. 

We began our trip in the lovely Italian village of Alleghe, located roughly one hour and forty-five minutes north of Venice, Italy. Alleghe is a beautiful mountain resort that is known for its aquamarine lake and small-town vibe. Its handful of restaurants, shops, and accommodations are easily walkable and it never felt overcrowded like other popular mountain towns in the Dolomites.

We loved Alleghe as we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves, and saw very few tourists. It made our experience even that much better as we truly felt like we could connect with the locals which is my favorite way to travel.

Looking down on the Italian village of Alleghe in the heart of the Dolomites.

Our first hike was recommended by the helpful man working at the Alleghe Tourist Office in town. We wanted something relatively easy as we were all dealing with jet lag and my daughter was recovering from a sprained ankle just three weeks before the trip. I am not sure if this hike has a name however, it is easy to find and follow the trail.

To start, you take the Alleghe gondola up two stops to the top of Col dei Baldi. If you have a car, you can drive up to the next gondola stop (Piani di Pezze) and start there. You have to pay to park but for four people it was still cheaper to do it that way than to pay for the roundtrip ride from Alleghe. It also gave us more time to hike as the last gondola down was at 5 pm.

The trail we followed is marked above in orange. Map courtesy of the Alleghe Tourist Office located right in town. 

At the top of Col dei Baldi, head counterclockwise towards the Malga Fountanafredda a splendid dairy farm where you can stop and buy fresh cheese. Follow along a lovely 3-hour loop to end for lunch at Belvedere rifigio before riding the gondola back down to Alleghe.

The hike begins with a steep descent through glorious high alpine pastureland and arresting views of the Dolomites. You pass by two dairy farms, a smaller one first (only takes cash for purchases) and the larger Malga Fountanafredda a little longer into the hike. You pass loads of cows grazing and goats crossing along the way. On a clear day, the views of the mountains are stunning and if you time your hike for summer, the landscape is coated in a plethora of brilliant wildflowers.

It is an excellent warm-up hike for the more serious alpine trails as it is relatively steep and at parts, you are hiking up the face of a black diamond ski run. Overall, it is a nice starter hike where you can truly embrace the feel of the mountains and of course enjoy some of the freshest, most delightful cheese in Italy.

Here are some of the lovely views along the way.

Setting off along wildflower and mountain views

A family shot of happiness

My daughter looking down at the village of Alleghe and its glorious lake.

For me, this trip was a big deal. First, it was all four of us which has become a rare experience as my son is now in college and is not able to travel with us like before. Second, this was my second visit to the Dolomites post-new hip. In May 2023, I went  with my dad only three months after my hip replacement surgery. I had seen how beautiful it was but could not fully appreciate all its splendor given the high level of snow still covering the mountains and of course my new hip. I had made a promise to myself to go back someday which happened sooner than I had ever imagined.

The next week was bound to be quite an adventure with some pretty epic hikes in the Dolomites. While I am home now, a part of me remains in the Dolomites. The mountains are always calling.