The Dolomites in Northern Italy afford some of the most breathtaking 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 d’Ampezzo. It was the most hiking my two teenagers have ever done and was one of our most memorable family trips to date. Here is a review of our fourth hike of the trip – a hike around the Sassolungo Loop near Val di Gardena Selva. 

After three delightful days in Alleghe, we traveled an hour and fifteen minutes northeast to Selva di Val Gardena, a beautiful resort town at the foot of the Dolomites where we stayed two nights. It was much different than tiny Alleghe where there were few tourists. Instead, Selva di Val Gardena was bustling with tourists and its wide streets were lined with fancy, upscale restaurants and shops. The hiking trails around it were also quite crowded.  But, we all agreed that it was nice to mix it up.

The drive from Alleghe to Selva di Val Gardena was stunning yet the many hairpin turns made my stomach and head hurt as I am quite prone to motion sickness. It is worth a stop at the top of Sela Pass for incredible views of the surrounding Dolomites.  We arrived in town just in time for dinner and rest before another big hike the following morning.

The most popular hike in the area is the Sassolungo Group Loop, a 10.2-mile (16.4 km) loop trail that leads around the Sassolungo and the Sassopiatto rock formations. It is considered a challenging hike and takes roughly 6 hours depending on stops.

We began our hike at the Passo Sella, where we left our car at the car park and headed up into the low-laying clouds and fog blanketing the Sassopiatto. We climbed up the gravel road, hoping it was not going to rain, and set off clockwise towards the first of four rifguios.

The trail was extremely muddy after all of the June rain, and we were all relieved to have on good hiking boots and a pair of walking sticks. The mud made the first hour of the hike a bit more challenging but it also seemed to slow down and ward off the crowds.

Setting off on the Sassolungo trail

One of the best day hikes in the Dolomites is by far the hike to Lake Coldai to Rifugio Tissi. The 6 hour roundtrip hike starts from the top of Col dei Baldi above the village of Alleghe to the stunning Coldai Lake, passing the northwestern flank of the mighty Civetta until we finally reached the Rifugio Tissi. If you have one tough hike in you, this is the one to do. 

“I wish we could stay here forever” said my seventeen-year-old daughter as she stood overlooking a view seemingly out of a fairytale.

It was our second day hiking in the Dolomites, and we were on one of the most awe-inspiring hikes of our lives. A hike from high above the Italian village of Alleghe passing under the extraordinary towering face of the mighty Civetta.

Just three weeks ago, I was in urgent care with my daughter who had sprained her ankle while doing tricks on her new skateboard right before a big hiking trip. I could hardly believe that we were here, in the Dolomites preparing to do a fairly challenging hike. “But younger bodies heal so much faster” her doctor said during a check up examination before the trip. And he was right.

We began our hike from the top of Col dei Baldi above the village of Alleghe to the stunning Coldai Lake, passing the northwestern flank of the mighty Civetta until we finally reached the Rifugio Tissi where we rewarded ourselves with homemade gnocchi before returning to Alleghe. On a clear day, the hike gifts some of the most spectacular scenery in the Dolomites and provides enough challenge to make it an incredibly rewarding, memorable experience.  If you have one hard hike in you, this is the one you should do.

My daughter unfazed by her sprained ankle, marveling up at the Civetta.

I had grown up hiking with my own parents and it was my hope that my teenagers would also grow to love it as much as me. While we started with short hikes when the kids were younger it took some time for them to both fully embrace it and go without complaints. Last summer, we did our first real hiking trip to Alaska as a family and it was a big success.

After proving that she could definitely out hike me during our trip last summer to Alaska, my daughter was on board for a hiking trip to Italy and especially was up for the challenge on day two with a longer hike. My son had already discovered his love for hiking a few years earlier after experiencing hiking with me and my father around Mont Blanc. So it was decided that we would do a big hike on our second day in the Dolomites.

We set off early in the morning catching the first gondola up to the top of Col dei Baldi. We learned from our hike the day before, that you can either take the gondola up two stops from Alleghe or drive to Pian di Pezzè, park and take the gondola up to Col dei Baldi. It was cheaper for our family to do it the latter way.

After exiting the gondola, you follow a wide gravel path straight until you reach an old abandoned stone building and see a path (path 556) to the right that zigzags up the side of the mountain en route to the first Rifugio Sonino al Coldai.  Many choose to do a shorter hike to the stunning Coldai Lake, a high alpine glacial lake. The roundtrip hike from Col dei Baldi to Coldai Lake and back takes roughly 3 hours and 15 minutes and is rated moderate. However, I highly recommend continuing to Rifugio Tissi for the out-of-this-world views of the Civetta’s northwestern flank. The hike there and back takes roughly 6-7 hours depending on pace and without stops (we did several along the way and enjoyed lunch at the Rifugio Tissi). It ranks as one of the best hikes I’ve done in years and is a must on a clear day.