Hiking Italy’s Dreamy Dolomites

I’m in the northernmost reaches of Italy, my sights transfixed upon the Dolomite mountains, which are part of the southern Alps. The sun is beginning to sink behind dramatic peaks, and it’s then that I witness the special phenomenon I was told about—enrosadira, or “turning pink” in Ladin, the ancient language of the Dolomites. The pale mountains slowly begin to take on shades of amber that turn to gorgeous hues of pink. Legend has it that a dwarf king, who once lived in these mountains, had cursed roses from flourishing during the day and night in retaliation for a foreign prince stealing the king’s beloved daughter as she tended her rose garden. The king, however, forgot to curse the flowers during dawn and dusk, when it’s neither day nor night. And so, the Dolomites bloom with the rose colors of a beautiful garden as the sun rises and sets.

Soaring Peaks, Pines and Wildflowers

If this story about the Dolomites strikes a note of romanticism, it’s for good reason. As I hike along mountain paths flanked by pines and fields of wildflowers, I stop often to gaze at soaring, 3,000-meter peaks in what seems like a dreamy world. Peaks carry names like Sassolungo, meaning “long rock.” Remote mountain huts dot the landscape and serve as rest stops for refreshment. And the wind whips and swirls around me trying to find channels of outlet everywhere. While the Dolomites are said to be a skier’s paradise in winter, I’m convinced that its hiking seasons that are the most beautiful times to explore them.

Each day I climb in a gondola or board a mountain train up to a different part of the mountains. I also try an e-bike that provides a much-needed electronic boost to ease uphill climbs when exploring by bike. Following the excursions, I take respite down the mountain at the Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti, which is nestled in the quaint, small town of Ortisei. The town is about 1 ½ hours by train from the Italian city of Verona and a similar distance by car or bus from Austria’s Innsbruck airport.

Luxury Mountain Spa

 The Adler Resort provides five-star luxury, including the most expansive and unique spa I’ve ever visited. There’s a Dead Sea salt pool in which I float luxuriously as soft music pipes into the water, soothing my senses. I visit the “hay sauna,” where scents of a fall harvest waft from a large pile of steamy hay. On another day, I experience the ritual of “sauna infusion.” This involves scents, such as stone pine and lavender, infusing the air of the sauna (and changed daily). As part of the ritual, a “sauna master” waves a towel around like a matador, sending scented heat waves cascading in the direction of sauna-goers. It’s quite a theatrical scene, which I thoroughly enjoy while appreciating the detoxifying effects of stone pine; the pine is a majestic tree that can survive a harsh climate, and its aroma is so wonderful that locals fill pillows with its shavings to induce a restful sleep.

 

After one such night I awaken to blaring trumpets in the street. It turns out that on some Sundays in the fall, Ortisei townspeople gather for a procession, weaving their way along the main street in a parade of thanks for a good harvest. Bedecked in colorful, traditional garb, with women and girls in lace-covered dirndls and men in traditional lederhosen, some of them carry enormous banners heralding the occasion. There is so much rich tradition in this small town including a history of incredibly fine woodworking. So, in demand was their craftmanship, that going back more than a century, England’s Queen Victoria coveted the wooden dolls made here, some of which remain in the royal collection to this day.

Hiking with the Sun and Stars

 I busy myself with collecting photos, every view of the peaks seeming to be more interesting than the last, especially as rays of sunlight hit angular slopes. The hiking trails I follow are well-trodden, so there’s little risk of getting lost, though the Adler also provides free, guided hikes for those interested in longer or more rigorous routes. The difficulty of those guided hikes varies to accommodate a range of guests. One of the Adler’s mountain guides, Thaddaus Moroder, tells me, “I have hiked in Patagonia, in Iceland . . . all over the world, but the Dolomites are for sure, one of the best places.”

 

Numerous visitors I meet echo those sentiments, including experienced hikers such as a couple from Denver. The pair, who favor places such as Yosemite, tell me that they often spend half of a hike just getting to an actual site. The Dolomites, on the other hand, they find incredibly accessible, with a relatively short e-bike ride (or swift gondola) bringing them up to starting bases from where they can choose from a variety of trail challenges.

Then there are the full-moon hikes, which Thad leads monthly. He starts them from the village late in the afternoon, hiking for about 1 ½ hours before taking a break at a mountain hut for beverages. As the hike proceeds—perhaps with a sunset view of enrosadira —the full moon on a clear night provides enough light so that a group can proceed without flashlights. “It’s almost like daylight,” says Thad.

While I miss “the full moon Monty”, I can imagine the silhouetting against the nighttime peaks. I then think of my own enrosadira splashes, of dwarf kings and wildflowers, and that fresh stone pine aroma. What a dreamy place to be, these Dolomites! And with all that in mind, I head back down the mountain for one last night of sauna infusion, wondering what scents will be in store for me as I wrap up my stay.