Italian Dolomites (Part II)

For the second part of our trip in the Dolomites, we stayed in the small town of San Candido, which is only a 5-mile drive from the Austrian boarder! One of the most popular hikes we did was the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Not only does it cost €30 to park, but they also charge €1 to use the bathroom! This certainly did not stop anyone from taking part in this hike - the parking lot was PACKED! This 6.2-mile loop circles the three spires of Tre Cime. It’s a beautiful hiking trail and made the parking + bathroom costs worth it!

After the completing Tre Cime di Lavaredo, we walked to the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint. It is about a 30-minute walk from the parking lot and was definitely a highlight.

We made the most of the sunny weather that day and after leaving Tre Cime, we drove to Lago di Braies. One of the most popular lake hikes in the Dolomites, this 2.2-mile loop allows you to walk around the entire lake. It’s best to go when its sunny as the emerald waters really sparkle! It was a great way to end the afternoon.

One of the more challenging hikes we completed in the Dolomites was the Croda da Lago circuit. At 7 miles, it is certainly not the longest hike we’ve done, but did require a scramble up some loose rock and hiking back down some jagged and rough terrain. It was the first time I’d used the hiking poles I packed and found them to be very helpful along this trail.

We woke Sunday to cloudy skies and the possibility of rain in the afternoon. After a week of hiking, we decided to take it easy and spent the morning at Lago di Dobbiaco where we took our time and walked around the lake. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing at the hotel.

For our last hike in the Dolomites, we did the 6-mile Lago di Sorapis. Lago di Sorapis is a beautiful turquoise lake surrounded by craggy mountains in the background! As it requires a bit of an ascent to reach the lake, it does not get as busy as some of the other trails in the area.

We had an amazing time in the Dolomites and it exceeded all of my expectations. I feel like we made the most of our time and got to see some truly stunning scenery. After researching the best hikes to do, we pretty much tackled them all during our week-long stay. Would 1000% percent visit again!

Accommodation: Naturhotel Leitlhof

Restaurant: Pizzeria Hans