A hike to savor the taste of the Dolomites

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Mountaineer Reinhold Messner grew up facing this landscape.

His childhood home adjoins the Church of Santa Maddalena.

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We can trust Reinhold Messner when he says his native Dolomites are "the most beautiful place in the world".

The Val di Funes child, who grew up under the sharp peaks of the Geislerspitzen, has seen country since his first ascents in the mountains of South Tyrol.

The man, who climbed the highest points of the seven continents, was also the first to overcome all of the fourteen peaks exceeding 8,000 meters, all without oxygen.

According to him, the climber only really meets the mountain alone, without any outside help.

This minimalist philosophy, which revolutionized the practice of climbing in the 1980s, therefore finds its source in the wonderful valleys of the Dolomites.

And after a lifetime of expeditions, it is in these landscapes classified for their beauty as World Heritage of Humanity that Messner came back to put his backpack.

The ruiniform reliefs of the Dolomites evoke castles with fantastic turrets.

- Jean-Claude Urbain

Before becoming the cradle of modern mountaineering, South Tyrol had a troubled history.

Torn between Austria and Italy, this southern part of the Eastern Alps was not attached to the ultramontane boot until 1918. Even today, its towns and valleys bear two names, one German, the other Italian.

The region itself is called Südtirol in one language, but Alto Adige in the other.

To this double culture, favored by administrative autonomy, is added a third indigenous language, Ladin.

Spoken by around 20,500 people around the Val Gardena, and benefiting from programs on regional television, Ladin is the symbol of very living traditions, inseparable from this agricultural region, populated by picturesque steeples and fodder barns.

Fall flavors and colors

This alpine civilization, rooted on steep slopes, always lives to the rhythm of the seasons.

Before winter covers everything with its white coat, it is autumn that best emphasizes the splendor of the Dolomites.

At the time of haymaking, harvesting and the return of the herds to the village, the mid-altitude forest is adorned with shimmering touches.

It is also during this season that the

, which tints the rock faces pink at dusk, is most intense.

But autumn is above all the time of Törggelen, during which farms invite hikers to sit around their products.

Locals and tourists alike enjoy regional specialties with the same greed.

On the mountain pastures of the Dolomites, the landscape is strongly marked by the work of men.

- Jean-Claude Urbain

While

mutton

, an endemic species with black-rimmed eyes, remains confined to Val di Funes, smoked

ham

and

beetroot

are found at the start of all menus.

The traditional meal continues with 

beef

and

half-moon

ravioli

stuffed with spinach.

It is during dessert that the Austrian influence is tastiest.

It's hard to choose between a

brioche

topped with cream, a

poppy

donut

, typical of Val Gardena, or an apple strudel, of which South Tyrol is a major producer.

The trip to the Dolomites is full of culinary surprises.

- Jean-Claude Urbain

All these specialties are also honored every autumn as part of the Dolomiti Gourmet Festival.

Organized in Dobbiaco by Michelin-starred chef Chris Oberhammer, this series of culinary events features evening foursomes and daytime food walks.

A picnic, prepared by Chris on the heights of the village, allows you to better understand the geology of the region, around the fountain of the two sources.

On one side, a ferruginous water from the metamorphic Alps flows, on the other, a limestone water with a radically different taste, from the Dolomites.

A great sports ground

Limestones always leave a strong imprint on the landscapes they constitute.

This is the case of the Dolomites, which take their name from dolomite, itself named in homage to the French geologist Dolomieu.

This particular rock, of sedimentary origin, erects isolated massifs in South Tyrol, surpassing 3,000 meters in altitude on 350 occasions.

These geological fortresses with high crenellated walls are not, however, inaccessible.

Water erosion and frost cut valleys and passes allowing hikers to get as close as possible to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, from Val Fiscalina, or Sassolungo, from Val Gardena.

The iconic Tre Cime di Lavaredo is one of the most popular climbing routes in the world.

- Jean-Claude Urbain

Before Messner's exploits, innovative techniques also appeared in these pioneer mountains.

During the First World War, the Dolomites were a front area.

To facilitate their supplies through the massifs, the soldiers fitted them with handrails and ladders.

After the conflict, mountaineers took advantage of these facilities to progress more quickly on their playground. This is how the via ferrata was born, this discipline using a metal lifeline to which climbers attach themselves to move safely on mineral walls.

Star of the Instagram social network, the Church of San Giovanni in Ranui is the photographic icon of Val di Funes.

- Jean-Claude Urbain

Vertigo and softness, such are the two faces of the Dolomites, whose ramparts with chiseled ridges, all foaming with scree, plunge into the downy green of the valleys.

Area for walkers in fine weather, these lower slopes are ideal for skiing in winter, as demonstrated every year by the World Cup rounds organized on the slopes of Ortisei or Alpe di Siusi, the highest plateau. from Europe.

The latter will also be in the spotlight in 2026, when it will host several disciplines of the Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina.

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Restore

Creator and organizer of the Dolomiti Gourmet Festival, chef Chris Oberhammer is multiplying projects to promote South Tyrol products.

An ardent defender of environmental respect, Chris improvises every day based on what local farmers and ranchers offer him.

This inventive cuisine, awarded one star in the Michelin Guide, is to be savored in the heart of Dobbiaco, in the cozy and light-filled atmosphere of the Tilia restaurant.

Housing

At the end of Val Fiscalina, in the municipality of Sesto, the venerable Hotel Dolomitenhof is a comfortable and practical base camp for exploring the Tre Cime nature park.

Its heated swimming pool is a delicious reward after a day of hiking.

A warmer and more intimate alternative to this type of classic accommodation, the farms converted into small hotels, which flourish across the region, are betting on the

trend

and composing their menus with their own products.

This is the case of the Mea Via Slow Farm, nestled on the heights of Ortisei, between Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi, as well as the Hotel Goishof, whose windows open onto the Val di Funes and on the spectacular chain of Geislerspitzen, dear to Reinhold Messner.

Information

To prepare for your stay in the Dolomites, the South Tyrol Tourist Office website compiles information and practical advice. 

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