Winter Dolomites Without a Car — 5 Days

📷 Gabriele Merlino / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

The first day is for the old town centre of San Candido. The collegiate church is the most significant Romanesque church in Tyrol, featuring a 13th-century crucifix and dome frescoes. A few streets away stands the Baroque Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a 'little Jerusalem' from the 17th century. The afternoon is well spent at DoloMythos, a museum dedicated to the formation of the Dolomites, with fossils and crystals — a great option even when the weather outside is cold. During Advent, the town centre is taken over by the Dolomite Christmas market.

📷 Luca Lorenzi (user:Llorenzi) (Uploaded first to Italian Wikipedia) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The train reaches Dobbiaco in just a few minutes — a village where Gustav Mahler composed 'Das Lied von der Erde'. The Grand Hotel, built in 1878, now serves as a cultural centre and home to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo nature park. Beyond the village, the Landro valley begins: the circular trail around Lake Dobbiaco is passable even in winter, and a bus continues to a viewpoint from which the northern faces of Tre Cime di Lavaredo are visible — the only such vantage point in the valley. Winter bus departures differ from summer ones, so schedules should be checked for the specific date. For cross-country skiing enthusiasts, the trail through the valley starts from the Nordic Arena. In the evening, return to San Candido.

📷 Michaela Böhm (Římáková) / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

A travel day between two bases: by train through the Pustertal and the Isarco valley, then by bus up the Gardena valley to Ortisei, the main town of this Ladin valley. After checking in, there is still time to explore Piazza Sant'Antonio and the Rezia pedestrian zone, with its shop windows and woodcarving workshops for which Ortisei is renowned. Museo Gherdëina, dedicated to the history of the valley and Ladin culture, is a good choice if you arrive early.

📷 Michaela Böhm (Římáková) / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

A gondola from the centre of Ortisei takes you up to Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe. In winter, the plateau has groomed trails for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledging, with views of Sassolungo and Schlern. While the gondola is running, the road up to the meadow is closed to private vehicles during the day, making the plateau considerably quieter than one might expect. Same accommodation as the previous night.

📷 Michaela Böhm (Římáková) / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

The last day, before departure. A cable car from the edge of the village takes you up to Resciesa, from where you can sledge down a long run to the middle station, when the run is open and there is enough snow; sledges are hired in the valley, and a helmet is compulsory. A quieter option is a winter walk to the Church of St. Jakob above Ortisei, the oldest church in the valley, with views of Sassolungo. The afternoon brings the return journey by bus and train.