29 Sep The Dolomites: So Much More Than Mountains
The Dolomites: So Much More Than Mountains
When you mention the Dolomites, most people immediately think of mountains.
And understandably so. The pale limestone peaks and broad Alpine meadows create some of Europe’s most distinctive scenery. At different times of day, the rock can take on shades of pink, gold and violet, with villages, farms and church spires sitting beneath the mountains.
The beauty and geology of the Dolomites have earned them a place on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. But there is much more to this part of Italy than the scenery. Travel slowly through the region and you begin to notice how much changes from one valley to another. The culture of the Dolomites has been shaped by Italian and Austrian influences, alongside the traditions of the Ladin people, who have lived in these valleys for centuries.
You see it in the languages people speak, in the architecture and, perhaps most obviously, in the food. For us, this is one of the most interesting things about travelling through the Dolomites. The mountains may be what first bring you here, but understanding something of the people, history and culture gives you a very different appreciation of the region.
A meeting place between northern and southern Europe
Geography has always played an important part in the history of this region. Valleys and mountain passes connected the Mediterranean world with the countries north of the Alps, carrying merchants, pilgrims, armies, and ideas between them.
For centuries, much of what is now Trentino and South Tyrol formed part of the Habsburg world. South Tyrol became part of Italy after the First World War, but its long association with Austria is still very evident. Today, South Tyrol has three official languages: German, Italian and Ladin, and many places have more than one name. Bolzano is also Bozen, Merano is Meran and Castelrotto is Kastelruth.
You notice the mixture in the architecture and food as well. Italian piazzas and medieval arcades sit alongside Tyrolean houses and onion-domed church towers. You can stop for an espresso in the morning and find canederli, speck and apple strudel on the menu at lunch.
Trento is a good place to begin because the city feels distinctly Italian, with its historic centre, Renaissance buildings and busy bars and cafés. But its history also reflects its position between Italy and Central Europe. For centuries, Trento was governed by powerful prince-bishops and it later became famous as the setting for the Council of Trent, one of the defining events of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Its castle, frescoed façades and Renaissance palazzi make it a particularly interesting city to explore.
Continue north and the atmosphere gradually changes. Around Castelrotto, Bolzano and Merano, German and Tyrolean influences become much more noticeable. What is interesting is that there is no sudden dividing line. The change happens gradually—in the language you hear around you, the architecture and what appears on the menu.
The Ladins and the culture of the Dolomites
There is another culture here that many visitors know very little about before they arrive. The Ladins are one of the oldest linguistic communities in the Alps. Their language developed from the Latin spoken in the region after the Roman conquest and evolved over centuries in valleys that were often relatively isolated from one another.
Ladin is still spoken today, particularly in valleys such as Val Gardena and Val Badia. It is spoken at home, taught in schools and appears on road signs and place names throughout the Ladin valleys. The Ladins also have their own traditions, legends, food and crafts, many of which developed from the practical realities of living in the mountains.
For generations, life followed the seasons. Livestock moved between farms in the valleys and summer pastures higher in the mountains. Forests supplied timber for houses, furniture and tools, while families developed ways of producing and preserving enough food to get through the winter. Woodcarving, particularly in Val Gardena, is one tradition that has survived and remains an important local craft.
It is quite possible to spend several days travelling through the Dolomites admiring the scenery without really being aware that this separate language and culture exists. Once you know something about the Ladins, however, you start noticing their influence throughout the valleys.
Image by Herwig Prinoth – Museum Ladin Ćiastel de Tor, CC BY-SA 3.0,
Food shaped by the mountains
Food is probably one of the easiest—and certainly one of the most enjoyable—ways to understand the culture of the Dolomites and the different influences at work in this part of Italy. The cuisine is neither completely Italian nor Austrian. It draws on both traditions, as well as on the ingredients that were historically available in the mountains.
Canederli, the local bread dumplings, might be made with cheese, herbs or speck. Polenta, filled pasta and slow-cooked meats are common, while South Tyrol is famous for its apples and the mountain valleys produce excellent butter and cheeses.
One of the local cheeses we particularly like introducing guests to is Puzzone di Moena, produced in Trentino. Its name translates rather unpromisingly as the “stinking cheese of Moena”. It certainly has quite a strong aroma, although fortunately the flavour is considerably less alarming than the name suggests.
The Ladin valleys have their own food traditions too, and a lunch at a traditional mountain farm is a good opportunity to try some of them. Here again you see Italian and Austrian influences sitting comfortably alongside older Alpine traditions.
Wine tells another part of the story. Trentino produces several grape varieties that aren’t particularly well known outside the region, including Nosiola, Teroldego and Marzemino. Vineyards grow along the valley floors and lower slopes, with altitude and cooler temperatures playing an important role in the wines produced here.
Then, as you travel south towards Lake Garda, things change again. Around the northern end of the lake there are vineyards and olive groves and, remarkably, even lemon trees. The climate is surprisingly mild considering how close you still are to the mountains. In a relatively small area, you can move from Alpine farms and mountain cheeses to vineyards, olive oil and the almost Mediterranean atmosphere of Lake Garda.
Detail from the 12th-century fresco – St John of Müstair Abbey
Art and history among the mountains
The scenery can easily overshadow the region’s history and art, but there is a great deal to see.
At Castello del Buonconsiglio in Trento, the Torre dell’Aquila contains the wonderful Cycle of the Months. Painted around the end of the 14th century, the frescoes show both courtly life and everyday agricultural work throughout the seasons. Scenes include hunting, grape harvesting, and tending animals, and even a winter scene showing people having a snowball fight. Beyond their beauty, they offer a fascinating picture of everyday life more than 600 years ago.
In Bolzano, the story goes back much further. Ötzi the Iceman lived more than 5,000 years ago, and the preservation of his body, clothing and equipment has given archaeologists an extraordinary amount of information about life in Copper Age Europe. Today he can be seen at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano.
Beyond Bolzano and Merano is the Val Venosta, a broad valley of apple orchards, castles and old villages stretching towards Switzerland. Here we visit Glorenza, one of the smallest towns in South Tyrol and still completely surrounded by its old walls.
A little further on, across the Swiss border, is the Abbey of St John at Müstair, where you can see an important cycle of Carolingian frescoes dating back more than a thousand years. Places like these remind you that these valleys were never simply isolated mountain communities. They sat on routes connecting different parts of Europe and were influenced by the political, religious and commercial worlds around them. This history is another important part of the culture of the Dolomites, although it is often overshadowed by the scenery.
You don’t need to be a hiker
One of the misconceptions about visiting the Dolomites is that you need to be a serious walker to enjoy them. You certainly can spend days hiking here, but you don’t have to.
Cable cars provide easy access to places such as Alpe di Siusi, where relatively gentle paths cross the high meadows beneath the mountains. You can walk for an hour or two, stop for lunch at a mountain hut and spend some time among the mountains without tackling a strenuous hike.
There is also plenty to enjoy away from the walking trails. You can explore Bolzano’s medieval centre, walk along Merano’s promenades, visit a local producer or simply spend some time wandering around one of the smaller villages.
For us, this is one of the best ways to experience the Dolomites. No need to race between viewpoints. Having a little more time in each place means you start to see how the scenery, food, history, and different cultures fit together.
Travelling through the Dolomites with us
Experiencing the scenery alongside the history, food and culture of the Dolomites is really the thinking behind our In the Shadow of the Dolomites tour. Over 13 days, we travel from Trento into the Dolomites, continue through South Tyrol and finish on the northern shore of Lake Garda.
Along the way, we spend time on the Alpine meadows of Alpe di Siusi, learn about Ladin culture, try local cheeses and wines, visit Bolzano and Ötzi the Iceman, and spend several days in Merano. From there, we travel through the Val Venosta and across the Swiss border to Müstair Abbey before finishing in Riva del Garda.
We deliberately don’t change hotels every night or two. Instead, we stay three nights in each of our four bases—Trento, Castelrotto, Merano and Riva del Garda. Besides avoiding constant packing and unpacking, it gives us time to get to know each area a little rather than simply pass through.
As with all our tours, the group is limited to a maximum of 12 guests.
Our 2027 departures of In the Shadow of the Dolomites are:
7–19 June 2027
6–18 September 2027
The mountains are certainly reason enough to visit the Dolomites. But for us, it is the food, history and culture of the Dolomites—and everything you discover between the peaks—that make this part of Italy particularly interesting.
Read the full itinerary for our 2027 Dolomites tour, or contact us if you would like to discuss whether the tour is right for you.