A Week of Hiking and Biking Adventures Near Cortina

Whisper it quietly (especially when in close proximity to any French or Swiss mountain folk) but the Dolomites might just have the finest scenery in the Alps. When you consider the utterly unique limestone towers for which the area is best known, then throw in some deep, tree-filled valleys and some peaceful rivers and it's a hard combination to beat.

There's more to the Dolomites than just scenery though - the valleys which separate its legendary peaks are full of culture, much of it unique to a few small valleys. Ladin is a language barely spoken outside of Alta Badia and Gardena, but it's the first language in those regions, and sounds unlike any other European language. Elsewhere in the Dolomites you'll hear Italian and German being spoken, and this mix of 3 languages and cultures gives the region a vibrancy and interest all of its own.

As if the scenery and culture weren't enough, the hiking and biking in the Dolomites is also exceptional, as you'll learn on these 6 adventures. You could just about do them all in the space of a week if you get lucky with the weather, and plan your routes carefully so that you don't do 2 of the big ones on back to back days!

Of the 3 hikes in here, "Peitlerkofel/Sass de Putia" is the toughest one and the other 2 ("Hexenstein/Sass de Stria" and "Tre Cime Circuit") are manageable in a few hours. Among the 3 bike rides in here, "St Vigilio - Ju d'Ancona gravel roads" is the only short-ish one, with "La Valle's Ladin Loop" and "From Pieve alongside Monte Pore to Larzonei" being much tougher.
The riding on all the routes is excellent and attainable for all intermediate riders who want a challenge! The hikes, meanwhile are not overly technical, so this is a brilliant collection of routes for the keen weekend warrior!