Europe’s bon viveurs are increasingly swapping the Mediterranean for the mountains – and they’re particularly keen on the chic Dolomites, with their cooler climates, healthy lifestyles and exceptional spas. Chic spa and ski Dolomite hotels like Relais & Chateaux Hotel Capella and Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel and Spa are helping to account for the surge in summer occupancy. But there’s one group that’s been quietly avoiding the hot coastal summers for some time now – they’ve fallen head over heels in love with the cinematic Pale Mountain summer.
From hotels with steamy outdoor pools overlooking idyllic valleys to sun-trap restaurant terraces designed for long lunches, here are ways to enjoy a summer holiday in the Dolomites (and escape the scorching, expensive Mediterranean).
To stay
Some of the Dolomites’ legendary hotels are so indulgent that you’d be forgiven for anchoring off for a week. COMO Alpina Dolomites (comohotels.com) is one of them, and after a comprehensive reboot, this architecturally modern marvel in the Alpe di Siusi is as stunning as ever. Unlike St Moritz, the hidden-away-from-home rich come here to recharge at the COMO Shambhala Retreat spa, which has a Finnish sauna, and to lounge on its terraces with goblets of white (after Sound of Music-style walks). Here, Alpine twee is eschewed for basic, contemporary design, such as Forestis (forestis.it), which dramatically pulls angular, Scandinavian beauty from the surrounding pine and hillscape. Or My Arbor (my-arbor.com), an adults-only luxury “treehouse” hotel with a superb spa.
Rosa Alpina (aman.com) occupies the aesthetic middle ground – a fresh take on wooden Alpine classicism with Aman’s chic signature spa. Here, head out on horseback in the summer, paraglide in the clear air and cool off in pools overlooking the pine forest. It’s set to reopen in 2025.
The turreted Tirol Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti (adler-resorts.com) is a family favorite with its excellent kids’ club (and outdoor pools and lakeside saunas for parents), while Relais & Châteaux’s Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa (relaischateaux.com) is another luxurious, turreted base for the Alpe di Siusi and Resciesa hiking trails, all complemented by Ayurvedic treatments at the family-run Italian hotel’s wood-paneled spa.
For wellness combined with art, Relais & Chateaux’s Hotel Cappella (relaischateaux.com), in the pretty village of Colfosco, covers its traditional wooden walls with artwork, while families who have been coming here for years zigzag between the indoor and outdoor pools. Those who want a slice of Heidi life with the utmost privacy should book one of Leo Trippi’s (leotrippi.com) chalets, such as the beautifully restored Casa Tra Cime farmhouse (from €6,600 for eight adults and two children).
To eat
Dolomiti expert Oliver Corkhill of Viadi Group suggests foodies focus on Alta Badia—“a culinary hub in the Dolomites”—where palate-stirring food and wine range from Michelin-starred venues to traditional chalets that complement hikes. For lunch, Corkhill suggests booking a lunch at three-Michelin-starred Atelier Moessmer, where chef Norbert Niederkofler “sticks to the mountain ethos” and serves seasonal menus with dishes like dark beer breadcrumbs, daikon cream and horseradish. For views, he recommends taking the Pralongiá chairlift (open in summer) to Rifugio Punta Trieste, where diners wash down classic plates of carbonara and succulent ribs with vibrant South Tyrolean wines. Those staying in Cortina can head to El Camineto’s sheepskin armchairs for casunziei and a shabby terrace scene with jaw-dropping countryside views.
For a family-run place, Maso Runch Farm agriturismo is fabulous — with its cosy blond-wood dining room and gingham-framed views of the Sound of Music, it’s like something out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. For just €46, six-course tasting menus include divine homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli in farmhouse butter, and pork shank with crispy polenta. Hikers are well rewarded when they follow the path from the foot of the Col Raiser lift in Selva di Val Gardena to the Firenze hut, where Baita Sangon Hütte serves hearty classics on a suntrap terrace.
Shopping centre
Savvy shoppers head to Cortina d’Ampezzo for a spot of shopping, whether it’s Fendi and Dior, upgrading outdoor gear at the Cooperativa store, or picking up charcuterie, Alpine jams, and honey at Moe Fausto. Serious shoppers head to San Candido, where there’s a cluster of homeware and interiors boutiques along the riverside—think Murano glass, antique furniture, and velvet pillows—and the legendary Haunold hat shop, which has been owned by the Zacher family since 1560, with its beautifully crafted felt hats and slippers. In Corvara, in Val Badia, it’s easy to find Tyrolean and Ladin Alpine memorabilia at Boutique Monika, alongside beautifully crafted clothing by European designers, but for gifts or housewares, you’ll want to head to romantic Corvara. For beautiful textiles, check out Tessitura Nagler’s range of prints and fabrics in La Val, and wander over to Delizius in San Cassiano for a wide range of Ladin delicacies and preserves (you’re bound to stock up on a few bottles of South Tyrolean wine, too). In the time-warp town of Selva, in Val Gardena, it’s worth admiring the handmade wood carvings and cuckoo clocks at the charming Erse Shop, and on Sunday (every Friday from 8am to 1pm on Via Stazione), visit the pretty town of Ortisei.
To do
Activities depend largely on the town or region you find yourself in, but most focus on the simple pleasure of good wine, either outdoors or on a sunny terrace. Cortina d’Ampezzo is all about walks and e-bike tours through a fairytale playground of pine forests, valleys, lakes and wildflower meadows. Leo Trippi recommends complementing this with a tasting menu at Alajmo Cortina, or for something really special, they can arrange a 15-minute panoramic flight that lands at a Rifugio in the Cinque Torri region, where a local sommelier will introduce your customers to some of the region’s best wines, followed by lunch.
When it comes to walks, the 10km Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop, which starts from Rifugio Auronzo, is sickeningly scenic, with a Second World War tunnel system to explore along the way and a path leading to the crystal-clear Lago di Sorapis. And for minimum effort and maximum reward, the Tofana di Mezzo walk from Cortina D’Ampezzo is a mercifully short trail that offers some of the most astonishing views across rugged hills and emerald valleys.
Depending on their starting point, cyclists can navigate labyrinthine paths through dense pine forests and glassy lakeshores, and along the Dolomites, there are stables like Farm Unterlanzin for picturesque horseback rides through fields of wildflowers. Medieval towns abound in the Dolomites, such as postcard-pretty Ortisei and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Some bear the legacy of Austro-Hungarian rule, more flamboyantly Nutcracker-style than others, like Merano. This candy-shaded town sits smugly in a Mediterranean microclimate, where giant palms tickle the blush-pink walls and guests bask in gardens, fountains flow and distant peaks scrape the clouds.
It’s worth checking if any festivals are taking place, such as the Val Gardena Folklore Festival in Ortisei (August 4), where dances and processions are held that shed light on the ancient spirit of the Dolomites.