Traversing Tyrol
Nov 10th, 2024, 05:02 PM
#41
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I enjoyed your photos from in and around Bressanone/Brixen. We only spent part of a day there (and much of that in the Bishop's Palace with that amazing crib collection of miniatures), but it seems like it would make a good base - although it is larger than the bases for our last couple of trips.
Too bad you had rain in the Val di Funes. We hiked there in 2019, and it is very scenic. It is a very popular hiking area, though, and we were far from alone on the trails.
Too bad you had rain in the Val di Funes. We hiked there in 2019, and it is very scenic. It is a very popular hiking area, though, and we were far from alone on the trails.
Nov 11th, 2024, 05:46 AM
#42
Lavandula, I got a kick out of that menu, which sometimes applies to me as well.
ms_go - this is the first I've heard of the Bishop's Palace, seems we missed even more than I thought.
ms_go - this is the first I've heard of the Bishop's Palace, seems we missed even more than I thought.
Nov 11th, 2024, 07:11 AM
#43
Sept 28 -
We tidied up the apartment and rolled our luggage down to the bus station. We could have taken a smaller bus to the station, but I didn't want to deal with putting our luggage on a van sized bus.
The walk took about 15 minutes over cobblestones.
Leaving Brixen
We caught bus 401 to St. Lorenzen. The display on the bus was not working so Bill followed along on the Südtirol app and I followed along on Google Maps, hoping we wouldn't miss our stop. The St. Lorenzen bus station is situated along the edge of a parking lot, so we weren’t sure we were in the right place, but our connecting bus 460 arrived about five minute later; all went well. Neither bus was very busy so we had sufficient space for our luggage.
This morning my phone told me that there was a 100% chance of rain today. However, the sun was shining brightly when we left and continued to shine throughout the drive to Colfosco (Alta Badia). We used our Brixen card for the entire two hour journey.
It was a beautiful drive. We traveled along various narrow winding roads and through cute small towns; all the while surrounded by the Dolomites and autumn color.
Bus snap
Bus snap
Once in Colfosco, we got off at the wrong bus stop, necessitating a kilometer+ walk through the length of town, thankfully downhill. As we stepped off the bus, we were hit in the face with a cold, fierce wind.
Colfosco
We had a bit of trouble finding our apartment. As I left Bill with the luggage and wandered up a few streets looking for it, a woman popped out from the Gran Ciasa Hotel and asked if she could help. She had a confab with two bystanders and then assured me that we were headed in the right direction, and advised there were a few hills ahead. But of course.
When booking accommodation in Colfosco, we’d discovered that most apartments and hotels were closed (even though some cable cars were running until 10/06). This particular apartment had been our third choice and it was a bit of a trek to get up to it, but we’d been warned by Fodorite Adelaidean that the road that runs through Colfosco was noisy, so we'd looked for accommodation away from it. Turns out the road wasn’t too bad as Colfosco was very quiet this time of year, but I can see it being a problem in high season.
Nice place this, clean, fresh, nicely furnished. And the duvets didn’t stink! And that balcony - fantastic views. We didn’t know it yet, but many evenings would be spent on that balcony eating makeshift meals and taking in the views.
View from apartment balcony
While the smallest of the apartments we’d have this trip, it turned out to be our favorite. It’s family operated, and overseen by two sisters. We were two of only four guests, so our stay was very quiet.
I'd brought a few basic supplies from home as when I booked they'd told me they don't supply TP, paper products, dishwasher tabs, dish soap, sponges, etc. When we checked in, we were offered a coffee maker and panini press, as evidently they are removed between guests.
Turns out that the apartment had everything I’d brought from home, except for a small sponge. So we just left what we’d brought behind for the next guests. Perhaps they just don’t refill these items for long term guests.
Later, when we discovered that we’d forgotten to pick up some coffee filters, I asked if they had a few, and was taken into a supply closet and offered several boxes of filters (!), a toaster and all the items I’d been told they don’t provide. Huh.
Our only issue with the apartment was that the floors were slippery; we picked up the throw rugs and set them aside as they felt a bit dangerous.
Our first order of business after getting settled was to find some food; I was so hungry I thought I’d fall over. There isn’t a grocery store in Colfosco, and we’d not yet seen much open. It was Saturday afternoon, and we knew grocery stores in nearby towns would be closed tomorrow, so food was a priority.
We’d been given a Südtirol guest card upon check-in (free bus transport, no cable cars), so we walked down to the nearest bus stop and caught a bus to nearby Covara.
We got off at the Covara bus station and began looking for groceries and restaurants, soon discovering that both grocery stores in town were closed (!). We popped into an open restaurant near the bus station and were told they didn’t serve food until 6:30 - this at 3 pm. I asked where we might find lunch, and was told Salvan Pizzeria was open, so we googled and began our search.
We walked all the way through Covara, and finally found it at the edge of town, but it too looked closed, as it’s attached to a hotel that was shuttered. I just happened to walk downstairs to investigate and found the place - open!
The restaurant was deserted. We were told the kitchen was open for pizza until 4:15. Thank goodness. I was so hungry that I was shaking. Lunch here was fantastic, no doubt because we were so hungry. Diavola pizza for Bill, Bufala pizza for me, 1/2 liter of house Pinot Blanco for both, €38.60 including €3 coperto.
The lone waiter was bored to tears; song after song by Michael Jackson played overhead. We asked him if the restaurant would be open tomorrow, and were told yes, but then it was closing until November. Uh-oh.
A glimpse of sunshine!
Walking through Covara
Salvan Pizzeria
Men's room, Salvan Pizzeria
Ladies room, Salvan Pizzeria
Blue sky on the walk back through Covara to bus station
We then walked back through Covara to visit the tourist office, which was due to open at 4 pm. We passed an open bakery on the way, so popped in and got a croissant and a cookie; just in case. We verified they would be open tomorrow too, but then closed the rest of the week. It looked like food was going to be an issue. The streets of Covara were quiet, but not deserted.
Emergency cookie (and kind of how I felt today)
When I booked our stay I'd been told by our hostess that most restaurants would be open, but that was definitely not the case.
We asked about grocery stores and restaurants at the tourist office and were told that the only open grocery was Despar in La Villa Stern and it closed at 7:00. So, we caught a bus to La Villa, but mistakenly got off too soon as the digital display on the bus wasn’t working. Turns out we were still 1.7 miles from a grocery store. We decided it'd be faster to wait 25 minutes for the next 460 bus than to walk. Then Bill discovered bus 465 would be by sooner, but it was about 10 minutes late. Just not our day.
We finally made it to La Villa Stern, my GPS telling me that Despar was still an 11 minute walk away, but lo’ and behold, there was a Conad store right across the street, so we went over and found it open!
We picked up enough food and coffee supplies for a couple of days and caught a bus back to Colfosco.
As we walked back to the apartment we discovered that Gran Ciasa Hotel was open, so we went in for a drink (€11, Aperol spritz and a small beer). The bar slowly filled with a group of noisy Americans. I asked the bartender about them and was told they were there for a conference.
The clouds were moving in; we hoped the weather wasn't going to turn to shite.
To be continued...
We tidied up the apartment and rolled our luggage down to the bus station. We could have taken a smaller bus to the station, but I didn't want to deal with putting our luggage on a van sized bus.
The walk took about 15 minutes over cobblestones.
Leaving Brixen
We caught bus 401 to St. Lorenzen. The display on the bus was not working so Bill followed along on the Südtirol app and I followed along on Google Maps, hoping we wouldn't miss our stop. The St. Lorenzen bus station is situated along the edge of a parking lot, so we weren’t sure we were in the right place, but our connecting bus 460 arrived about five minute later; all went well. Neither bus was very busy so we had sufficient space for our luggage.
This morning my phone told me that there was a 100% chance of rain today. However, the sun was shining brightly when we left and continued to shine throughout the drive to Colfosco (Alta Badia). We used our Brixen card for the entire two hour journey.
It was a beautiful drive. We traveled along various narrow winding roads and through cute small towns; all the while surrounded by the Dolomites and autumn color.
Bus snap
Bus snap
Once in Colfosco, we got off at the wrong bus stop, necessitating a kilometer+ walk through the length of town, thankfully downhill. As we stepped off the bus, we were hit in the face with a cold, fierce wind.
Colfosco
We had a bit of trouble finding our apartment. As I left Bill with the luggage and wandered up a few streets looking for it, a woman popped out from the Gran Ciasa Hotel and asked if she could help. She had a confab with two bystanders and then assured me that we were headed in the right direction, and advised there were a few hills ahead. But of course.
When booking accommodation in Colfosco, we’d discovered that most apartments and hotels were closed (even though some cable cars were running until 10/06). This particular apartment had been our third choice and it was a bit of a trek to get up to it, but we’d been warned by Fodorite Adelaidean that the road that runs through Colfosco was noisy, so we'd looked for accommodation away from it. Turns out the road wasn’t too bad as Colfosco was very quiet this time of year, but I can see it being a problem in high season.
Nice place this, clean, fresh, nicely furnished. And the duvets didn’t stink! And that balcony - fantastic views. We didn’t know it yet, but many evenings would be spent on that balcony eating makeshift meals and taking in the views.
View from apartment balcony
While the smallest of the apartments we’d have this trip, it turned out to be our favorite. It’s family operated, and overseen by two sisters. We were two of only four guests, so our stay was very quiet.
I'd brought a few basic supplies from home as when I booked they'd told me they don't supply TP, paper products, dishwasher tabs, dish soap, sponges, etc. When we checked in, we were offered a coffee maker and panini press, as evidently they are removed between guests.
Turns out that the apartment had everything I’d brought from home, except for a small sponge. So we just left what we’d brought behind for the next guests. Perhaps they just don’t refill these items for long term guests.
Later, when we discovered that we’d forgotten to pick up some coffee filters, I asked if they had a few, and was taken into a supply closet and offered several boxes of filters (!), a toaster and all the items I’d been told they don’t provide. Huh.
Our only issue with the apartment was that the floors were slippery; we picked up the throw rugs and set them aside as they felt a bit dangerous.
Our first order of business after getting settled was to find some food; I was so hungry I thought I’d fall over. There isn’t a grocery store in Colfosco, and we’d not yet seen much open. It was Saturday afternoon, and we knew grocery stores in nearby towns would be closed tomorrow, so food was a priority.
We’d been given a Südtirol guest card upon check-in (free bus transport, no cable cars), so we walked down to the nearest bus stop and caught a bus to nearby Covara.
We got off at the Covara bus station and began looking for groceries and restaurants, soon discovering that both grocery stores in town were closed (!). We popped into an open restaurant near the bus station and were told they didn’t serve food until 6:30 - this at 3 pm. I asked where we might find lunch, and was told Salvan Pizzeria was open, so we googled and began our search.
We walked all the way through Covara, and finally found it at the edge of town, but it too looked closed, as it’s attached to a hotel that was shuttered. I just happened to walk downstairs to investigate and found the place - open!
The restaurant was deserted. We were told the kitchen was open for pizza until 4:15. Thank goodness. I was so hungry that I was shaking. Lunch here was fantastic, no doubt because we were so hungry. Diavola pizza for Bill, Bufala pizza for me, 1/2 liter of house Pinot Blanco for both, €38.60 including €3 coperto.
The lone waiter was bored to tears; song after song by Michael Jackson played overhead. We asked him if the restaurant would be open tomorrow, and were told yes, but then it was closing until November. Uh-oh.
A glimpse of sunshine!
Walking through Covara
Salvan Pizzeria
Men's room, Salvan Pizzeria
Ladies room, Salvan Pizzeria
Blue sky on the walk back through Covara to bus station
We then walked back through Covara to visit the tourist office, which was due to open at 4 pm. We passed an open bakery on the way, so popped in and got a croissant and a cookie; just in case. We verified they would be open tomorrow too, but then closed the rest of the week. It looked like food was going to be an issue. The streets of Covara were quiet, but not deserted.
Emergency cookie (and kind of how I felt today)
When I booked our stay I'd been told by our hostess that most restaurants would be open, but that was definitely not the case.
We asked about grocery stores and restaurants at the tourist office and were told that the only open grocery was Despar in La Villa Stern and it closed at 7:00. So, we caught a bus to La Villa, but mistakenly got off too soon as the digital display on the bus wasn’t working. Turns out we were still 1.7 miles from a grocery store. We decided it'd be faster to wait 25 minutes for the next 460 bus than to walk. Then Bill discovered bus 465 would be by sooner, but it was about 10 minutes late. Just not our day.
We finally made it to La Villa Stern, my GPS telling me that Despar was still an 11 minute walk away, but lo’ and behold, there was a Conad store right across the street, so we went over and found it open!
We picked up enough food and coffee supplies for a couple of days and caught a bus back to Colfosco.
As we walked back to the apartment we discovered that Gran Ciasa Hotel was open, so we went in for a drink (€11, Aperol spritz and a small beer). The bar slowly filled with a group of noisy Americans. I asked the bartender about them and was told they were there for a conference.
The clouds were moving in; we hoped the weather wasn't going to turn to shite.
To be continued...
Last edited by Melnq8; Nov 11th, 2024 at 07:31 AM.
Nov 11th, 2024, 12:13 PM
#44
Mel, that sounds frustrating.
My DH hated the noisy traffic in Corvara, but we were there in June and during the biking event.
There was also quite a bit of construction going on, affecting road and bus stops. So it was much busier and noisier than expected.
I’d have liked to stay longer - some cablecars weren’t yet open, as it was not yet July - and we missed a lot. I tend to book half board in these mountain towns, but we stay in hotels (do a lot of searching for a slightly larger room).
My DH hated the noisy traffic in Corvara, but we were there in June and during the biking event.
There was also quite a bit of construction going on, affecting road and bus stops. So it was much busier and noisier than expected.
I’d have liked to stay longer - some cablecars weren’t yet open, as it was not yet July - and we missed a lot. I tend to book half board in these mountain towns, but we stay in hotels (do a lot of searching for a slightly larger room).
Nov 11th, 2024, 12:20 PM
#45
Adelaidean - interesting about the construction while you were there...we ran into a lot in the area, but I'd assumed it was low season remodeling and maintenace. I can certainly see how Covara might be noisy. Three nights is about our limit for hotels.
Nov 11th, 2024, 12:21 PM
#46
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Wow, it's amazing how quickly things start to close up in the shoulder season. We were in Colfosco from September 7 - 14, not long before you, and were in the grocery store there almost every day (gotta keep that apartment stocked with wine...). We had dinner at Salvan one evening, although that was one of the few evenings we did not have pizza I think.
Nov 12th, 2024, 02:54 PM
#48
Sept 29 -
The 1,085 meter elevation difference between Brixen and Colfosco was immediately evident; we donned our fleece lined hiking pants for the first time this trip, put on our fleece jackets and Gortex layer, and loaded the backpack with our fleece hats and mittens; essentially every piece of warm clothing wed packed.
It was 3c (37F), but beautifully clear, and unbeknownst to us at the time, the prettiest day wed have during our stay.
We set out on the walk to Cascate del Pisciadù, bypassing the bus to the trailhead; the hardest bit the section from our apartment up through hilly Colfosco to the closed Luinata Hotel, where the walk officially begins.
Colfosco
Colfosco
Colfosco
From there it was easy, albeit quite muddy in sections thanks to a construction project on the trail. Overall a nice walk with some fantastic views.
Trail map
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Near the base of Cascate del Pisciadù
The trail becomes a more serious bergweg as it climbs up alongside the waterfall. Bill continued up for a bit, but I took a pass; clumsy me and wet/frosty rocks are a bad mix.
It was amusing to watch two couples start up the rocky trail, the women wearing sparkly sneakers and carrying large purses.
We later learned that this particular bergweg intersects a second one that requires climbing equipment to undertake, so I suspect they didnt get too far.
After soaking up the glorious views, we circled back to Colfosco via Trail 28, a gentle walk through the forest, which led us to an (open!) bistro at the base of the Borest and Colfosco cable car stations, which was surprisingly lively for a Sunday morning. The polka music and dirndl/lederhosen attired wait staff made us feel like we were in Germany instead of Sud Tyrol, Italy.
Trail 28
Here we chilled for a bit while seated in chairs on the lawn, under that bright blue sky.
We decided to seize the beautiful day, and seek out the Col Pradat cable station; but I was worried wed not reach it before 12:30 when I knew some of the cable cars closed for lunch.
The hill up to the cable car station was damn steep, made even harder by our rush to reach it, but reach it we did, arriving at 12:28 only to discover this particular cable car did not close for lunch; so we took it to the top (13.20 each return, 2,038 meters).
Oh my.
Col Pradat at the foot of Mount Sassongher
Views from Col Pradat
Col Pradat cable car
We settled in for lunch on the terrace of Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat (open!), surrounded by those gobsmacking Dolomites.
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat
Bill had discovered that he liked polenta during last years visit, so he was on a quest to eat as much of it as possible. He chose the polenta with mushrooms and sausage 26, I chose the polenta with cheese and grilled vegetables 25. Both were good, but mine was a bit bland, I had to add salt, something I seldom do, 70 with drinks.
Polenta with mushrooms and sausage
Polenta with grilled veg
After lunch we walked a short section of a random trail, but soon lost our mojo and went back to the rifugio for an Aperol Spritz and to take in the views. Here we wiled away the afternoon, eavesdropping on an American destination wedding (we suspect the same group of people wed seen the night before at the Gran Ciasa Hotel bar in Colfosco).
Wed watched the 60 person wedding party disembark the cable car and take photos, wine glasses in hand. Then the group gathered for the very short ceremony next to the rifugio. Evidently this was the third wedding in 10 years for this young couple (is this a thing?) and they shared a love of the Dolomites. We overheard them say that the wedding was an excuse to bring their friends and family to one of their favorite places.
Then the party began, complete with DJ, food and free flowing drinks. It looked like a lot of fun, and they could not have been luckier with the weather.
We've seen and heard more Americans in the past two days than in the previous two weeks.
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat wedding venue
Col Pradat
Views from Col Pradat
Map of the area
Eventually we tore ourselves away and took the cable car back down to Colfosco, where we poked through the church before heading back to the apartment to chill on our balcony.
Col Pradat cable car
Walking through Colfosco
Colfosco church
Colfosco church
Colfosco church cemetery
Our first full day in Colfosco had been spectacular; wed logged 5.5 miles without trying very hard.
To be continued...
The 1,085 meter elevation difference between Brixen and Colfosco was immediately evident; we donned our fleece lined hiking pants for the first time this trip, put on our fleece jackets and Gortex layer, and loaded the backpack with our fleece hats and mittens; essentially every piece of warm clothing wed packed.
It was 3c (37F), but beautifully clear, and unbeknownst to us at the time, the prettiest day wed have during our stay.
We set out on the walk to Cascate del Pisciadù, bypassing the bus to the trailhead; the hardest bit the section from our apartment up through hilly Colfosco to the closed Luinata Hotel, where the walk officially begins.
Colfosco
Colfosco
Colfosco
From there it was easy, albeit quite muddy in sections thanks to a construction project on the trail. Overall a nice walk with some fantastic views.
Trail map
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Walking to Cascate del Pisciadù
Near the base of Cascate del Pisciadù
The trail becomes a more serious bergweg as it climbs up alongside the waterfall. Bill continued up for a bit, but I took a pass; clumsy me and wet/frosty rocks are a bad mix.
It was amusing to watch two couples start up the rocky trail, the women wearing sparkly sneakers and carrying large purses.
We later learned that this particular bergweg intersects a second one that requires climbing equipment to undertake, so I suspect they didnt get too far.
After soaking up the glorious views, we circled back to Colfosco via Trail 28, a gentle walk through the forest, which led us to an (open!) bistro at the base of the Borest and Colfosco cable car stations, which was surprisingly lively for a Sunday morning. The polka music and dirndl/lederhosen attired wait staff made us feel like we were in Germany instead of Sud Tyrol, Italy.
Trail 28
Here we chilled for a bit while seated in chairs on the lawn, under that bright blue sky.
We decided to seize the beautiful day, and seek out the Col Pradat cable station; but I was worried wed not reach it before 12:30 when I knew some of the cable cars closed for lunch.
The hill up to the cable car station was damn steep, made even harder by our rush to reach it, but reach it we did, arriving at 12:28 only to discover this particular cable car did not close for lunch; so we took it to the top (13.20 each return, 2,038 meters).
Oh my.
Col Pradat at the foot of Mount Sassongher
Views from Col Pradat
Col Pradat cable car
We settled in for lunch on the terrace of Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat (open!), surrounded by those gobsmacking Dolomites.
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat
Bill had discovered that he liked polenta during last years visit, so he was on a quest to eat as much of it as possible. He chose the polenta with mushrooms and sausage 26, I chose the polenta with cheese and grilled vegetables 25. Both were good, but mine was a bit bland, I had to add salt, something I seldom do, 70 with drinks.
Polenta with mushrooms and sausage
Polenta with grilled veg
After lunch we walked a short section of a random trail, but soon lost our mojo and went back to the rifugio for an Aperol Spritz and to take in the views. Here we wiled away the afternoon, eavesdropping on an American destination wedding (we suspect the same group of people wed seen the night before at the Gran Ciasa Hotel bar in Colfosco).
Wed watched the 60 person wedding party disembark the cable car and take photos, wine glasses in hand. Then the group gathered for the very short ceremony next to the rifugio. Evidently this was the third wedding in 10 years for this young couple (is this a thing?) and they shared a love of the Dolomites. We overheard them say that the wedding was an excuse to bring their friends and family to one of their favorite places.
Then the party began, complete with DJ, food and free flowing drinks. It looked like a lot of fun, and they could not have been luckier with the weather.
We've seen and heard more Americans in the past two days than in the previous two weeks.
Rifugio Ütia Col Pradat wedding venue
Col Pradat
Views from Col Pradat
Map of the area
Eventually we tore ourselves away and took the cable car back down to Colfosco, where we poked through the church before heading back to the apartment to chill on our balcony.
Col Pradat cable car
Walking through Colfosco
Colfosco church
Colfosco church
Colfosco church cemetery
Our first full day in Colfosco had been spectacular; wed logged 5.5 miles without trying very hard.
To be continued...
Nov 12th, 2024, 03:38 PM
#49
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Melnq8 Enjoying reading your new adventures and following along. Thanks for another informative and entertaining TR. Great pictures!
Loved the way you explored Bressanone/Brixen finding so many good places to eat and day trips around. What a lovely region. I also liked the photos of Novacella Monastery.
And the Dolomites/Colfosco views, just breathtaking What a place!
Loved the way you explored Bressanone/Brixen finding so many good places to eat and day trips around. What a lovely region. I also liked the photos of Novacella Monastery.
And the Dolomites/Colfosco views, just breathtaking What a place!
Nov 12th, 2024, 05:28 PM
#51
Oh Mel, your pics made me smile… I loved the days we visited Colfosco- the waterfall and Col Pradat (walked from near Edelweiss around the mountain path to the rifugio and cablecar, that path I think it was trail 3 on your map, was my upper limit of fear of slipping) - lots of hikers heading up further on the trail no. 4
Nov 12th, 2024, 06:27 PM
#53
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The area around Colfosco looks beautiful - and great photos!
I've been talking about getting to Bressanone for at least 10 years but haven't made it yet. Hopefully I can remedy that in the next couple of years.
I've been talking about getting to Bressanone for at least 10 years but haven't made it yet. Hopefully I can remedy that in the next couple of years.
Nov 13th, 2024, 04:15 AM
#54
Sept 30 -
Our day began with a visit to the Colfosco tourist office to load up on maps and suggestions for the remainder of our stay.
Yesterday's blue skies were nowhere to be found, so I was skeptical when Bill suggested we take the Boè gondola above Covara to Piz Boè, and the chairlift above it to Vallon, situated at 2,500 meters; part of the Sella group massif in the Dolomites. Piz Boè is one of the main ski lifts in Covara and one of the historic ski lifts of the Skicarosello - Alta Badia.
We walked the 20 minutes (one mile) from Colfosco to Covara via Trail 28, and bought tickets for the 2.5 km, 10 minute gondola ride to the top of Piz Boè and the one km long, eight minute chairlift ride to Vallon (€31 each).
View from our apartment balcony
Colfosco new arrival
Walking to Covara
Walking to Covara
Boè gondola, Covara
Once at the top of Piz Boè, we took in the obscured views, and hiked the short punishing trail to Lech de Boè, both of us hating the trail.
Piz Boè
Trail to Lech de Boè, ugh
We then took the chairlift up to Vallon, and set out on the hike to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon for lunch.
The rifiguio looked waaay over there, but the hike was fairly gentle. The views, while not horrible for such a cloudy day, are no doubt spectacular on a clear day.
Vallon chairlift
Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon...waaay over there
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
https://rifugiokostner.it/en
Once at the small rifugio, we settled in at the only available table and were told what was available for lunch (very limited menu as end of season). Bill chose the raclette, boiled potatoes with alpine cheese and speck (€19.50); I chose the same, minus the speck (€15). Both were surprisingly good, albeit a bit dear for a plate of boiled potatoes and cheese (€45.50 with ½ liter of wine).
The rufigio seemed to have an abundance of employees for such a small place, most gathered near the bar. Although it was full, we’d seen very few people on the trail or near the gondola and chairlift stations.
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Lunch at Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Views from Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
After lunch we walked back to the Vallon chairlift station, and took it down to Piz Boé, where we popped into the posh Piz Boé Alpine Lounge for a brilliant glass of dry Riesling (€20). The lounge and attached restaurant were near empty; we only saw four other customers.
Walking back down to Piz Boé
Looking back to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Walking back down to Piz Boé
Piz Boé Alpine Lounge
Piz Boé Alpine Lounge
https://www.boealpinelounge.it/en/
Just as we were getting ready to take the gondola back down to Covara, the sun came out and gave us a glimpse of what we’d been missing.
Views from Piz Boé
Views from Piz Boé
Views from Piz Boé
Back in Covara, we walked to the bus station, planning to take a bus to La Villa Stern for a grocery run, but lo’ and behold the Conad grocery store next to the Covara bus station was open!
We’d been getting a lot of mixed messages about what was and wasn’t open. Just this morning the woman at the Colfosco tourist office had told us that there were only three businesses open in all of Covara (none of them the grocery store), and one in La Villa Stern. Oh well, a happy surprise for us.
When we passed Salvan pizzeria onboard the bus back to Colfosco, it looked open too, although our waiter told us on Sunday it would be closing today until November. Who knows?
To be continued...
Our day began with a visit to the Colfosco tourist office to load up on maps and suggestions for the remainder of our stay.
Yesterday's blue skies were nowhere to be found, so I was skeptical when Bill suggested we take the Boè gondola above Covara to Piz Boè, and the chairlift above it to Vallon, situated at 2,500 meters; part of the Sella group massif in the Dolomites. Piz Boè is one of the main ski lifts in Covara and one of the historic ski lifts of the Skicarosello - Alta Badia.
We walked the 20 minutes (one mile) from Colfosco to Covara via Trail 28, and bought tickets for the 2.5 km, 10 minute gondola ride to the top of Piz Boè and the one km long, eight minute chairlift ride to Vallon (€31 each).
View from our apartment balcony
Colfosco new arrival
Walking to Covara
Walking to Covara
Boè gondola, Covara
Once at the top of Piz Boè, we took in the obscured views, and hiked the short punishing trail to Lech de Boè, both of us hating the trail.
Piz Boè
Trail to Lech de Boè, ugh
We then took the chairlift up to Vallon, and set out on the hike to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon for lunch.
The rifiguio looked waaay over there, but the hike was fairly gentle. The views, while not horrible for such a cloudy day, are no doubt spectacular on a clear day.
Vallon chairlift
Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon...waaay over there
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
https://rifugiokostner.it/en
Once at the small rifugio, we settled in at the only available table and were told what was available for lunch (very limited menu as end of season). Bill chose the raclette, boiled potatoes with alpine cheese and speck (€19.50); I chose the same, minus the speck (€15). Both were surprisingly good, albeit a bit dear for a plate of boiled potatoes and cheese (€45.50 with ½ liter of wine).
The rufigio seemed to have an abundance of employees for such a small place, most gathered near the bar. Although it was full, we’d seen very few people on the trail or near the gondola and chairlift stations.
Walk to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Lunch at Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Views from Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
After lunch we walked back to the Vallon chairlift station, and took it down to Piz Boé, where we popped into the posh Piz Boé Alpine Lounge for a brilliant glass of dry Riesling (€20). The lounge and attached restaurant were near empty; we only saw four other customers.
Walking back down to Piz Boé
Looking back to Rifugio Franz Kostner al Vallon
Walking back down to Piz Boé
Piz Boé Alpine Lounge
Piz Boé Alpine Lounge
https://www.boealpinelounge.it/en/
Just as we were getting ready to take the gondola back down to Covara, the sun came out and gave us a glimpse of what we’d been missing.
Views from Piz Boé
Views from Piz Boé
Views from Piz Boé
Back in Covara, we walked to the bus station, planning to take a bus to La Villa Stern for a grocery run, but lo’ and behold the Conad grocery store next to the Covara bus station was open!
We’d been getting a lot of mixed messages about what was and wasn’t open. Just this morning the woman at the Colfosco tourist office had told us that there were only three businesses open in all of Covara (none of them the grocery store), and one in La Villa Stern. Oh well, a happy surprise for us.
When we passed Salvan pizzeria onboard the bus back to Colfosco, it looked open too, although our waiter told us on Sunday it would be closing today until November. Who knows?
To be continued...
Nov 13th, 2024, 04:55 AM
#55
Oct 1-
More unsettled weather. We’d considered taking one of the three cable cars at Plan Da Gralba, as they were open until October 13, but we didn't want to pay for another cable car to potentially see nothing but clouds at the top.
We were also unable to find many details on hikes up there, and I’m still confused about the area, even though I’ve just Googled for more info. If anyone here can shed some light, please do.
We’d also considered walking to Jimmi Hut on the Grödner Joch for lunch, but bailed on that plan as well due to bus timing and a lack of details.
So, we decided to take the bus from Colfosco to Selva over Passo Gardena, which connects Val Gardena with Val Badia and takes about an hour.
The drive is said to feature views of the Sella Group in the south, the Cir Peaks in the north, the Sassolungo in the west and the peaks of Val Badia in the east...but today we mostly saw clouds.
We took bus 473 from Colfosco to Plan, then changed to bus 350 bus to Selva.
I was surprised that Plan is a full on town, and that Plan De Gralba is a construction zone - buildings going up, road work, it was a mess. It didn't appeal to me, but evidently there’s a lot on offer here.
Passo Gardena stuck me as a tamer version of the steep, squiggle-rama Splugen Pass between Switzerland and Italy that we've crossed by bus several times on previous trips, but much busier and with loads of construction.
Passo Gardena
Once in Selva we wandered aimlessly, walking up a random road, and soon finding ourselves at a small snack bar at the start of a trail. We stopped to watch two climbers high up on a nearby mountain inch their way to the top. Thanks, but no.
Selva
Selva
We continued our aimless wander, visiting a few areas we’d discovered last December which looked completely different sans snow. We eventually found ourselves on Trail #14 in the Val Vallunga, which looked to be a fairly busy area with walkers and bike riders. Here we logged a mere 3.2 miles before returning to Selva to seek out lunch before the witching hour, in this very-much-closed-for-the-season tourist town.
Val Vallunga
Area map
Val Vallunga
Trail #14
With the help of Google, we located an open restaurant, and made it there in time for pizza before it closed at 2:30 (Pizzeria Rino). Here we each had a pizza, but they were bigger than usual, we should have shared (€36.30 including drinks and €2 each coperto).
We watched in amazement as two young Asian women seated next to us consumed a large caprese salad, an entire pasta dish and all but two pieces of a pizza, plus an assortment of wine and beer. Not sure where they put it all.
Pizzeria Rino
Selva was sleepy, but the Eurospar was open for business; I enjoyed poking through the large, well-stocked store, where I picked up a few items to take home.
With time to spare before the next bus, we popped into the only other open establishment we could find, the heaving Cafe Des Alpes where we snagged the last open table and nursed an Aperol Spritz and a beer while we waited (€12.40).
There are only two direct buses to Colfosco from Selva per day, at least this time of year. We lucked into one of them, the 4:29 pm bus, so we didn’t have to change buses on the return to Colfosco.
Traffic on the pass came to a standstill as a dump truck driver reversed towards our bus on the single lane road and the cars in front of us quickly darted around the dump truck on the narrow strip of road. The driver of the dump truck stopped and had a rather lively exchange with our bus driver; not sure what that was about, but there was certainly nothing the bus driver could have done.
Passo Gardena
Passo Gardena
Passo Gardena
Evidently, October is maintenance season for hotels, restaurants, roads, etc.
To be continued...
More unsettled weather. We’d considered taking one of the three cable cars at Plan Da Gralba, as they were open until October 13, but we didn't want to pay for another cable car to potentially see nothing but clouds at the top.
We were also unable to find many details on hikes up there, and I’m still confused about the area, even though I’ve just Googled for more info. If anyone here can shed some light, please do.
We’d also considered walking to Jimmi Hut on the Grödner Joch for lunch, but bailed on that plan as well due to bus timing and a lack of details.
So, we decided to take the bus from Colfosco to Selva over Passo Gardena, which connects Val Gardena with Val Badia and takes about an hour.
The drive is said to feature views of the Sella Group in the south, the Cir Peaks in the north, the Sassolungo in the west and the peaks of Val Badia in the east...but today we mostly saw clouds.
We took bus 473 from Colfosco to Plan, then changed to bus 350 bus to Selva.
I was surprised that Plan is a full on town, and that Plan De Gralba is a construction zone - buildings going up, road work, it was a mess. It didn't appeal to me, but evidently there’s a lot on offer here.
Passo Gardena stuck me as a tamer version of the steep, squiggle-rama Splugen Pass between Switzerland and Italy that we've crossed by bus several times on previous trips, but much busier and with loads of construction.
Passo Gardena
Once in Selva we wandered aimlessly, walking up a random road, and soon finding ourselves at a small snack bar at the start of a trail. We stopped to watch two climbers high up on a nearby mountain inch their way to the top. Thanks, but no.
Selva
Selva
We continued our aimless wander, visiting a few areas we’d discovered last December which looked completely different sans snow. We eventually found ourselves on Trail #14 in the Val Vallunga, which looked to be a fairly busy area with walkers and bike riders. Here we logged a mere 3.2 miles before returning to Selva to seek out lunch before the witching hour, in this very-much-closed-for-the-season tourist town.
Val Vallunga
Area map
Val Vallunga
Trail #14
With the help of Google, we located an open restaurant, and made it there in time for pizza before it closed at 2:30 (Pizzeria Rino). Here we each had a pizza, but they were bigger than usual, we should have shared (€36.30 including drinks and €2 each coperto).
We watched in amazement as two young Asian women seated next to us consumed a large caprese salad, an entire pasta dish and all but two pieces of a pizza, plus an assortment of wine and beer. Not sure where they put it all.
Pizzeria Rino
Selva was sleepy, but the Eurospar was open for business; I enjoyed poking through the large, well-stocked store, where I picked up a few items to take home.
With time to spare before the next bus, we popped into the only other open establishment we could find, the heaving Cafe Des Alpes where we snagged the last open table and nursed an Aperol Spritz and a beer while we waited (€12.40).
There are only two direct buses to Colfosco from Selva per day, at least this time of year. We lucked into one of them, the 4:29 pm bus, so we didn’t have to change buses on the return to Colfosco.
Traffic on the pass came to a standstill as a dump truck driver reversed towards our bus on the single lane road and the cars in front of us quickly darted around the dump truck on the narrow strip of road. The driver of the dump truck stopped and had a rather lively exchange with our bus driver; not sure what that was about, but there was certainly nothing the bus driver could have done.
Passo Gardena
Passo Gardena
Passo Gardena
Evidently, October is maintenance season for hotels, restaurants, roads, etc.
To be continued...
Last edited by Melnq8; Nov 13th, 2024 at 05:01 AM.
Nov 13th, 2024, 05:17 AM
#56
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Love reading these last two installments this morning, as all of this is fresh in mind!
That bistro at the ski school (by the Borest/Colfosco lift stations) was just a block or two from our apartment and always quite busy. We walked by it a few times but somehow never stopped. We also took the walk out to Pisciadu falls. We'd intended to have lunch at Col Pradat but ended up missing that, too, as we started hiking and ended up on a long and challenging route from the top (trail 4, I think) to Rifugio Puez and then another down into the Vallunga. And of course we went up Boe -- mr_go went further up to Vallon, but it was very windy that day and I don't love open chairlifts on a still day, so i hiked up to and near the lake.
Once my work slows down for the year, I'll try to post a report and some of our photos.
That bistro at the ski school (by the Borest/Colfosco lift stations) was just a block or two from our apartment and always quite busy. We walked by it a few times but somehow never stopped. We also took the walk out to Pisciadu falls. We'd intended to have lunch at Col Pradat but ended up missing that, too, as we started hiking and ended up on a long and challenging route from the top (trail 4, I think) to Rifugio Puez and then another down into the Vallunga. And of course we went up Boe -- mr_go went further up to Vallon, but it was very windy that day and I don't love open chairlifts on a still day, so i hiked up to and near the lake.
Once my work slows down for the year, I'll try to post a report and some of our photos.
Last edited by ms_go; Nov 13th, 2024 at 05:48 AM.
Nov 13th, 2024, 05:41 AM
#58
Oct 2 -
We donned our winter/waterproof gear, stuffed fleece hats and mittens into jacket pockets and backpack, put the waterproof cover on the backpack, and walked the six minutes to the bus stop closest to our apartment.
A rainy day in the Dolomites means only one thing...find something to do indoors. So, we took bus 460 from Colfosco to Covara Col-Alt-Strasse, waited some 19 minutes in the rain, and then changed to bus 465 to San Cassiano - not for the (undoubtedly) stupendous views of the La Varella mountain, but to visit the Museum Ladin/Ursus Ladinicus, aka the museum of the cave bear, a journey of about 45 minutes including transfer time.
We got off the bus at the Strada Berto stop in San Cassino; confirming with the driver that we were at the right stop, as there was no display on the bus screen - again, and then walked some six minutes up to the museum.
We paid the €10.50 entry (for both, Bill at the senior rate), picked up audio guides, locked up our wet backpack and coats, and set about learning the story of the cave bear, a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago.
San Cassiano
San Cassiano - that closed road to Cortina d’Ampezzo
San Cassiano
The small museum was interesting enough, but the weather was still shite when we finished. Buses only run every hour from San Cassiano, so instead of walking through town and looking for lunch, we decided to make the one hour+ bus ride to Brunico/Bruneck, the largest town in the Val Pusteria, home to a Wednesday market at the town hall square (which we'd learned about from two equally soaked young women waiting in the rain for a bus in Colfosco that morning.)
So we took bus 465 from San Cassiano to the La Villa Stern Cultura House bus stop, crossed the street, waited seven minutes and then took 460 to Brunico/Bruneck.
We’d considered visiting the two churches in Badia, but were glad we didn’t as we saw one of them waaaay up on a hill above Badia as we drove through. Same with the Museum Ladin Caistel de Tor, for which we’d been offered a combined ticket at the Museum Ladin/Ursus Ladinicus. It was high up on a hill, and we had no idea how one would access it without a car.
St. Lorenzen bus stop on the way to Brunico/Bruneck
During the bus ride, the temperature went from 9c to 14c, and we arrived to...sunshine!
We had no idea where to get off the bus in Brunico, so we just got off when everyone else did, and found ourselves directly across the street from the town hall and the market.
We set about wandering the market, the wares consisting of mostly shoes, socks and purses. There was also a food stand selling grilled chicken, speck and cheese, and it smelled wonderful.
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
After the market, we poked around the lively historic center and wandered the narrow alleyways. This was my kind of town; lively, yet completely manageable (population ~17,000).
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
We decided to have lunch at Zum Goldenen Lowen on Stadtgasse (32), which was very busy. We snagged a table upstairs, which was uncomfortably warm. We shared a caprese salad (€15) and a Fuocosa pizza (spicy salami, peppers, onion, tomatoes €14) that wasn’t at all spicy, chased down with a beer for Bill and a glass of merlot for me, €40.50 total, no coperto. It was okay, nothing special.
Zum Goldenen Lowen
We wandered some more, popped into the very busy Stadtcafe for take-away gelato, a beautiful whisky cream and tiramisu for me, whisky cream and pistachio for Bill, lovely, €4 each for two scoops.
Brunico/Bruneck
Stadtcafe, this cutie was feeding her brother gelato
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
We eventually tore ourselves away and took a bus back to Colfosco, where we arrived to - sunshine!
Not wanting to let that sunshine go to waste, we spent the rest of the afternoon on our balcony.
Tomorrow is our last full day in Alta Badia, and we can only count on one thing; unsettled autumn weather.
To be continued...
We donned our winter/waterproof gear, stuffed fleece hats and mittens into jacket pockets and backpack, put the waterproof cover on the backpack, and walked the six minutes to the bus stop closest to our apartment.
A rainy day in the Dolomites means only one thing...find something to do indoors. So, we took bus 460 from Colfosco to Covara Col-Alt-Strasse, waited some 19 minutes in the rain, and then changed to bus 465 to San Cassiano - not for the (undoubtedly) stupendous views of the La Varella mountain, but to visit the Museum Ladin/Ursus Ladinicus, aka the museum of the cave bear, a journey of about 45 minutes including transfer time.
We got off the bus at the Strada Berto stop in San Cassino; confirming with the driver that we were at the right stop, as there was no display on the bus screen - again, and then walked some six minutes up to the museum.
We paid the €10.50 entry (for both, Bill at the senior rate), picked up audio guides, locked up our wet backpack and coats, and set about learning the story of the cave bear, a prehistoric species of bear that lived in Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago.
San Cassiano
San Cassiano - that closed road to Cortina d’Ampezzo
San Cassiano
The small museum was interesting enough, but the weather was still shite when we finished. Buses only run every hour from San Cassiano, so instead of walking through town and looking for lunch, we decided to make the one hour+ bus ride to Brunico/Bruneck, the largest town in the Val Pusteria, home to a Wednesday market at the town hall square (which we'd learned about from two equally soaked young women waiting in the rain for a bus in Colfosco that morning.)
So we took bus 465 from San Cassiano to the La Villa Stern Cultura House bus stop, crossed the street, waited seven minutes and then took 460 to Brunico/Bruneck.
We’d considered visiting the two churches in Badia, but were glad we didn’t as we saw one of them waaaay up on a hill above Badia as we drove through. Same with the Museum Ladin Caistel de Tor, for which we’d been offered a combined ticket at the Museum Ladin/Ursus Ladinicus. It was high up on a hill, and we had no idea how one would access it without a car.
St. Lorenzen bus stop on the way to Brunico/Bruneck
During the bus ride, the temperature went from 9c to 14c, and we arrived to...sunshine!
We had no idea where to get off the bus in Brunico, so we just got off when everyone else did, and found ourselves directly across the street from the town hall and the market.
We set about wandering the market, the wares consisting of mostly shoes, socks and purses. There was also a food stand selling grilled chicken, speck and cheese, and it smelled wonderful.
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
After the market, we poked around the lively historic center and wandered the narrow alleyways. This was my kind of town; lively, yet completely manageable (population ~17,000).
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
We decided to have lunch at Zum Goldenen Lowen on Stadtgasse (32), which was very busy. We snagged a table upstairs, which was uncomfortably warm. We shared a caprese salad (€15) and a Fuocosa pizza (spicy salami, peppers, onion, tomatoes €14) that wasn’t at all spicy, chased down with a beer for Bill and a glass of merlot for me, €40.50 total, no coperto. It was okay, nothing special.
Zum Goldenen Lowen
We wandered some more, popped into the very busy Stadtcafe for take-away gelato, a beautiful whisky cream and tiramisu for me, whisky cream and pistachio for Bill, lovely, €4 each for two scoops.
Brunico/Bruneck
Stadtcafe, this cutie was feeding her brother gelato
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
Brunico/Bruneck
We eventually tore ourselves away and took a bus back to Colfosco, where we arrived to - sunshine!
Not wanting to let that sunshine go to waste, we spent the rest of the afternoon on our balcony.
Tomorrow is our last full day in Alta Badia, and we can only count on one thing; unsettled autumn weather.
To be continued...
Last edited by Melnq8; Nov 13th, 2024 at 05:45 AM.
Nov 13th, 2024, 06:13 AM
#59
Oct 3 -
As mentioned earlier, we’d hoped to visit Cinque Torri and Cima Tofana (on the road to Cortina) from Colfosco, but the road construction made the main route impossible and the work around - the diversion via Corvara - Campolongo - Arabba - Pieve di Livinallongo - Passo Falzarego, was just too onerous, so we gave up.
We still had an opportunity to visit Cortina d’Ampezzo later in the trip from San Candido, so we weren’t too fussed.
We knew that traveling to the Dolomites would be tricky this time of year, but we prefer cold weather to hot, and fewer people to hordes...so when we woke to an epic fog right outside our window this morning, we took it all in stride.
It was a chilly 39F, so we put on our fleece lined pants and rain gear, walked down to the nearest bus stop and caught bus 472 to Arabba, a small village situated in the heart of the Dolomites, in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. It lies between the Pordoi and Campolongo passes, and is culturally Italian rather than neighboring Germanic SudTirol. It’s one of the main winter tourist centers of the Dolomites.
Colfosco bus stop
We were strictly limited by the bus schedule; we could either spend an hour in Arabba and catch the 11:32 am bus back, or commit to five hours and catch the 3:20 pm bus back.
One look at the place and it was a no-brainer; our prospects for hikes were bleak, many trails closed; and us not thrilled about hiking in the cold rain anyway.
I’d read that the first floor of the tourist office was open 24 hours a day and one could pick up maps, etc. We located the office, stuck our heads in, and were promptly shooed out by two people working there.
So, we wandered. We popped into the church, walked around a bit, dodged the now familiar off season road/hotel/resort construction, then hid from the relentless rain in the only open establishment in town, a restaurant near the bus stop, us the only customers, where we nursed a drink while waiting for the return bus.
Arabba church
Arabba church cemetery
We then took bus 472 to Covara, where we got off and settled into the only open restaurant, Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria in the Posta Zirm Hotel, right next to the bus station. This was the same place that had referred us to Salvan Pizzeria on our day of arrival.
As the only game in town, the restaurant was hopping. Here we had a really good lunch, Bill choosing the pork belly, me choosing the primavera pizza (€45 with .5 liter of wine and €3 coperto). At this rate I was going to turn into a pizza.
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
After lunch we walked all the way through Covara, just to confirm what we already suspected, that nothing else appeared to be open in this town of 1,369.
Covara
Covara, getting ready for winter
Covara
Another bus later and we were back in rainy Colfosco; where Bill was all too happy to settle in for an afternoon of reading curled up in bed.
It was just that kind of day.
Thoughts and Impressions:
We both really enjoyed Colfosco, despite the closures and weather challenges. There’s a load to do in this area and we barely scratched the surface. I’d envisioned us doing a lot of hiking here, but many trails are challenging and well outside of our comfort zone; I also think we were a bit worn down at this point, and Bill was dealing with a case of the creeping crud. We were talking about a return visit before we even left.
I’d hoped to explore the park right there in Colfosco, but never got around to it.
Similar to Sölden, this area seems to attract car clubs; we saw several, including Mustang, Porche, BMW, all following each other through town, drawn by all the mountain passes I assume.
This was also our favorite apartment, even though smaller than the others. It only lacked wine glasses. It was well laid out with lots of storage, had a balcony with fabulous views from the top floor (2) and a great shower. Our towels were changed once, the bed made twice and the dishes washed and put away twice. Perhaps the staff was bored. We had neighbors for first few nights, then had the place to ourselves. However, it might be a different experience when busy…or hot.
To be continued...
As mentioned earlier, we’d hoped to visit Cinque Torri and Cima Tofana (on the road to Cortina) from Colfosco, but the road construction made the main route impossible and the work around - the diversion via Corvara - Campolongo - Arabba - Pieve di Livinallongo - Passo Falzarego, was just too onerous, so we gave up.
We still had an opportunity to visit Cortina d’Ampezzo later in the trip from San Candido, so we weren’t too fussed.
We knew that traveling to the Dolomites would be tricky this time of year, but we prefer cold weather to hot, and fewer people to hordes...so when we woke to an epic fog right outside our window this morning, we took it all in stride.
It was a chilly 39F, so we put on our fleece lined pants and rain gear, walked down to the nearest bus stop and caught bus 472 to Arabba, a small village situated in the heart of the Dolomites, in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. It lies between the Pordoi and Campolongo passes, and is culturally Italian rather than neighboring Germanic SudTirol. It’s one of the main winter tourist centers of the Dolomites.
Colfosco bus stop
We were strictly limited by the bus schedule; we could either spend an hour in Arabba and catch the 11:32 am bus back, or commit to five hours and catch the 3:20 pm bus back.
One look at the place and it was a no-brainer; our prospects for hikes were bleak, many trails closed; and us not thrilled about hiking in the cold rain anyway.
I’d read that the first floor of the tourist office was open 24 hours a day and one could pick up maps, etc. We located the office, stuck our heads in, and were promptly shooed out by two people working there.
So, we wandered. We popped into the church, walked around a bit, dodged the now familiar off season road/hotel/resort construction, then hid from the relentless rain in the only open establishment in town, a restaurant near the bus stop, us the only customers, where we nursed a drink while waiting for the return bus.
Arabba church
Arabba church cemetery
We then took bus 472 to Covara, where we got off and settled into the only open restaurant, Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria in the Posta Zirm Hotel, right next to the bus station. This was the same place that had referred us to Salvan Pizzeria on our day of arrival.
As the only game in town, the restaurant was hopping. Here we had a really good lunch, Bill choosing the pork belly, me choosing the primavera pizza (€45 with .5 liter of wine and €3 coperto). At this rate I was going to turn into a pizza.
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
Taverna Restaurant Grill Pizzeria
After lunch we walked all the way through Covara, just to confirm what we already suspected, that nothing else appeared to be open in this town of 1,369.
Covara
Covara, getting ready for winter
Covara
Another bus later and we were back in rainy Colfosco; where Bill was all too happy to settle in for an afternoon of reading curled up in bed.
It was just that kind of day.
Thoughts and Impressions:
We both really enjoyed Colfosco, despite the closures and weather challenges. There’s a load to do in this area and we barely scratched the surface. I’d envisioned us doing a lot of hiking here, but many trails are challenging and well outside of our comfort zone; I also think we were a bit worn down at this point, and Bill was dealing with a case of the creeping crud. We were talking about a return visit before we even left.
I’d hoped to explore the park right there in Colfosco, but never got around to it.
Similar to Sölden, this area seems to attract car clubs; we saw several, including Mustang, Porche, BMW, all following each other through town, drawn by all the mountain passes I assume.
This was also our favorite apartment, even though smaller than the others. It only lacked wine glasses. It was well laid out with lots of storage, had a balcony with fabulous views from the top floor (2) and a great shower. Our towels were changed once, the bed made twice and the dishes washed and put away twice. Perhaps the staff was bored. We had neighbors for first few nights, then had the place to ourselves. However, it might be a different experience when busy…or hot.
To be continued...
Last edited by Melnq8; Nov 13th, 2024 at 06:17 AM.
Nov 13th, 2024, 01:34 PM
#60
Great update, Mel, it really highlights some of the ups and downs of these Dolomites bases.
The heat we endured in June was hard to tolerate, and of course, I’d chosen a long and shadeless trail on day 1, which made me less than popular.
I love Brunico, too, such a charming town and just the right size for ambling.
The heat we endured in June was hard to tolerate, and of course, I’d chosen a long and shadeless trail on day 1, which made me less than popular.
I love Brunico, too, such a charming town and just the right size for ambling.
