Hello,
I am looking for the best home base for the Dolomites this summer. I am looking for the most scenic village with access to great hiking. My husband enjoys history, so perhaps seeing castles nearby. I stayed in Murren, Switzerland last summer and was blown away by the scenery. Something as scenic as Murren would be great! Originally, I looked into Val Gardena but I want to ask before booking. Any help is much appreciated!
Jennifer
Val Gardena is good. Look at Ortisei in Val Gardena
None of the towns are quite like Murren or Wengen which is a similar town there I stayed in.
The best towns IMO are in the valleys so lack the mountain type views from town.
Dolomites are a much larger overall area than the BO ; so where in Murren a car would not be used for the Dolomites a car is better.
Ortisei I think is your best bet
If you really prefer to be up in the mountains than you can stay in one of the resorts on the Alpe Di Suisi ; there is not really a town there though just an assortment of resorts and then reaching other areas may be a little more challenging.
In the BO the lifts are part of the public transit system or at least it feels like it ; in the Dolomites the lifts are lifts typical a mountain town would have and there is no public transit system to speak of. There is bus service but a car gives freedom to see much more.
Cortina on the other side of the Dolomites is another option but if I had to pick one it would be Ortisei which is in Val Gardena.
Not sure about Castles I am sure there are some on the outskirts but don't think any are in the heart of the mountain range area you would prefer to stay within. There is World War history sites right in the mountains and many into history go to the Dolomites for them. Those sites are definitely closer to Cortina.
in the Dolomites the lifts are lifts typical a mountain town would have and there is no public transit system to speak of. There is bus service but a car gives freedom to see much more.
mreynolds I respectfully disagree. Every hotel, B/B, and apartment in the Val Gardena provides guests with a bus pass for the duration of their visit. This is in an attempt to keep cars off the road adn make everything run smoothly. The buses take you to any of the lift stations in the 3 villages and all the way up to the Passo Sella -- beyond it if you desire -- and cover all the way to Bolzano. We have been going there each year since 2012 and never have had a vehicle. We take a bus or taxi from Bolzano to the village, then use the buses. Even people who drive there park their cars much of the time and use the very convenient buses. You cannot even drive in the Alpe di Siusi unless you are staying there and even then it is restricted.
The Val Gardena is a paradise for hiking of any level from super easy to doing a via ferrata. I have to say its popularity has grown enormously in the past few years so I hope it is not impacted as horribly as the Cinque Terre. Cars won't help, but at least there aren't any cruise ships.
Look also at the Alta Badia and if you really want to have a car, check out the area near Moso in the Sesto Dolomiti. Great hiking, less patronized by North Americans, and a car really helps there.
My comments were meant as a comparison to the Bernese Oberland area and staying in Murren which is just entirely different in that Murren is a village thousands of meters above any car parking lots so you cannot have a car there and are totally reliant on taking cable cars and similar to reach and get around.
The cable cars are not really just lifts for hikers/skiers/walkers but part of the public transit system in the Murren area so are required to run on constant schedules since these are actual towns.
Dolomites you may find more crowded now when you first started enjoying it which I am certain is true but overall a much less touristed area than the Bernese Oberland.
The Dolomites are so much larger as well that I find a car handy.
Yes there is bus service, and one could use that or one could leave Ortisei except for lifts but if the OP wants to venture off to see Castles and historic sites I think they would be much better off with a car and you can have a car most anywhere you stay in the Dolomites other than refugios which is different than say in Murren which is completely car free.
I believe you can drive up on the Alpe Di Suisi but only during certain hours even if not staying (early morning and evening only) ; if you are staying at a resort up there you can drive to or from the resort there at all hours on checkin/checkout day. Definitely cars are discouraged up there but it is not a totally car free alpine village. I mentioned that area is more remote feeling though, more so than Murren it is really not a village at all so advise Ortisei as it is kind of a mix between bigger than Murren/Wengen / smaller and more scenic than Interlaken.
It would be hard to find a village in the Dolomites that isn’t scenic. The scenery is stunning, but quite different from the Swiss Alps you see from Mürren. Think of jagged rocky peaks rising vertically from green meadows and forests; no snow-covered peaks or glaciers ( well, there is one, but you cannot see it from most places).
I love the views up on Alps do Siusi, but also from villages in Val Gardena ( we stayed in Santa Cristina) and Alta Badia (we stayed in Colfosco.
There are lifts going up almost everywhere; many more than you find at Mürren. Lots of opportunities to ride up ( or hike up), have lunch at a hut along the way, and then ride down on a different lift.
I am attracted to this place and would love to stay there next time:
http://www.chalet-gerard.com/en/fotogallery.htm
A car would be necessary.
The Dolomites are so scenic! Not the same as around Murren, but we have really enjoyed staying for several days and returning to both locations. A nice positive - your money will go farther in The Dolomite region than Switzerland.
We’ve been to both the Berner Oberland and the Dolomites and I agree with others that Ortisei is the favorite for the Dolomites. You could also stay at a hotel up on the Alpe di Siusi, but then you basically only have that hotel for your choice of food. It’s pretty remote up there.
For your first trip there I would concur with the other posters here who recommend Ortisei. Gondola directly from town straight up to the Seiser Alm, which is some of the best hiking/walking in the area. If you stay in one of the hotels up on the Seiser Alm (which I would HIGHLY recommend) you can buy 1/2 board which will provide both breakfast and dinner. Most of them will pack you a lunch as well or you can eat out on the trail at a refugio or one of the other hotels up there. My favorite refugio to eat at is the Rauchhutte - a very old refugio that serves amazing food with a direct view on the Langkoffelgruppe of peaks.
Our other favorite place in the Dolomites to hike is around the Drei Zinnen massif - such a stunning group of peaks and you can hike all the way around them in a day.
Loved Ortisei this past September. 3 Lifts/funiculars up the mountains. Easy transportation via bus from Bolzano. Also once in Ortisei we had easy bus service to Santa Cristina and Selva just up the road.
Thank you all for taking the time to provide your feedback. My husband and I will be traveling by train and will not have a car. We have yet to rent a car in Europe with our trips. Your advice about the buses & ideas of where to stay was helpful. Thank you!!
