We're both in our late 70s, healthy but creaky.. My husband will be in Florence in May and June and I'll join him by mid-June. We'e thinking of staying on for a week or 2 in July and would like to go some place not too hot and not too crowded. I keep reading that the Dolomites are beautiful, but we are not hikers. My husband, in particular, has bad knees. Would we be bored int he Dolomites if we're not hikers? Alternatively, would the Piedmont be too hot? Advice gratefully acxepted.
Posted by
SF
98 posts
We are headed back to the Dolomites for the third time in 4 years because it is so good for our souls. You'll be getting to them at the perfect time, just as every summer cable car/gondola goes into operation. My husband is 85, and we were traveling with a dog who had a severe heart condition. We all had a great time.
My husband has bad knees, back, and hips, and has a disability driving tag, so I designed our trips to be light on walking. While you are near Siusi and Ortisei, cable cars get you to the mountain tops. We sent to Alpe di Siusi first, used the bus system that runs through the Alpe all summer to get to a distant restaurant. Enjoyed a delicious lunch with a views unlike anywhere else in the world. We headed back to the hotels at Compatsch and had some very slow beer as we watched the sun start its evening descent. This year we are booked at a hotel that is up on the Alpe di Siusi which will reduce some of the walking but will also give us a chance to enjoy sunrises and sunsets after the cable car shuts down.
The cable car to Seceda was not operating (mechanical issue) while we were there so we took the cable car to Col Reiser one time, the next time we were there, we took the funicular that is west of Seceda. Both places had great views. We did some limited hiking but it would have been easy to just enjoy a lunch and then head back down.
On the other days, we took drives--down to the Marmolada Glacier and then we left to stay near San Candido, doing a late evening run to Lago di Braies, which was almost empty (less than 30 people and lots of parking. We packed picnics and found places to enjoy them and the view; the mountains are so incredible that we didn't do anything more than grocery shopping, but if you need to do that, there are opportunitities. Highly recommend Siusi as a base, we spent a few days there, two more near Ortisei and then a last night near San Candido, which is charming, after lunch in Cortina. You may be in San Candido for the choral festival that is a delightful June event (we've had friends sang there after our visit). The roads are not that difficult to drive--they are curvy but there are lots of great places to stop and it feels like every turn causes another moment of awe.
All of that said by folks who love the beauty of snow-capped mountains and the southwest deserts. We've enjoyed European cities but found so much peace in the beauty of the Dolomites. This time, I've extended our visit to 9 days, just because this time we will take the cable car to Seceda, no matter what and we will get to San Cassiano, which looks incredible. We know that we won't do a lot of hiking but the view from the cable car at Seceda will be one of the most incredible of our lifetime (if we haven't already seen it when we take the cablecar to the top of Lagazuoi).
And if that doesn't seem like an amazing place, let me recommend Lake Guarda and a stay on the peninsula of Sirimione, with time riding the boats that travel between the lakeside villages.
Posted by
Orinda, California, United States
338 posts
Thank you for this report. My husband had Covid while we were in Ortisei in 2024. I would love to go back and share the beauty of this area with him and do some hiking.