Dolomites for older adults

I highly recommend looking at some of the posts on this forum from Laurel Barton as well as the book Walking in Italy's Val Gardena by Laurel and her husband. They list lots of easy hikes that fit what you are looking for. They also have a links page for some guides and local organizations. I found this an extremely helpful and reassuring resource for planning an upcoming trip.

I got the book mentioned in the prior post and my 75 year old wife and I enjoyed 3 glorious days walking in the Dolomites based in Ortisei. I highly recommend the Hotel Grones. No tour company needed.

Thank you for the recommendations. I ordered the book on Amazon and now I need to get planning! Was it difficult to get to the hiking trails (buses, chairlifts etc)? We are trying to decide if we should rent a car or just use public transportation.

No need for rental car. You can access 3 different mountains from Ortisei by gondola or funicular. The book you ordered includes detailed information on how to get to and from each walk by public transportation. We took train to Bolzano and then hired car service for ride to Ortisei. There is also bus service from Bolzano to many towns in Dolomites.

Hi, we are both in our 70’s and have just spent 5 days hiking in Alpe di Siusi staying at Hotel Chalet Dolomites in Compatsch. Very easy to get to from Bolzano. We flew into Venice then took the train to Bolzano where we spent a couple of days. Bus 170 stops at Seis where the Cabinova di Siusi starts. From the top cable car station it’s an easy walk down the road to the hotel. Hiking on the Alpe is very easy as all the trails are numbered and sign posted. I would highly recommend Laurel’s book as it gave us many ideas to plan hikes plus the owners of the hotel have suggestions as well. We bought the Points card from the hotel which allowed us rides in the chairlift plus on the gondola. Definitely no need for a car. Today we are heading over to Ortisei for 4 nights at Hotel Grones.

Also in 70s and find it great for hiking. Simple logistically (another got for Barton book) and as we've been there a couple of times now, familiarity with his things go (signage, terrain, connections etc) we've been able to progress bro more complex hikes with few issues.

Thanks everyone for the props! I remain available for clarifying questions. Props to Rosemary for sending me updated info on one of the hikes we have not managed to review for a couple of years. So happy you are all enjoying the glorious Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi!

This is great information, as I will be traveling to the Dolomites next year. I am going to search for Laurel's book now.

There are trails and paths for all types of hikers. For now, try to see if there are good deals for hiking boots and hiking poles, if you don't already have these. It took me some time to find good boots, as I have problematic feet.

The culture in this region is very interesting, as it's more Austrian than Italian. Since you're traveling in July (school holiday season), be sure to book lodging by the end of Jan or Feb 2025. Europeans book their vacations very early, and often inns and apartments reserve rooms for their regular guests. I went there in Sept 2021 and was shocked to find that many places were fully booked way in advance, as some urban dwellers worked remotely from the mountains for months.

Hi,
My wife and I are also going to the Dolomites in early September. We are in our early 70's and want to do easier hikes (3-5 miles). While be bought the book that was suggestsed above, it did not have any info on the town of Cortina D'Amprezzo. Our overall tour guide recommends this town (Cortina). That's where they have their hotel connections, etc. Does anyone know of shorter hikes here. We will be without a car and so would like those hikes that have transportion, such as a chair lift to and from where the hike begins.
Lastly, we are somewhat interested in E bike rides. Hiking every day does tend to catch up with us, so it would be nice to vary our routine--as we do thruout the year. The problem is that the few Ebike tours we've seen last for 3 hours or more. I'm wondering if there are any tours or rentals where we could just bike for an hour or two. I don't even think it has to be a regular tour, since I would think we could find our way with good maps, etc. I guess the problem might be getting the bikes up into the mountain areas can take awhile by itself, thus adding to the overall time That is, unless there are some bike rentals shops up in the hills.
Lastly #2, we could go "off script" and find our own accomodations in Ortisei for 2-3 nites, and then proceed to Cortina D/Amprezzo for another 2 nites or so. After seeing the great descriptions of Ortisei, we are considering that. Does anyone have an opinion about that?
Thanks very much.
LNovik

Well, Ortisei is ideally situated for car-less hiking. We stayed there five years ago and never used our car once. I highly recommend Hotel Gardena Grodnerhof. They have a hiking guide for organized hikes a couple of times per week and all of the staff is very familiar with hiking trails for all levels. The Alpe di Siusi should be a perfect area for you; however, do not miss out on some of the surrounding ridge line hikes as it can be easy to do a relatively level trail and the. Simply return to the lift for a ride back to town.

We are doing Cortina this summer and my research on the hikes led me to rent a car there in order access the trails much quicker than by bus, which is still feasible. I do expect much more crowded hiking trails there however. There are easy trails there and many lift served options as well.

This ebike route may be just what you are looking for, remember the much of your time will be spent off bike so plan on about 1 hour of goofing around for every hour of active pedaling.

https://travellingsunglasses.com/cortina-dobbiaco-by-bike/