Help! Where to go after the Dolomites for a week in March??

Posted by joybehan on 12/29/22 06:11 PM

We are flying in and out of Milan on March 1-15 with our two kids (ages 12 and 9). Planning a week in Bolzano for skiing and sledge, but are stuck with what to do for the second week? We like to be active with hiking, paddling, horseback riding, hands on, cultural events and exploring - kids aren't at an age to appreciate just walking around a cool town. We'll have a car so don't mind driving a bit but would like to find another town to stay in that could be the jumping off point for day trips (don't want to switch hotels every few days). Any suggestions?

Thinking of hitting Leolandia for a day but where does one stay? Looks like its far from everything! Thanks so much!

Posted by NickB

Maryland

12/29/22 07:31 PM

910 posts

Bolzano is a lovely central location in the western Dolomites, but it will be a long daily trip to get to really good downhill skiing (Ortisei or Santa Christina in Val Gardena (60-90 min) , Castelrotto for the Alpi di Suisi/Seiser alm (45 minutes plus), etc. Or did you just mean the Bolzano area? There is a gondola up to the high meadows/villages from downtown Bolzano itself, but I have only hiked that area in the summer and didn't see any downhill skiing facilities. The other outdoor activities will require going a lot farther south to get out of the snow country. BUT, on the Alpi di Sissi there are lots of cross-country trails, horse drawn sleigh rides (sledges?). The Doiomites are in the province of South Tyrol so you may want to look around their website some too.

Hotel zum Wolf in Castelrotto is excellent.

https://www.hotelwolf.it/en/

https://www.seiseralm.it/en/holidays-in-the-dolomites.html

https://www.suedtirol.info/en

Posted by David

Huntsville, AL, USA

12/29/22 08:12 PM

8343 posts

Your trip is right at the end of the skiing season.

Let me just say I hope your kids are intermediate or advanced skiers. Many of the mountains in the region are steep and often very icy. The facilities are not usually as good as at the slopes in Colorado, Utah or California. But European skiers are often more advanced skiers than those in the U.S.

Posted by NickB

Maryland

12/31/22 03:16 AM

910 posts

With appropriate acknowledgment to David, he is right about most of the skiing (that I have done too) in the Dolomites as being intermediate or more challenging, But the Alpi di Siusi as high plateau has great wide runs that most advanced beginners and intermediate skiers can handle easily. Going slow makes them even easier. And it is a HUGE area, well connected by lifts so one could spend an entire week up there. Because it is all high the snow quality should be more even than on most runs that go from a peak down into a valley. The snow should last longer into late winter too.