My fiancé and I are planning our honeymoon for this June in Northern Italy. We'll spend our first 3 nights in Lake Garda and then move onto to 4 nights in Santa Cristina, Valgardena. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of other must see areas to see in the Dolomites or other small charming towns in Northern Italy? We hope to go to Molveno for at least a day trip after our stay in Santa Cristina, but then are deciding where to go from there for the next 3 or 4 days of our trip before we have to fly out of Milan. I'm tempted to take him to Assisi or Cinque Terre since I've been there and loved both, but wondering if it'd be more relaxing to stay up north? We definitely want to find some towns that will give us a true Italian feel before heading home. Any suggestions in the Dolomites or small towns like Padua, Parma, Modena, etc. would be wonderful. I'm a foodie and he's a mountain sight seeker..so we're trying to find a balance of both with avoiding larger cities.
Posted by
Green Bay
21224 posts
small towns like Padua
Not exactly a small town, but a historic university town with lots of foodie items and culture, especially the Scrovegni Chapel.
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8339 posts
Let me just say the most beautiful place I've ever seen is a valley on the south side of the Grossglockner High Alpine Highway. It's northeast of Lienz, Austria which is just north of the Italian border.
The Grossglockner is a must see road. And there are incredible bed and breaksfast accommodations all over those mountains. I like the Dolomites, but I love the Austrian Alps and Tirol.
Posted by
Green Bay
21224 posts
The view of the Sella Massif from Santa Cristina is my favorite.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11799 posts
It is good you have 4 nights in the Val Gardena. Totally worth that as a minimum. You will not want to leave!
As you want a “true Italian feeling” and I imagine the marvelous food we love in Italy, heading to Padua seems like a good idea. Not only is it a fine base, but you can easily day trip to Venice or Vicenza and it is easy to get to Milan, although you will probably need to spend the night before your flight in Milan.
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1638 posts
Not sure if you are familiar with the history of the region : it was part of the Austro Hungarian Empire before WWI. So, the Dolomites has an "alternative" Italian feel.
Posted by
Minnesota, Wisconsin & Italy
104 posts
If you would like to visit another small town in the Dolomites, consider Dobbiaco located in the breathtaking Val Pusteria. It is even more picturesque than Santa Cristina in my opinion and has a number of great restaurants. Dobbiaco is also next to San Candido, which is another lovely town you can visit. Lago di Dobbaico is also nearby, as well as Tre Cime di Lavaredo if you want to embark on more hikes. You can find out more here: https://throneandvine.com/lago-di-dobbiaco-toblacher-see/ Hope you have an amazing honeymoon with perfect weather!
Posted by
Seattle, WA
17563 posts
I too am a fan of Santa Cristina. We book a room with balcony and direct view of Sassolungo.
For a small town with “ true Italian feel” you have to get out of the mountain villages of the Dolomites. I suggest Bassano del Grappa for the Palladio bridge (now rebuilt), but not much visited by tourists. Or hilltop Asolo, with lots of history:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asolo
The villages of Cinque Terre are too crowded to be relaxing, and all the good lodging there is probably booked up. Plus it is a long way south. If you want water, choose a lake closer to Milan, such as Lago di Garda or Lago di Como. There are tourists there too, but not as concentrated in any one village.
Posted by
Pleasant Hill, CA, USA
473 posts
My wife will be in the town over from yours in the dolomites Selva. This will be our second time visiting that region. You will love it. This time we’re staying for a whole week at the Hotel Sun Valley.