I traveled to Italy in September 2025 to hike the Alta Via 1 trail, which is located in the northern part of the country, in the Dolomites. While there, I spent 8 days hiking the Alta Via 1 and spent some time exploring other attractions around Cortina, Val Gardena, and Milan. This was predominantly a hiking trip – I’d love to return to Italy to experience other highlights of the country.
Italy BlogRoll
Hiking Tre Cime di Lavaredo
In late September, the author explored the Dolomites, in Northern Italy, for two weeks, hiking the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Despite initial concerns about crowds, the scenic loop hike offered stunning views. The experience was enhanced by frequent visits to mountain rifugios for sweet treats, making the hike an unforgettable introduction to Italy’s alpine beauty.
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Hiking the Alta Via 1: Lago Braies to Fanes
The Alta Via 1 is a notable 120km hiking trail in Italy’s Dolomite mountains, renowned for its infrastructure and accessibility. The author recounts a hiking trip with a friend, highlighting challenges with hut bookings, elevation gains, and friendly encounters with other hikers. The experience combines adventure, stunning views, and camaraderie.
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Hiking the Alta Via 1: Fanes to Averau
Welcome back to my trail report series on the week I spent hiking the Alta Via 1 in the Italian Dolomites. Last week I posted about the start of the trail and the first 20km of hiking between Lago di Braies and Rifugio Fanes. On Day 3, we left Fanes in the early morning to start our hike up to…
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Hiking the Alta Via 1: Averau to Coldai
After a fun night at Averau, we decided to start Day 5 with a hike up to Rifugio Nuvolau, which is the oldest rifugio on the Alta Via 1. You can see Nuvolau from Averau, so it’s only an extra 1km of hiking, though it does add an extra 175m of elevation gain. We left our packs at Averau and…
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Hiking the Alta Via 1: Coldai to Belluno
After 6 days of hiking the Alta Via 1, we still had 1.5 days to go, but it definitely started to feel like the trip was winding down. We had 6 days of incredible sunny weather, but it was due to shift and there was a rainstorm moving in on Day 7. This caused me and Kristine to have to…
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Hiking Seceda
In September 2025, the author spent 2 weeks hiking the Dolomites, exploring highlights in Val Gardena. Staying in Ortisei, she enjoyed the Seceda hike, which offered stunning views and a mix of trails, culminating in a rewarding 10.5km loop adventure.
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Hiking Alpe di Siusi
The author visited Ortisei, taking the opportunity to hike the Alpe di Siusi, a popular area in Val Gardena. It’s a beautiful high altiture plateau, easily accessible from Ortisei.
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A Day in Milan
After hiking in the Dolomites, the author spent a day in Milan before returning to Canada. Although traveling solo, they enjoyed iconic sights like the Duomo, indulged in local cuisine, and appreciated Milan’s fashion scene during Fashion Week. The day included visiting historical churches and museums, concluding their Italian adventure.
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The Road Goes Ever On 