(A multi-part recap of my mid-April to early May Italy trip.)
You're about to see mountains.....lots of mountains. On the sixth day of my Italy trip I awoke in the Italian-Bavarian town of Bolzano, gateway to the Dolomites. On tap for today, my tour had planned a morning trip to see some of these mighty peaks.
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| Tiny mountain village |
After a hot, fitful night of sleep in our stuffy hotel room, I awoke with major congestion from the cold I'd come down with the day before. Lucky for me, I'd packed a couple boxes of my favorite over-the-counter cold remedies. (I'd learned my lesson after being sick in Switzerland and discovering European countries don't carry American brand cold medicine.) So after downing some Mucinex, I donned a mask (gotta protect the others from catching my crud!) and followed my buddy Kim downstairs for breakfast.
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| The mighty Dolomites! |
After breakfast (where I quarantined myself at a far table) Kim and I returned to our room to get ready for the day's bus trip to the mountains. Grabbing a small daypack from an adjacent table, I set it on my bed to put some items inside. Underneath my bag I noticed about two dozen ants crawling on the bedspread. Where did they come from? It appeared they were all over my daypack. Looking around the table I spotted more ants crawling on its surface and the floor. What in the world?
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| Impressive mountain views out the bus window |
Kim immediately called the front desk to complain. When she wasn't able to convey the problem over the phone (there seemed to be a language barrier) she went downstairs for an in-person conversation. The result - our hotel offered to give us a different room. However, since there wasn't another room available that morning, we had to pack up our all our stuff, move it out of our current room, and leave it at the front desk for the day. A huge inconvenience, but neither Kim nor I wanted to stay in a room full of ants. Maybe our new room would have air conditioning?
We were both a bit surprised by the ant issue. Compared to where we'd stayed in Venice, this was a very upscale hotel, and had otherwise seemed very modern and clean. They even had a plate of apple strudel next to the front desk for the guests!
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| Closed ski slope has just a dusting |
Kim and I had scramble a bit to get everything crammed back into our suitcases, but we were able to make it in time to meet our group for the day's tour. Loading back into the bus, I again masked up to prevent anyone from catching my cold. Then after another "andiamo" from our main guide (MG) bus driver Pino whisked us away from Bolzano toward the mountains.
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| View from Alpe di Siusi |
After driving through a deep valley and following a large river for several miles, our bus finally turned off onto a smaller highway. This narrow, winding road gained elevation rapidly, propelling our bus higher and higher. I developed an immediate appreciation and admiration for our bus driver, as navigating all those tight turns didn't look easy.
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| Group photo in the meadow |
Our first destination was the "Alpe di Siusi" a famous high altitude alpine meadow, and the largest alpine meadow in Europe. Later in the summer its slopes were resplendent with a carpet of wildflowers. But late April was shoulder season in the Dolomites. It was still cold at these higher elevations, so the flowers wouldn't be blooming yet. The ski slopes were closed, but patches of snow still lingered, preventing access to hiking trails. During the transition months between winter skiing and summer hiking, most resorts were closed. With that in mind, I wasn't sure exactly what we'd encounter.
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| Ski area lifts |
As our bus climbed towards this famous meadow, I began to notice a series of tall, jagged peaks rising from the valleys. Composed not of granite, but carbonate rocks formed from the remains of ancient seabeds, the Dolomites were known for their lighter colors and unique shapes. They were quite impressive mountains, and I tried in vain to snap some phone photos out the bus window.
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| Local church - Chiesa di San Francesco |
After an extremely slow climb up a very narrow, winding road (again I was so impressed with our bus driver for attempting this route!) our group arrived at a the tiny ski village of Compatsch. Here was where we'd get to explore a small part of the Alpe di Siusi. After deboarding the bus, everyone gathered in a nearby meadow with great views of some nearby peaks.
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| More views of the slopes |
Although the weather was sunny, it was quite chilly and a bit windy outside. Of course that didn't deter any of my tour-mates, and we all proceeded to take copious photos of the lovely mountains framing this meadow. Then the MG pointed towards a rustic mountain church and an area of ski slopes and chairlifts. I followed MG as they walked over to check it out. As we walked, the guide asked why my friends and I had left the restaurant before dessert at the previous night's group dinner. Apparently the owner wasn't happy we'd left early. I explained that Kim couldn't have the dessert and I wasn't feeling well. Little did I know it at the time, but I suspect this premature dinner exit put us on bad terms with our MG.
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| Selfie with a skier |
But at the time, I brushed off the MG's comments. There were epic mountain views to capture with my camera! Even in this off season it was still pretty. The Dolomite's pale gray spires were fantastic - each peak had such an unusual shape. Many of the mountains were still capped with snow. The broad alpine meadows below were beginning to turn green. And someone even spied a few purple and white crocuses pushing up through the soil.
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| Very impressive mountain peaks |
I noticed several ski lifts ringing the nearby meadow. Apparently skiing was popular here in the wintertime. There was also a gray, weathered building with an unusual spire, which I learned was the Chiesa di San Francesco, the local town church.
This little town was about a 2 hour drive from Cortina, one of the main sites of the recent 2026 Winter Olympics. Some of the Olympic events were held in scattered locations throughout the Dolomite mountains. As a matter of fact, the biathlon competitions were held not far from Bolzano itself.
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| Memorial bench |
Oh how I would've loved to see this place in the winter and go skiing on its trails. I guess that just means I need to plan a return trip.
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| Lotti feels right at home! |
After we'd all had ample time to wander around the meadows and gape at the mountains, it was time to reboard the bus for the second activity in our morning tour, a trip to the nearby village of Kastelruth. So back down the windy switchbacks of the narrow mountain road we went.
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| Heading back down the windy road |
Kastelruth was only a short drive from Compatsch. Entering one of the main streets of the town, I noticed a tall, pink church spire dominating the village skyline. This was the bell tower of the Campanile di Caselrotto, a local church. The tower had the distinction of being one of the tallest steeples in the region. Nine bells were located inside, and these bells were known locally for having the most beautiful peals in the area.
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| Church bell tower in Kastelruth |
After unloading from our bus once again, the MG gave us a brief orientation before turning us loose for a couple of hours to explore the town. Naturally, most of us headed uphill towards the steeple to check out the church first.
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| It felt like I was in Germany instead of Italy |
Kastelruth (also known as Castelrotto in Italian) was an adorable Bavarian village. This was a town where German was spoken first, and then Italian. It did feel like I was in Germany or Switzerland instead of Italy. The buildings were pastel-colored and painted with Germanic-themed decor. Charming metal signs hung above shop doors. It's alpine cuteness factor was off the charts.
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| Huge peaks dominate the Kastelruth skyline |
I was happy we had good weather that day to see the massive mountains that surrounded Kastelruth. They rose from the valley in every direction you looked. What a beautiful setting for this alpine village!
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| View of the Campanile di Castelrotto |
On the backside of the town church was a large cemetery. It was beautifully landscaped with colorful flowers and intricate metal crosses marked each gravesite. The cemetery reminded me of one I'd seen in Zermatt, Switzerland.
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| Kastelruth cemetery |
The mountains rose in the distance, giving the deceased and their surviving family members some great scenic views. If you had to die, this was a good final resting place.
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| This pretty alpine cemetery reminded me of one I saw in Switzerland |
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| Decorative cross |
From the cemetery, my friends and I wandered up to the piazza in front of the large, pink Campanile di Castelrotto. We I tried to tour the inside of the church, but found the doors tightly locked. So we continued onward towards the business area of town.
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| The main church in town - Campanile di Castelrotto |
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| Bavarian paintings on this building's exterior |
There was so much to see in this cute village! The buildings were decorated with Bavarian themes, and the nearby shops sold all sorts of interesting items. An outdoor rack of colorful Edelweiss-decorated slippers caught my eye - and I almost bought a pair.
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| Interesting metal signs for many businesses |
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| Edelweiss slippers |
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| This bakery had pretzels for sale |
The local bakery had fresh pretzels displayed in their front window. These were also tempting.
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| Rubber boots repurposed for flower planters |
I loved how one business had repurposed old rubber boots, hanging them on their outer wall and using them as flower planters.
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| A very charming village! |
Kim, Debbie and I wandered around the town for a half hour before we all were in need of a coffee break. Although the meds were keeping my cold at bay, a hot drink sounded really good.
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| Time for a cappuccino and croissant |
So we found a local coffee shop and each ordered a cappuccino. Of course I couldn't pass up a fresh, chocolate-filled croissant that called to me from the display case.
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| Nice time for a coffee break! |
It was nice to take a break from walking around and enjoy a bit of the local scene. The coffee and croissant were delicious too!
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| The church was open, so I explored the interior |
After we'd finished our cappuccinos, Kim and Debbie went to check out more shops, while I decided to head back to the piazza by the church, which was our tour meeting point. Arriving a few minutes early, I decided to go try the church door one more time. To my delight, this time it opened.
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| It was a beautiful house of worship |
Campanile di Castelrotto's interior was absolutely stunning. The walls were painted several pastel shades, and embellished with colorful paintings. The wooden pews and confessionals were beautifully carved and polished until they shined. The floor tiles were laid out in a colorful diamond shaped pattern.
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| The main altar |
The main altar was just as ornate. Marble columns framed the altar. Beautiful statues and metal candle holders decorated the area. Gold accented everything.
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| Looking towards the entryway |
Although it was a fast and furious tour, I was glad I'd had a chance to peek inside this gorgeous building.
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| Lotti and I went to church |
But our time in Kastelruth had drawn to a close. Our group reunited back at the church piazza and followed our MG back to the bus.
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| Scenic bus stop |
On our way out of town, the driver pulled over at an especially scenic viewpoint and invited us all to get out and take some photos. The jagged mountain peaks of the Dolomites dominated the skyline. It was a great view of these mighty mountains. Too bad the sun was at a terrible angle, otherwise this would have been a definite Kodak moment. Of course, I took a photo anyway. Bad light or not, when would I ever be back here?
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| The landscape reminds me of Switzerland |
Back in Bolzano once again, Kim and I were happy to find that the hotel had our new room ready, and had already placed our suitcases inside. This room was a tiny bit bigger and - wahoo - had air conditioning!
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| Another pizza lunch |
After all our morning wanderings, my friends and I were hungry. Seeing a couple tour-mates, Ward and Sally from Kentucky, we joined them at a table outside the hotel for lunch. Kim, Debbie, and I split two large pizzas. They were delicious but way too much food, even for the three of us.
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| Riding the cable car to Oberbozen |
Our tour had the afternoon free to further explore the area around Bolzano. Since the nearby mountains were too snowy for any high-elevation hikes, someone suggested taking a cable car from downtown Bolzano to the town of Oberbozen, a tiny touristy alpine village located on a plateau high above the city.
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| Waiting in line |
The five of us - Kim, myself, Debbie, Ward and Sally all thought this was a great idea. After a bit of wandering we located the lower cable car terminal and got in line. I snapped this selfie of my friends and I as we waited for our ride, me modeling my oh-so-fashionable face mask (I was trying hard to not spread the plague.)
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| Away we go! |
Fortunately at midday there wasn't much of a line, and in no time our group was ushered into one of several cherry red cable cars that whisk tourists and locals alike up to Oberbozen. The lift itself reminded me of the ones I'd used at some of the larger ski resorts.
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| Beautiful scenery from the cable car |
The ride itself took about 12 minutes. It didn't take long before our cable car had cleared the city of Bolzano and was ascending steeply up a green mountainside. The view below was gorgeous - vineyards, small villas, a church steeple, and the snow-capped peaks of the Dolomites far in the distance.
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| Lush mountain slopes |
Traveling further up the mountain, the city buildings gave way to charming alpine farmsteads tucked into the meadows. And more views of those stunning Dolomites.
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| Quaint hotels |
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| There goes the other cable car |
Soon, the buildings of Oberbozen came into view. The onion-shaped dome of its church, a local landmark, rose prominently above the skyline.
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| Coming in to Oberbozen |
Known as "Upper Bolzano" by some of the locals, Oberbozen was a popular summer retreat used by locals and tourists alike to escape the heat of the valleys below. The largest town on the Renon Plateau, hiking trails fanned out from here in all directions. The other big attraction was the historic Ritten Railway that connected the small villages of the plateau.
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| Wall of mountains |
Stepping off the cable car into Oberbozen, my friends and I decided to try and find a scenic overlook to photograph the beautiful mountains we'd seen on our ride up. Surely there was someplace with a view? Our group followed the first street we came upon. It had a few restaurants and small hotels, so we figured this must be the main drag. We walked for about a half mile, but there were no views. Buildings on the road's downhill side blocked most of the mountain vistas.
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| Picturesque hotel in Oberbozen |
Finally Ward and I walked uphill about a block to the top of a nearby parking garage, where we were able to get some partial mountain views. Not great, but it would have to do for now.
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| Church in Oberbozen with distinctive dome spire |
Then the five of us returned back to the cable car station, and from there we walked up a very steep street to check out the local church. It was a pretty building with an unusual domed steeple, but the church itself was locked tight. And even though it was located atop a small hill, nearby homes blocked any mountain views. Foiled again!
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| On the train to Collalbo |
Wandering back to the cable car station a second time, my friends and I noticed the train tracks for the Ritten Railway. A train had just arrived, passengers were unloading, and it appeared to be readying for a return trip. No one knew for sure exactly where the train traveled, and the tourist information office was closed, so we couldn't ask them. Should we just jump aboard and find out? Consensus was - why not? There didn't appear to be much going on in Oberbozen anyway.
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| Magnificent mountain views from the train |
So all five of us piled onto one of the train cars. Stationing myself next to a window, camera in hand, I was hoping for some pretty scenery on our trip.
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| More jagged peaks |
My hopes were answered in a big way. As we pulled away from the station, the train left Oberbozen behind and began passing through a lovely forest. Then we came out of the trees into a stunning green meadow, and there in the distance were a wall of light gray Dolomite peaks.
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| Huge wall of mountains |
Oh it was such a scenic train ride! The mountain views were nonstop. We passed by bucolic farms framed by tall, snowy-speckled mountains. The train made brief stops at a few charming alpine villages. The weather couldn't have been more perfect, framing all this scenery with blue skies and puffy clouds.
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| Coming in to Collalbo |
This amazing scenic ride took about 20 minutes and ended at a tiny village called Collalbo. This was the end of the line, so my friends and deboarded to see what this place had to offer. Adjacent to the train station was a small restaurant with outdoor seating, so we pulled up a table and decided to enjoy a drink and snack.
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| Debbie finds Aperol spritz gelato! |
The restaurant menu was a bit meager. But they did have gelato, and to Debbie's delight, one of the flavors offered was Aperol spritz.
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| Lotti enjoys some gelato |
Of course, I had to try the gelato too, and got scoops of two different flavors. When the waitress asked if I wanted whipped cream, I thought why not? In the states, add-ons such as whipped cream were usually free. However, little did I know that wasn't the case in Italy. Later upon paying my bill, I discovered I'd been charged an extra euro for this indulgence. Oh well, I was on vacation!
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| Mountain views from the town |
My friends and I spend a relaxing hour or so sitting in the outdoor dining area, taking in the adorable Bavarian town of Collalbo. The nearby homes were tidy villas with cute alpine accents. Nearly every yard was landscaped with beautiful flowers. I spied a few mountains peeking between the rooftops and took a quick walk down a nearby street to see if I could get a better view.
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| Steep path through Callalbo |
The views weren't any better down the street, but it was fun to look at all the immaculately landscaped yards. One house even had a family of gnomes on their lawn.
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| Lotti found a goat statue |
Afternoon was fast dragging into evening. I was a bit concerned the train would stop running soon, and didn't want to get stuck in this tiny berg overnight. Our refreshments now consumed, my friends and I walked over to the train station to check the schedule. To my relief, the posted timetable confirmed this train service continued well into the evening.
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| All aboard for Oberbozen! |
However, we were all ready to return to Oberbozen, so when the next train arrived, my friends and I hopped inside.
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| Ready for our return trip |
On the initial trip to Collalbo, I'd been taking photos through the train window, which sometimes didn't work well, due to sun glare on the glass. This time I found one of the train's windows was open, so I quickly commandeered the adjacent seat.
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| I had fun taking more photos on the return train ride |
Taking pictures through an open window, without the glass glare to deal with, made all the difference. As our train chugged back towards Oberbozen, I snapped away like a madwoman, capturing all the same landscapes as before, but this time in better light and without interference. So please enjoy this next series of images. (I warned you there would be lots of mountains in this post!)
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| The scenery was fantastic |
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| The train ride was the best way to see all the mountains |
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| Great day for a train ride |
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| One of the cute towns we passed through |
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| Lots of spring greens |
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| A lovely farm |
Little did I know at the time, but taking the train ended up being the best way to see all the fabulous Dolomite views from the Renon Plateau. Riding the Ritten Railway had been a great decision.
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| Train crossing! |
Upon returning to Oberbozen, Ward and Sally decided they'd had enough of the upper plateau and decided to head back to Bolzano. Parting ways at the cable car station, Kim, Debbie and I walked towards the main business area of town to see if there was any more action.
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| There goes the train! |
We found there wasn't much more than a few hotels and some small restaurants. After our afternoon snack in Collalbo we weren't ready for more food yet. So after a quick spin around this area, we decided to find a restroom and head back down.
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| Lotti wants to go to this festival! |
Unfortunately, there weren't any public restrooms to be found, so we three ladies not-so-patiently waited for the next cable car, hoping there was a WC at the lower station.
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| Views from the cable car ride back to Bolzano |
The downhill ride on the cable car was just as impressive as the uphill trip. I marveled at the patchwork quilt pattern of cultivated fields from the farms below. Truly the best views and scenery could be found from the cable car!
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| There goes the opposing cable car! |
After landing back in Bolzano, and finding to our relief that the lower station did indeed have restrooms, we three ladies headed back to our hotel. By now, well past 7 o'clock, it was time to find a spot for dinner.
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| Dropping into town |
We walked several blocks throughout Bolzano's main drag, but the three of us had a hard time deciding where to eat. Debbie wanted a place that served alcoholic beverages, Kim wanted food that met her dietary restrictions, and I was just hoping for some good German sausages.
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| Dinner in the same restaurant |
After all that walking and searching, we ended up at the same place we'd eaten lunch at the day before. But the food had been good, so we decided, why mess with success? While Kim and Debbie ordered pasta, I couldn't pass up a large combination meal featuring goulash, potatoes, dumplings, and a huge coil of sausage on top.
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| Love this! |
After filling our bellies, Debbie, who has a knack of finding Irish pubs wherever we travel, located one several blocks away. Of course we had to continue our Irish pub tradition, so my friends and I stopped by for a Guinness nightcap. The place was packed, but a group of very nice young people gave up one of their tables for us. And our waiter was such a wonderful and helpful man - he even offered to take several photos of the three of us. It was a great experience, drinking beer at an Irish pub in German-speaking Italy!
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| Debbie found us an Irish pub |
But by 9 o'clock, my cold medicine was fast wearing off and my illness rearing its ugly head. Time to head back to our hotel and get some shut-eye. Tomorrow was another travel day, We'd bid Germanic Bolzano farewell and head to our next destination - scenic Lake Como.
Coming soon in my next post!
