We arrived to Ortisei on Tuesday evening so our first real view of the Dolomites was Wednesday…and to say it took my breath away would be an understatement! It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Take a look!

We took a short hike on Wednesday to the Resciesa hut for lunch. A funicular did the heavy lifting, taking us up to about 6,500 feet. From there we climbed a few hundred feet, then enjoyed a mostly level walk to our destination.

Dotted across the mountain plateaus and meadows are huts (aka rifugios / huttes) that offer hot meals, drinks, and desserts. Their specialty: Tyrolean fare which has a strong German/Austrian influence. Think goulash, dumplings, cabbage, and Apple strudel. It’s all very delicious and perfect fuel after a long hike…or even a short one, in our case. The best part – gazing out at the gorgeous Dolomite mountains while you enjoy a bite.

You can also stay overnight at many of them. We met a lot of people who were hiking hut-to-hut for a few days, which I’d love to do with the girls someday.

Since we got our feet wet with this first hike, we were ready for a bigger adventure on Thursday…and boy, did we ever have one. Our hike in the Alpe di Suisi requires its own post, so look for that one soon. Ciao ciao for now!