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| THE DOLOMITES |
"The most beautiful architecture on earth." --Le Corbusier, Swiss Architect
The
Dolomites, with their impressive peaks, jagged ridges, rock
pinnacles, deep gorges, and steep rock faces, lie in the eastern
section of the northern Italian Alps. The highest point is Punta Penia (10,968 feet) in the Marmolada range—often referred to as the
“Queen of the Dolomites.” We recently spent a few days in May in
the Val di Fassa—home to this spectacular range.
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| VALLE DI FASSA |
Our
base was the village of Vigo di Fassa (pop. 1,256)—one of the
smallest of the seven municipalities in the valley. We arrived by bus
from Bolzano—a two-hour ride providing spectacular scenery and
dozens of hairpin turns as we rose 4,000 feet in elevation. We were
dropped off about four blocks from the Mason La Zondra, our apartment
for the next few nights. Although an uphill walk, the location was
convenient to the bus stop for our daily excursions.
We
chose to stay in Vigo because it was recommended by friends who
especially liked the cable car up to the Ciampedie Valley. It departs
from the town center. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to enjoy
the gentle hikes on top because the cable car was closed until June
1. As a matter of fact, most of the town of Vigo was closed in May;
we were lucky to even find a restaurant open. It seems that the
locals like to take vacation between the busy winter and summer
seasons.
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| AVISIO RIVER |
It
was still beautiful, and we could easily ride buses to the larger and
more active villages in the valley. We also loved the walks along the
Avisio River that flows through the valley. I enjoyed an early
morning hike to the historic Santa Giuliana church that is perched on
a hill overlooking Vigo.
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| CANAZEI |
The
ski and summer resort of Canazei (pop. 2,000) is located at one end
of the 20-mile long valley, easily accessible by bus and bike. The
village, with its colorfully decorated houses and old wooden barns,
is surrounded by the majestic Dolomites. It is home to the largest
ski area in Europe. Cable cars take you to the top and were operating
on the day we were there. It was well worth the ride up because it
provided one of the most spectacular and unforgettable mountain views
I've ever seen.
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| GIRO D' ITALIA |
We
didn't realize, until arriving in Italy, that the Giro d'Italia (Tour
of Italy) was passing through Val di Fassa while were were there. In
Europe, this 21-day bike race is second only to the Tour de France in
popularity, and it was celebrating its 100th Anniversary.
We
decided to head over to Canazei to see what takes place in a
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DECORATED PINK BICYCLES
100TH ANNIVERSARY GIRO D' ITALIA
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small
village that is honored with the Giros' Stage 17 finish line. When we
arrived, there were already four bands setting up and playing music
on this sun-filled morning. Flowers and decorated pink bicycles,
honoring the pink jerseys worn by the daily winners, adorned the
town. Vendors with food, beverages, and t-shirts lined the streets.
The “people watching” kept getting better as hundreds of people
descended upon the town to see the best bikers in the world roll in.
They began arriving about 4 p.m. after the completion of another
challenging day of pedaling 160 miles through the peaks and valleys
of the Italian Alps. They still had four days remaining before the
finish line in Milan.
Related Posts:
Castelrotto, Italy South Tyrol - July 2015
Haybaths, Dolomites, Northern Italy - July 2015
Merano, South Tyrol Italy - June 2017
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| RACERS DEPARTING CANZEI |
