Mountains that turn rose at dusk
Nothing prepares you for the Dolomites at sunset. As the light fades, the pale limestone glows pink, then violet — a phenomenon the Ladin people call enrosadira. UNESCO recognised these peaks as a World Heritage Site in 2009, and they remain among the most beautiful mountains on earth.
Under one lift pass, Dolomiti Superski links twelve valleys and around 1,200 kilometres of slopes. Yet the true luxury here is pace: a slow lunch on a sunlit terrace, a glass of Lagrein, and no reason to hurry.
“In Italy, the mountain is not conquered — it is savoured, one long lunch at a time.”
Cortina d'Ampezzo: the queen of the Dolomites
Cortina has been the Italian Alps' most glamorous address since it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, and it shares the 2026 Winter Games with Milan. The Corso Italia, its elegant pedestrian street, is lined with boutiques, historic cafés and the bell tower of the Basilica.
On the mountain, the Tofane, Faloria and Cinque Torri offer sweeping runs beneath vertical walls of rock, while the Lagazuoi rifugio serves one of the most spectacular lunches in the Alps.
Val Gardena, Bolzano and Cervinia
In Val Gardena, the Sellaronda circles the Sella massif in a single day on skis — four passes, four valleys, endless views. Bolzano, the gateway city of South Tyrol, blends Italian style with Austrian tradition, and its Christmas market is one of the region's finest.
To the west, Breuil-Cervinia sits beneath the Italian face of the Matterhorn, linked by lift to Zermatt. High altitude, wide sunny pistes and Aosta Valley cuisine make it a delightful counterpoint to its Swiss neighbour.
