Price - Walking in the Dolomites: 25 multi-day routes in Italys Dolomites (International Walking)

The marvellous outlook from Forcella Lagazuoi (Walk 8)

The magnificent Dolomite mountains offer an extraordinary array of landscapes. There are high-altitude lunar-like plateaus, where adventurous walkers are dwarfed by soaring peaks, crazy spires and breathtaking sheer walls. At lower levels, dense evergreen and deciduous forests are to be found, then alpine meadows that become gorgeous seas of wildflowers in summer quintessential Sound of Music settings to delight nature lovers. The underlying valleys are dotted with village resorts, easy to reach and well geared to the needs of visitors.

A fantastic network of signed paths lead out of the villages and valleys, snaking over ridges to link up mountain refuge huts in spectacular settings. These welcoming huts provide excellent meals and comfortable overnight accommodation, enabling walkers to embark on an extended journey through nature, culture and history.

Todays network of paths owes a great deal to the part played by the Dolomites in World War I and the conflict between the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire and the fledgling republic of Italy. On invitation from the Allies with the promise of adding South Tyrol and Trieste to its territory Italy entered the conflict in May 1915, thus the dates of World War I are referred to in Italy as 191518. Due to its location, the Dolomites area became a war zone, and the borders were contested by many hard-fought battles along snowbound high-altitude mountain crests and on glaciers. Military mule tracks were constructed to supplement existing shepherds paths for supply and accessibility, and they comprise a significant part of the network of pathways today. Remains of fortifications, trenches, twisted barbed wire and even the occasional rusty tin can and boot sole are still scattered alongside paths, poignant reminders of the folly that saw more soldiers perish under avalanches and from the terrible cold in this harsh environment than through actual combat.