Pascal & Valérie describe their trip to the Dolomites in Italy.

In June we went to the Dolomites in Italy because is a good destination for bikers.

We drove and had our bikes on the trailer. The drive was too long. It took 9 hours to drive from home in France to Nova Levante. It rained the whole journey. We took the fastest route, which in Germany are the A8 and the A7 to Garmisch. There, we crossed the border into Austria and drove to Innsbruck and then crossed the border to Italy at the Brenner Pass. From there, we drove towards Bolzano.

We stayed in Nova Levante. It is a village near Bolzano and the Laggo di Carezza, about 40 km east of Bolzano. It is a very small village. You can eat and drink well there, go shopping, and it is a good base for day trips.

We stayed in Castle Latemar. It’s a small, family hotel, and it has a restaurant/pizzeria. It is good value for money, the rooms are comfortable and clean, and we had half-board. (Room, breakfast & dinner.)

During your holiday, we went on day trips.

We drove to the Falzarego Pass which is at an altitude of 2105 metres. It is a beautiful and curvy route. We saw the peaks of the Dolomites. There is a small chapel and a cable car. At the top is a war memorial from the First World War. We left the hotel at 10 am and arrived at the pass at noon. We had coffee and pastries. There is a small shop which sells souvenirs. The view of the mountains is spectacular. We returned to the hotel by 5 pm.

Another excursion was to the Laggo di Braies. It is about 100 km east of the hotel. It is a very beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains and is in a wide valley. We went for a walk and explored the place, which was also a film set for a film starring Terrence Hill. There was a horse stable, a boathouse and a chapel as well as a hotel for our traditional coffee and pastries.