Samantha Runkel’s Ski Field Notes from the Dolomites
Courtesy of Samantha
Field Notes are firsthand travel recommendations for and by our ECT Clubhouse members. Get the lowdown on destinations across the globe from travelers and locals alike. This week, Samantha Runkel, founder of HeyTerra Travel, shares her notes from a ski adventure in the Dolomites.
Hi Everyone! I'm Samantha, the travel with kids expert here and run family travel site Heyterra. Before ski season is officially over, I'd love to share a recent trip we just did to the Italian Dolomites.
The Dolomites in the northern Italian Alps are, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Europe. The architect Le Corbusier called the mountain range and UNESCO World Heritage Site "the most beautiful work of architecture" he had ever seen, which is why we make it a point to venture slightly further each ski break than most of our German friends, who ski in Austria's Ischgl or Kitzbühl. The village that we stay in is called Arabba, just over the South Tyrolean border in Veneto, nestled under the famous Marmolada Glacier. It's one of the most underrated ski resorts in Europe for its low-key village vibes, but has the highest ratio of sunshine to snow in all the Dolomites.
Do
Ski Lagazuoi - You don't have to be an advanced skier to enjoy this incredible tour (slopes in Italy are not as challenging as in other parts of the world) with some of the best viewpoints of the Dolomites.
Eat
Rifugio Lagazuoi - have a homemade South Tyrolean Knödel and a glass of Lagrein at Rifugio Lagazuoi, then meander down to the Badia Valley (passing by a frozen waterfall) where a horse pulls you via skis back to the main road. It's an experience a lot of people overlook or just don't know about when coming here.
Do
Museum trip - Take a day trip to the Lumen Museum and the Messner Mountain Museum, both stunning architectural feats telling the story of South Tyrol via photography and mountaineering.
Courtesy of Samantha
Also included in her notes:
A small dairy farm and agriturismo hotel in Badia
The day spa that her friends loved for its thermal baths
A 3-star Michelin with seasonal, sustainable offerings and epic wraparound views
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