Hiking a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site - Dolomites, Italy
While working in Munich, Germany, my friends suggested a weekend trip to the Dolomites in Northern Italy. Being only a 4 hour drive from Munich means it’s possible for a quick getaway weekend. The Dolomites is a unique place since it belongs to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage. These natural heritage sites are all beautiful in their own right, and make an impressive list of places to explore.
On this weekend I didn’t do an ultrarun, but the Dolomites have many miles of trail to satisfy your itch for a long run. The area hosts many ultrarunning events such as the Dolomiti Extreme Trail, Lavaredo Ultra Trail, and the Dolomites Ultra Trail. Each of these race routes can provide inspiration for where you plan your run.
We planned a simple out and back of a hike, but with a destination to have lunch. One of the major differences between hiking in the US vs. in Europe is that in Europe there is almost always a very nice restaurant to be found on the hike. We parked our car at Parcheggio Pederü parking lot, which is at the base of the trail. From the start, you know it will not be an easy hike since it immediately transcends into switchbacks after a very steep approach road. We continued our hike up and into the mountains, and despite it being in June, there was still snow at the very upper elevations. We stopped at the Sennes Hütte for lunch, where we had a nice glass of wine with our food. We lucked out with incredible weather, sunny but cool, and clear skies so we could see well into the distance.
A great part of this weekend wasn’t just the hiking but also the quaint village we stayed in and the excellent food. The village of San Vigilio di Marebbe, South Tyrol, Italy is described as, “a town surrounded by the Dolomites”, which is very accurate. It’s also a town with great food that we experienced after our hike. We sat outdoors at Tló Plazores rustic cuisine and food and had an amazing dinner of locally sourced food.
While this trip wasn’t for a long run, the Dolomites makes for a great ultrarunning destination with many trail options but also excellent food and lodging close by. If you find yourself in Munich for work, or maybe you extend a layover on an international flight for the weekend, in 4 hours you can find yourself in this wonderful place of mountain nature.
