Читать книгу Shorter Walks in the Dolomites. 50 varied day walks in the mountains онлайн

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Accommodation

All the Dolomite valleys and villages offer a vast choice of hotel (albergo), guesthouse (locanda), bed & breakfast (affittacamera, Garnì) and even farm stay (agriturismo) options for all pockets. Families with small children will appreciate the freedom of a house (casa) or flat (appartamento); rentals are common, usually on a weekly basis. Suggestions for medium-range hotels are given in ssss1, otherwise consult the tourist office websites above for full accommodation listings and availability. Reservation in key resorts such as Cortina is not usually necessary outside the August to September peak season, but it is always best to book in advance to save disappointment. Look for signs with zimmer frei or camera libera (room free) if you’re driving through.

Although each walk described in this guide can be completed in a single day, to allow you enough time to return to comfortable valley accommodation, an overnight stay in an alpine refuge is always a memorable experience and can be the highlight of a walking holiday. Contact details are given at the end of the relevant route descriptions. With the odd exception at road level, these marvellous establishments are set in spectacular high-altitude positions accessible only to walkers or climbers. They are open all through the summer months and offer reasonably priced meals and sleeping facilities that range from spartan dormitories with bunk beds to cosy, if simple, guest rooms. Charges are around €18 for a bed and €40 for half board, which means bed, a three-course dinner and breakfast. Most huts are run by the Italian Alpine Club CAI (Club Alpino Italiano) as well as its Trentino branch SAT (Società degli Alpinisti Tridentini), and the South Tyrol club AVS (German Alpenverein Südtirol), as denoted with their listing. All mountain huts, run by the clubs or privately managed, are open to everyone. Members of affiliated alpine associations from other countries receive good discounted rates (50% off bed rates) in line with reciprocal agreements. Brits can join the UK branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (Tel 01929 556870; www.aacuk.org.uk). Members of the British Mountaineering Council and Mountaineering Council of Scotland can buy a Reciprocal Rights Card from the BMC website, www.thebmc.co.uk.