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

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The Dolomites

A traveller who has visited all the other mountain-regions of Europe, and remains ignorant of the scenery of the Dolomite Alps, has yet to make acquaintance with Nature in one of her loveliest and most fascinating aspects.

John Ball, Guide to the Eastern Alps (1868)

Like the Alps to which they belong, the astounding Dolomite mountains in northeast Italy were long regarded with awe and a good dose of fear by the populations of herders and woodcutters who clustered round their bases. It was not until the 1800s, and the advent of ‘travelling’, that the first leisure-seeking visitors, Britons for the most part, ventured through treacherous passes to marvel at the spectacular scenery and gape at the brilliant sunsets. Published accounts and guidebooks began to appear, and soon tourists and mountaineers from all over Europe flocked to explore the magnificent heights, which were untrodden until then except by the odd chamois hunter.

Nowadays, the fantastic Dolomites are an exciting and prime holiday destination in both summer and winter. Superbly located resorts are connected by excellent public transport and well-maintained roads, while an ultra-modern system of cable-cars and lifts whisks visitors to dizzy heights in a matter of minutes. It is a memorable alpine playground. Nature lovers will be delighted by the fascinating wildlife to be found in the vast expanses of magnificent forest and high-altitude rockscapes, not to mention the sweet alpine meadows that are transformed in summer into oceans of wild flowers straight out of The Sound of Music. High above are breathtakingly sheer bastions and spires of delicately pale rock in an enthralling succession of bizarre sculpted shapes. This is all easily appreciated thanks to a great network of signed paths and welcoming refuges, where lunch and refreshments can be enjoyed with a beautiful alpine backdrop thrown in for free. By exploring the vast extent of the spectacular Dolomites, this guidebook offers a selection of exciting walks suitable for walkers of all ages, abilities and energy. Routes range from straightforward leisurely strolls to strenuous outings, and each can be completed in a single day.