by Sandi Todorovich, Luxury Travel Advisor

Just returned from an awe-inspiring trip hiking around the Dolomite Mountains and fell in love with this beautiful region of Italy. The Dolomites are located in between Venice and Innsbruck airport, just north of the famous Prosecco region.

In the summer, they are known for hiking, mountain biking, and climbing the famous Via Ferrata. These climbs use steel cables built into the rock to aid in ascending the mountain and were originally created during WWI as a means for troops to get across the mountains. They have become so common with climbers that many more have recently been opened and the sport is extremely popular in Italy.

In the winter, the area turns into one of the world’s largest ski area under just one ski pass, with 12 ski regions of more than 1,200 kilometers of slopes, 450 lifts, 30 snowparks, and 50 towns. Locals ski from slope to slope, with lunch breaks at the numerous rifugios scattered throughout the area, known for their great foods and drinks.

This part of Italy used to belong to Austria, so there is a large Austrian influence here, and in certain regions over 70% of the population speaks German as a first language. This is also an area known for its food, including numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, and of course their prosecco and wine. It’s a mix of immense beauty, differing cultures, family-friendly activities, and the highest quality food and wine – what’s not to love?