Lush light green meadows, dark green coniferous forests with deep blue lakes and pale, rugged mountains in between: the Dolomites are a natural spectacle of the most exquisite kind. The 250-million-year-old mountains are the rocky heart of the Alps and the jewel among South Tyrol's mountain landscapes. The mountains owe their light grey to yellowish colour to the sedimentary and limestone they are made of. They used to be called "pale mountains" because of their colour until the French geologist Déodat de Dolomieu examined the volcanic dolomite rock in around 1800 and the mountain range was given this new name in his honour.

Holidays on a farm in the Dolomites

Anyone who has stayed in a holiday apartment or room in the Dolomites will not only want to marvel at some of the impressive heights, but they will also want to hike to them. This can be done without any problems because many Dolomite mountains have two faces: the rugged, vertical wall and, on the other side, a gently rising grass ridge, which is criss-crossed with hiking trails leading to the summit. Sometimes, instead of climbing the mountain peaks, it is also possible to walk around them, such as the well known Drei Zinnen peaks in Hochpustertal valley, a symbol of South Tyrol. A circular hike around the imposing Langkofel in Gröden, around the emerald-green Karersee lake below the Latemar peaks and around the legendary Rosengarten massif near Welschnofen is also worthwhile. There is a circular route around the Pragser Wildsee lake, too, which alternates deep blue and then shimmering greenish again. The surface of this lake is 1,500 metres above sea level, so the water temperature can be called refreshing. The underground gateway to the kingdom of the Fanes, a people told of in legends of the Dolomite region, is said to be located here. Even if this mystical gate eludes you, you can go on countless hikes at the foot of the Dolomite peaks from here. The routes for this are provided by the ten official Dolomite high-altitude trails. Another magnet for visitors is Lake Antholzer near Rasun-Antholz, which you can walk around on a family-friendly path close to the lakeshore.

Mountain enthusiasts

The treasure chest of the Dolomites offers a lot more: the largest high Alpine pasture in Europe, the Seiser Alm with its striking rocky giant, the Schlern, or Fischleintal near Sexten in Hochpustertal, a small valley in the middle of an impressive rocky arena. The mountains are also the main attraction in the Dolomite valley of Villnöß. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is practically just a stone's throw away from here thanks to the Geisler mountain group. And although some summits can be reached on gentle trails, high flyers don't have to do without their adrenaline rush, as there are via ferratas that take you directly to the top. One of the most beautiful is definitely the Pisciadù via ferrata in Alta Badia. If you're not overly keen on hiking and climbing, but still want to experience the Dolomites up close, Toblach is the place for you. Every year in January, hot air balloons set off from Toblach, taking passengers over valleys and peaks without even moving a muscle. Skiing is popular in winter, and, since they were merged together, all the ski areas in the Dolomites can be accessed with the Dolomiti Superski pass. If you are staying in a holiday apartment or a room in the Dolomites, there are twelve ski areas with 460 lifts and over 1,200 kilometres of slopes to ski on in winter. Snow shoe hikers and cross-country skiers also appreciate the numerous options catering for them.

Culture at (eye) level

But a holiday on a farm in the Dolomites has much more to offer than pale mountains and beautiful hikes. Culture is also a top priority here, and a number of museums are definitely worth a visit. First and foremost, there is Corones Messner Mountain Museum on the Kronplatz plateau, which is Bruneck's local mountain. There is also Concordia 2000 peace bell on its summit, which not only chimes at twelve o'clock every day, but whenever the death penalty is abolished in a country or a war is ended, too. The Dolomite region, along with Grödnertal valley and Gadertal, is home to the Ladin-speaking linguistic minority. The inhabitants of the Dolomite valleys speak a regional variant of Rhaeto-Romanic, and in the museum of St. Ulrich you can learn more about the history and the rock of the Dolomites. Both have turbulent times behind them because a mountain front line passed here during the First World War. In the Tauferer Ahrntal valley, and also in Gröden, you can watch wood carvers at work, and Toblach sees the Gustav Mahler Music Weeks taking place every year in late summer.

Culinary arts

South Tyrolean cuisine may typically be found in South Tyrol's Dolomite region. Yet despite being shaped by the rural nature of the area at the foot of the Dolomites, over time the cuisine has embarked on an interesting collaboration with Italian influences, with resulting benefits for both sides. Whether pizza, pasta or 'Greastl' made from Pustertal potatoes and local beef, gourmets are guaranteed to find something to their taste in the Dolomite region. Anyone wishing to learn how to prepare delicious 'Tirtlen', 'Krapfen' or 'Knödel' will have plenty of opportunities during a holiday in an apartment or room in the Dolomites. Lots of farmers offer traditional cooking courses for their guests.

What does a farm holiday in the Dolomites have to offer?

• Plenty of natural highlights, from the Drei Zinnen peaks to the Rosengarten massif, from Karersee to Pragser Wildsee lakes
• Hikes affording great views, exciting via ferratas, endless kilometres of slopes
• The fusion of Italian and South Tyrolean cuisine