Where To Elope in The Dolomites, Italy
The Dolomites are one of my favorite places on the earth and have so many beautiful hikes and landscapes! Here are a few of my faves! Some are longer than others and don’t necessarily need to be where we go on your wedding day, but all of them are STUNNING and totally worth doing! Check out my top 8 locations to elope at in the Dolomites!
(These are not my pics, as I wasn’t a photographer when I went to these places. Yes, I beat myself up for this daily lol.)
Croda Da Lago
Croda Da Lago can be views from several hikes but the most enjoyable one is the Croda Da Lago circuit! The circuit is 8 miles long, but has so many amazing views that it is a MUST DO. It ends up at a gorgeous lake (best viewed after May when the snow has melted!) The hike starts in the forest and then soon winds through meadows and then up to the cliffs where you can see SO many peaks and views! The trail heads up to the high Forcella Ambrizzola pass, and then turns north, tracking the Crodas western flank to the high point at Forcella Rossa di Firmin, with its wonderous views over to the Pelmo, then descending a wild, wild, rocky valley back to the treeline!
Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri is so gorgeous and has so many stunning views of the surrounding landscape! The hike to this view is about 3 miles, and the easiest route starts directly under the cinque torri chairlift which is about 25 minutes outside of cortina d’ampezzo! The aptly named Cinque Torri means exactly what it is - The Five Towers, and there’s always climbers clinging to the rocks as you hike. The remains of the trenches and weaponries at the foot of Cinque Torri (from Italian - Five Towers) are left over from the First World War and if you’re into history (like my boyfriend that made us spend way too long looking at WWI memorials!), this is a cool place to visit!
You can even take the cable car up to the view, but the hike is pretty easy and fun to do!
Lago Di Braies
Lago Di Braies is by far the most popular place in the Dolomites, but 90% of the tourists only get our of their cars to walk 100 feet to the lake and snap a few photos. Hardly any people do the actual hike that goes around the lake! The hike is 2.5 miles in length and travels through the forest and all the way around the lake, giving you tons of views that you won’t see on instagram! There are even boats that you can rent to explore the lake by boat! I suggest getting to these boats by 10am before tourists arrive and snatch them up!
Seceda Ridgeline
The Seceda Ridgeline is one of the most iconic hike in the dolomites. The hike is rated at easy/moderate and is about 3.7 miles roundtrip. Most tourists stay around the cable car that you take to the start of the hike from the town of Selva di Val Gardena. The lift costs 20 euros and its pretty easy to find in the town as its probably the biggest attraction they have. If you don’t want to take the cable car, you can certainly hike from the town, but it will extend the hike by about 2 hours or so!
Lago di Carezza
Lago di Carezza in the South Tyrol region is also known as Karersee and the mountain range you can see reflecting in its surface is called Latemar. This lake is very easy to access, there is a parking lot right next to the lake, and it is closest to the town of Nova Levante. Translated, Lago di Carezza means Rainbow lake. According to legends, once upon a time there was a mermaid living in the lake, which wizard Masaré was in love with. In order to seduce her, the witch Lanwerda advised him to dress up as jewel merchant and throw a rainbow from Mt. Catinaccio to Mt. Latemar. That is what he did, but he forgot to dress up. So the beautiful mermaid detected him and forever disappeared in Lake Carezza. The wizard was angry and threw all the pieces of the rainbow as well as the jewels into the waters. That’s why it still features rainbow colours.
Haha so if you love italy AND mermaids, this is the lake for you!
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
So this is a 30 minute hike to one of the most amazing views! This place looks amazing at sunrise, sunset (though its always more private at sunrise!) and even in midday! The hike is fairly short and not too difficult, and is so worth the payout! The main and easiest access is by car from Misurina after paying a toll along the scenic route which is 7 kilometers long. The road leads you to the foot of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo!