The Dolomite mountains, at least the section northeast of Trento and Bolzano, are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Dolomites are lauded as being among the most attractive mountain landscapes in the world. Their intrinsic beauty derives from a variety of spectacular vertical forms such as pinnacles, spires and towers, with contrasting horizontal surfaces including ledges, crags and plateaux, all of which rise abruptly above extensive talus deposits and more gentle foothills.
I wanted to return, since, when I was 10, my father took our family there as part of a 6 week tent camping trip through Europe. He's passed and so in some way, I thought it would honor him and he would be happy.
I found the route of an expensive bus tour online (https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187857-d19347857-From_Bolzano_Private_Tour_by_car_THE_BEST_OF_THE_DOLOMITES_IN_JUST_ONE_DAY-Bolzano.html) and since we had a car, I thought Kathi and I would follow their path to Cortina, the site of the 1956 Olympics, which I think I also visited when I was 10.
Just leaving Trento, on the A22 highway north, I was filled with anticipation as the mountains grew before me.
The geomorphology of the Dolomites, marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, glacial landforms and karst systems, is influenced by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches.
There's a cool legend attached to this clear emerald lake. The story goes that the wizard Masaré was in love with a beautiful mermaid who lived in the lake.
In order to make her fall in love with him, he was advised by Lanwerda the witch to dress up as a jewel merchant, head to the mountains and throw a rainbow to catch the mermaid’s attention.
Unfortunately, Masaré forgot the part about dressing up as a merchant, and so the mermaid could clearly see it was the wizard. She disappeared into the lake, never to be seen again.
The wizard, in his anger, tossed all the colorful pieces of the rainbow and the jewels into the water, creating the vivid colors of the lake that remain to this day.
An informational sign in the parking lot shows all the other things to do around the lake, which is why the area is so popular.
Continuing on, we passed through the town of Canazei, with the impressive peaks of the Sella mountain group...
... on our way to Passo Pordoi. We navigated a long series of 27 hairpin switchbacks to get there. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road...
Once over the mountain pass, we descended down to the village of Arabba and then climbed again to the Pian Falzarego, at 1,934 meters, on our way to the next pass, the Passo di Falzarego, one of the gateways to the eastern Dolomites.
The Passo Falzarego derives its name from Falza Rego which is Latin for False King and refers to a King of the Fanes who was apparently turned to stone for betraying his people.
Sitting above the summit is Mount Lagazuoi which has been described as a castle of rock after both Italian and Austrian armies dug tunnels and shelters in it during WW1, turning it into an impenetrable fortress.
Continuing on, we entered into the "Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites"
Cortina, along with Milan, will once again host the Winter Olympics in 2026.
Continuing on route SS 48, we worked our way towards the Lago di Misurina.
Looking at the Cristallo mountain, peaking at 10,568 feet
We took a detour off SS 48 to get to Misurina Lake, another recommended pitstop on the tour of the Dolomites. The weather was coming in and we had been experiencing on and off showers. 
The lake with the Three Peaks to the north and the Sorapis to the south is supposed to provide the most famous images of the Dolomites in the world. Guess we'll need to come back when the weather is better!
The next stop was Lake Dobbiaco. The crystal clear waters, like Lago di Carezza, were buffeted by wind and rain and and so we didn't get the best impression.
Close-ups of the mountains were still impressive!
Nearby is another noteworthy lake, so we retraced our steps a little, practically kissing the border with Austria just a few kilometers away.
Here is a pretty little building between the town of Braies and the lake.
The lakefront Hotel Lago di Braies at the head of the lake. 
This is where we parked and scrambled to take some photos before we outlived our free parking time allotment.
We were robbed of the jewel like water by the rainy, overcast weather but the lake was still pretty gorgeous.
There are hiking trials that take you to the Malga Foresta and up into the Seekofel Mountain (it's name is in German on the maps).
It was time to start making our way to Bolzano, our destination for the night. From Braies it took us an hour and 40 minutes driving through the Pusteria and Isarco Valleys. The sun did come back out and I couldn't resist this parting shot of the Dolomites near the town of Braies.
We arrived in Bolzano and found our way to the Hotel Scala Stiegl. We dumped our stuff in the room and went out for a walk around the town to find a spot for Apertivo. Walking down the via Piave we took in the local architecture.
Kathi and I witnessed what appeared to be a theft and chase. The thief was running so fast he came out of his flip flops and left the chasers behind. That got our blood flowing!
Once over the mountain pass, we descended down to the village of Arabba and then climbed again to the Pian Falzarego, at 1,934 meters, on our way to the next pass, the Passo di Falzarego, one of the gateways to the eastern Dolomites.
The Passo Falzarego derives its name from Falza Rego which is Latin for False King and refers to a King of the Fanes who was apparently turned to stone for betraying his people.
Sitting above the summit is Mount Lagazuoi which has been described as a castle of rock after both Italian and Austrian armies dug tunnels and shelters in it during WW1, turning it into an impenetrable fortress.
Continuing on, we entered into the "Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites"
It was after 2pm and we were getting hungry so we pulled off at a restaurant for lunch. The area around Trento, and certainly Bolzano, is heavily influenced by Austrian culture and cuisine (and tourism). My understanding is that, historically, this area was part of Austria, but it was ceded to Italy after they were on the losing side of the first World War. Accordingly, the menu was a mix of Italian and Austrian food. Kathi got polenta with bratwurst (she said this was her least favorite meal on this Italian trip!)...
... and I chose safely with a pasta dish with pork.
At least the views outside the restaurant were worth the stop!
Looking up towards the Tofane mountain group west of Cortina d'Ampezzo 
Looking at the Cristallo mountain, peaking at 10,568 feet
The next stop was Lake Dobbiaco. The crystal clear waters, like Lago di Carezza, were buffeted by wind and rain and and so we didn't get the best impression.
Here is a pretty little building between the town of Braies and the lake.
We were robbed of the jewel like water by the rainy, overcast weather but the lake was still pretty gorgeous.
It was time to start making our way to Bolzano, our destination for the night. From Braies it took us an hour and 40 minutes driving through the Pusteria and Isarco Valleys. The sun did come back out and I couldn't resist this parting shot of the Dolomites near the town of Braies.
So funny to see Compeed, for hiking blisters, in a streetside vending machine. That's good thinking!
Walking through one of the entrances to the town center.
The Municipio de Bolzano...
Merging into the Via dei Portici, we found one of the main shopping areas near the one of the city's main squares, the Piazza Walther von der Vogelwiede or otherwise know as the Piazza Waltherplatz. How's that for a mix of Italian and Austrian?! 
We found a good spot for Apertivo on the Piazza del Grano. This time we both had an Aperol Spritz.
In the Piazza Waltherplatz was a statue of Walter Von Der Vogelweide, considered the greatest German lyric poet of the middle ages.
Ominous skies over the Duomo di Bolzano with its ornate roof.
After Apertivo, we went in search of a recommended restaurant. I was determined to have weinerschnitzel while in Austrian-inspired Bolzano. We wandered around until we found the Wirtshaus Vogel for authentic food. We had to wait for an outside table, but finally our laser-beam stare opened up a spot. The weinerschnitzel came with potatoes and I washed it down with a nice cold glass of beer of course!
Kathi had roasted vegetables with burrata cheese and a glass of white wine. We had a lovely leisurely meal.
Stuffed, and getting stared at to release our table, we walked back to the hotel for a good night's sleep after a long day of sightseeing.
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