Boasting breathtaking scenery, storybook architecture, natural playgrounds, gondolas, mountain coasters and ziplines, waterparks and heated pools, the Dolomites are one of the best family vacation spots in Europe.
We spent 10 adventure-filled days in the Dolomites in October, 2022 and we would go back to the area in a heartbeat. These are the reasons why we think the Dolomites should be your next family vacation destination:
1. Breathtaking scenery
I do not exaggerate at all when I say the Dolomites have some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve ever seen: rolling hills, snow-peaked mountains, emerald lakes or green pastures surround you at all times. The undulating countryside, with its grazing cows and its charming houses are sure to make an impact on anybody who visits the area.
2. Stunning lakes
I’m sure that at some point or another, each one of us has seen online pictures of stunning, emerald lakes and has dreamed of seeing them in person. Well, the Dolomites are home to at least one of those lakes: Lago di Braies. Crystal clear water, with shades that go from blue, to green to emerald, Lago di Braies seems almost too beautiful to be real.
3. Gorgeous architecture
The Italian Dolomites were part of the county of Tyrol and under Austrian-Hungarian occupancy until the end of WWI, when Italy forcefully annexed it to its kingdom. The Austrian influence can still be seen to this day, in the style of the Alpine chalets, embellished with wooden carvings and painted details and decorated with bright, colorful flowers.
4. Family-friendly agriturismi (farm stays)
Agriturismi are, simply put, farm stays. That means that, most of the time, the agriturismo you stay at will have animals and grow most of their food. A lot of the agriturimi in the Dolomites are geared towards families with kids, thus offering even more amenitites like playgrounds, toys, trampolines, libraries etc. Some of them even offer cooking classes for kids, or activities like horseback riding or mushroom hunting.
You can come across agriturismi on well-known websites like Booking.com or Airbnb, or you can seach local websites like Farm Holidays in holiday flats in South Tyrol (roterhahn.it).
5. As beautiful as Switzerland, but a lot cheaper
Switzerland is on the travel list of a lot of people who are enthralled by its natural beauty. But Switzerland is also one of the most expensive countries to visit in Europe.
The Dolomites, on the other hand, are strikingly similar in beauty, but a lot more affordable to visit. Everything from hotels, to food and activities is considerable cheaper here.
5. A plethora of free, natural playgrounds for kids
Another aspect that makes the Dolomites one of the best family vacation spots in Europe is that, as a parent, you don’t even have to try hard to entertain your kids. There is a multitude of wonderful, natural playgrounds for kids that you can visit for free. We visited three during our 10 day trip and we barely scratched the surface.
6. The world's longest slide
Okay, okay! I’m not 100% sure that this is the longest slide in the world, but it’s definitely the longest I’ve ever seen…by far! Tucked away into the trees at Kinderwelt Mondo Bimbi, the slide blew our minds when we discovered it.
7. Gondolas to the top of the mountains
Again, I might be wrong, but who doesn’t like gondolas? They’re fun, they’ enclosed, so safe and warm and they give you the feeling you’re floating. Plus, they get you to the top of the mountain in a few minutes, while you’re taking in the views. Kids, especially, seem to be fascinated by gondolas. Maybe because anything is better than hiking up the mountain?! ”But moooom, we’ve been walking for EVER! My legs feel like they’ll fall off!” I’m sure we’ve all heard a version of this complaint at some point in our parenting journey.
Well, say ”hello” to the modern, cool looking gondolas of the Dolomites!
8. Playgrounds at the top of the mountains
Not only that you have the luxury of being transported up the mountain by a gondola, but once you step out of it, it’s like you’ve set food into a whimsical world, with miniature play villages, or dinosaur worlds, or the home of a giant. Three of the mountain tops we checked out had amazing kids’ play areas that offered entertainment for hours. Aperol in hand, striking mountain ranges around me and my kids happily playing for hours?! Say no more!
9. ''Sensory path'' hikes
If you or your kids like walking barefoot, you will appreciate the sensory paths you can find in the Dolomites. Our favorite one was the one at Parco Natura Olperl – a trail that went around for 2 km and provided all kinds of sensory experiences for our feet: rocks, wood, saw dust, mud, water. So much thought was put into making this path entertaining and engaging for kids!
10. Mountain coasters
Although it’s very hard for me to decide on one single most favorite activity we did in the Dolomites, the mountain coaster at Klausber – Flitzer was probably it. Not only that it was so much FUN, but it was also affordable. We initially bought the 3 ride combo and then we went for another one, for a total of 6 rides. Maybe because we visited the Dolomites in October, but there were no crowds and the line was super short and easily manageable with the kids. At end of every ride, my boys would get out and immediately start chanting ”again, again, again”, not wanting the adrenaline rush to end. One and a half years later and they still talk excitedly about that mountain coaster.
11. Fly- lines
If you’re like me, you probably have no idea what a fly-line is. Until the Dolomites, I didn’t know what it was either. I still don’t know how to describe it properly. It’s like a zipline, but you are in a sitting position and the line is not straight; it curves and goes around trees. Steel cables are anchored to the trees and you glide down on them, sometimes slowing down, sometimes picking up speed and…sometimes a bit too close to the trees! It’s a thrilling aerial adventure and if the hike up to the line wasn’t so long, we would have done it a bunch of times.
12. Heated pools for the colder seasons
A lot of the hotels/villas in the Dolomites have outdoor pools open in the summer, but the great news is that there are a multitude of heated indoor/outdoor ones to choose from in the colder seasons too. Enticed by the outdoor heated pool, we spent one full filled day at the Cascades in Campo Tures. Another option in that area would be Aquafun Innichen in San Candido.
This is an excellent option to keep in mind for a rainy day or for the days when you want to take a break from hiking and relax your muscles.
13. Cute, little towns to explore
You will find a lot of information online about the most beautiful towns to visit in the Dolomites, like Cortina D’Ampezzo. Bressanone, Santa Maddalena etc. But I’m here to tell you that even the lesser known ones are very picturesque! In fact, I will go as far as saying that there isn’t an ugly looking village or town in the Dolomites. No matter where you go, you will see charming buildings, bakeries, cafes, cute restaurants, small plazas, fountains, cobblestone streets, impressive churches and cathedrals and book stores. This all goes to say that you shouldn’t stress too much about where you’ll be staying.
We rented an apartment in a small villa, in the middle of nowhere (close to Lago di Braies). We were located between Brunico on one side and Sexto/San Candido. Although we weren’t in one of more famous towns, we loved our location because it put us in the center of all the activities we wanted to do.
14. Castles and museums for the history buffs
There are castles and fortresses scattered all over the Dolomites. Some are ruins and some have been restored and turned into museums or hotels.
Some castles that can be visited are Brunico castle (13th century), Stenico castle (one of the oldest in the area, dating from the early 12th century) and Tyrol Castle (12th century).
One museum that we didn’t make it to, that is at the very top of my list for our next visit is the one hosting ”Otzi, the ice man”. Otzi is a 5300 year old, very well preserved mummy, found in 1991 by some hikers in the Val Senales Valley glacier. Otzi dates back to the Copper period, making him older than the pyramids and Stonehenge. He can be visited at the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology in Bolzano.
For those interested in WWI history, the Open-Air Museum in Cortina will give you a glimpse into the battles fought in the Dolomites. Spread over 5 km, the museum is explored entirely by foot.
15. Extreme sports - paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing, bouldering
The Dolomites is also the place to take your family if you are into extreme sports. Paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing, bouldering and via ferrata are just a few of the sports you can do in this area. Our kids begged us every day to go paragliding (they had parasailed in Costa Rica previously and loved it), but at 4 and 6, they were sadly too young. However, this would be an amazing experience for parents of adventurous tweens and teens.
For more info on the extreme sports options, check out this website.
16. You can cycle into Austria
Lastly, depending on where you are in the Dolomites, you could cycle your way into Austria. How cool in that? I don’t know about your kids, but my kids are THRILLED at the idea of just popping into a different country for a bit (like when we drove to Latvia from Estonia for a day, to go to a waterpark). Maybe because they were raised in the United States where you drive four hours and you’re still in the same state, their minds are blown away by how easy it is to just go to another country in Europe. And cycling into it makes it even more fun, right?
The cycling route between San Candido (Italy) and Lienz (Austria) is a 42 km long paved path, that goes gently downhill. On the way back, you can catch a train from Lienz. Trains run every hour to San Candido.
Again, this is not an adventure we’ve done yet, because our kids were not avid cyclists at the time of our visit. It’s something else that’s high on my list of why we have to go back to the Dolomites, although I don’t need much convincing to do that!
Funny thing, the Dolomites were not even on our initial 5 month Euro-trip. We were going to visit Lake Garda, then head town to Tuscany, before going to France. At the last moment, after a couple of months of visiting towns and castles and museums, my husband and I had a sudden yearning for being in nature and we booked 4 nights in the Dolomites. We loved it so much that we ended up extending for another week. In a heartbeat, the Dolomites became our favorite area in Italy. In fact, it’s now one of our most favorite spots in the entire world and we can’t go back to explore it more.