One of the most magical destinations one could experience are the Dolomites in the winter.

Out of all the places I’ve been to, the Italian Dolomites, located in Northeastern Italy in the Italian Alps, is my favorite place to travel to in the colder months.

What so many people do not know is that there is more to Italy than the typical tourist locations. Don’t get me wrong, places like Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence and Amalfi Coast are all amazing and definitely must-visit locations in Italy, but as someone who comes from a large percentage of Italian descent, it is really important for me to visit the areas of Italy that are untouched and to learn more about Italian culture, history and its biodiversity. (Things that you normally don’t hear about regarding Italy.)

In 2009, the Italian Dolomites were declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. For those who do not know much about World Heritage sites, UNESCO is very selective about what areas and landmarks of the world are chosen.

The organization found the Dolomites to be one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the world because of its scenic beauty as well as its geological and geomorphological significance.

As my first international trip of 2020, I spent a full week in the Dolomites exploring the natural beauty of the South Tyrol region and experiencing all of the winter activities and experiences the Italian Alps are known for.

The first part of my trip was spent in the charming Alpine town of San Vigilio where I got to stay at the awesome Hotel Teresa and participate in their nature adventures.

During my time in San Vigilio, I also got to experience the amazing ski slopes of Kronplatz! The later part of my trip was spent in Selva where I went skiing and explored the breathtaking mountains of Val Gardena.

In this blog post, I am so excited to share my experience discovering the outstanding nature of the Dolomites during my time in San Vigilio.

**Please note that this blog post uses affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase via my affiliate link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. During my time in San Vigilio, Hotel Teresa hosted me and provided me with an incredible nature hike, spa and local food experience.

Pin the Below Image to Keep Handy

Traveling to the Italian Dolomites in the Winter:

Before I go into how I traveled around the Italian Alps, I want to admit that there is no easy way to get to the Dolomites, especially from the United States.

I was thankful to have found affordable flights from Newark Airport to Zurich, Switzerland. From Zurich, I took a separate and short 45-minute flight to Venice’s Marco Polo Airport.

Venice is the easiest and most cost-effective city to fly into if you are planning to go to the Dolomites. Other cities you could fly into, but will be more expensive, are Milan, Verona, Trieste and Bergamo in Italy as well as Innsbruck in Austria.

Another important fact to note is that public transportation in the Dolomites is almost nonexistent. You could find options for buses, but depending on where you go, public transit will take you much longer to reach your destination.

Click here to discover ways you could get around the Dolomites using public transportation in the winter. If you are looking to see a lot within the Dolomites and not just stay in one location, it is best to rent a car like I did! (It was around a 3.5-hour drive from Venice to San Vigilio.)

Before I go into the details, if you need to rent a car in Italy (or anywhere in the European Union), you will need to have an international driver’s permit in addition to your regular driver’s license.

I don’t know how the process works for every single country out there, but for U.S. residents, you could easily obtain one by going to your local AAA office. I got mine a week before I left for my trip and it took me 10 minutes.

I rented my car from Fox Rent A Car through Sicily by Car in Venice’s Marco Polo Airport. I highly recommend booking your rental car in advance, especially if you are looking for an automatic vehicle.

Since I don’t drive manual or stick shift, I needed an automatic car, so I was lucky that the rental car company provided me with an Opel Crossland (it’s a European SUV) and it was perfect for the mountains.

Staying at Hotel Teresa during Winter in the Dolomites:

One of my top experiences during my time in the Italian Dolomites was staying at Hotel Teresa in San Vigilio.

This newly renovated family-owned chalet hotel is situated on the outskirts of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park and is right around the corner from the cable cars Transbronta/Piz de Plaies and cross-country slope at Kronplatz. Hotel Teresa offers amazing facilities, natural materials and a family-friendly atmosphere.

In addition, the rooms at Hotel Teresa offer Alpine comfort and are spacious and super clean.

I stayed in the Fodara room, which is brand new that offers a balcony with scenic views of the Dolomites. It also has a lot of light and is equipped with a double bed and a loft with a sofa underneath. Even though I traveled to the Dolomites solo and stayed in this room, it is also perfect for a small family!

There was a satellite television, telephone, hair dryer, en-suite bathroom with a nice shower, mini fridge, two closets and a safe. I loved the Alpine warmth and comfort and I also enjoyed the fresh wood smell coming from all the décor that consist of pine, larch and Swiss Stone Pine – all from local and sustainable forests.

I had never felt more at home than I did while staying at Hotel Teresa! From the moment I checked in, the staff was warm and welcoming to me and ensured I was comfortable and happy at all times.

I also really connected with the hotel staff as well and they did a lot of the fun activities with me! I am happy to say I made great friends here, not only with the staff members, but also with some of the guests! (Shout out to Catrin, Sara, David, Davide, Luca and Federico.) I’ll be back for sure!

Not only does Hotel Teresa offer beautiful rooms, there is also private parking, a wellness center, indoor-pool, Finnish and steam sauna rooms, Kneipp spring and more, which is perfect for a winter trip in the Dolomites. What is nice about the spa area is that they also offer water beds and hay-filled beds for relaxation.

During my stay at Hotel Teresa, there was a continental buffet breakfast in the morning where you could savor Italian cold cuts, fresh fruits, croissants and baked goods, cereal, yogurt and freshly squeezed juices. You could also order a specialty coffee or tea. (The hotel also left me two fresh apples from the region.)

For dinner every night, Hotel Teresa’s talented chefs cooked amazing Ladin, Italian and international dishes. (I go more into traditional Ladin cuisine and culture below.) There is also a bar to the side of the hotel that has a great bakery.

Not only is the nature park and ski slopes of Kronplatz located near Hotel Teresa, there are also amazing restaurants, local shops, churches and activities nearby.

During my first evening in San Vigilio, Catrin and Sara took me and a few others who were staying at the hotel to see the ice sculptures.

Every year in early January, the towns of San Vigilio and San Candido host the Schneeskulpturen Festival or the Festival Sculture di Neve.

In January 2020, there were talented sculpture artists from Germany, China, the Netherlands, India, the United States, Ecuador, Latvia, Italy and Austria.

The ones I got to see in San Vigilio were called “Round About”, “To Commemorate a Busy Time”, “Universum”, “Chair”, “Man Hole”, “Galapago Turtle”, “Dance of Seasons”, “Il Frutto della Madre”, “What do you see?” and “Climate Change”.

They all were so cool to see and I loved all of them. If I had to choose a favorite, I think the climate change sculpture was unique and powerful.

After checking out the epic sculptures of San Vigilio, we went to the town pub called Busstop Pub, which is an old bus station, turned into a fun pub for all to enjoy!

This awesome pub is owned by a Brazilian and it offers a disco bar with live music, DJs and themed parties (they have a huge celebration for Carnival in February).

Busstop Pub also has a full bar, game room, coffee shop, bistro and fast food. What is cool about this bar is that there is a retro bus located in the middle of the pub where you could sit down and pretend like you’re actually on the bus while you have a beer or a bite to eat. It’s such a fun place!

During Advent Season, San Vigilio also has a lovely Christmas market for all to enjoy!

Ladin History, Culture and Cuisine:

The official language and culture of the South Tyrol region of Italy is Ladin (pronounced as La deen).

It is an old language that residents of South Tyrol are doing their best to preserve. Most people who reside in the Dolomites actually know up to four languages: Ladin, Italian, English and German.

There are four different types of Ladin languages spoken today and those are Dolomite-Ladinia (which is the language spoken where I was in South Tyrol), Grisons (Switzerland), Comelico and Friuli (near the Slovenian border).

Some facts about the Ladin language is that it is a retoromance language; it is spoken by 30,000 people and each village in South Tyrol has its own dialect.

For those who do not know, Italy is a fairly new country as it was founded in March 1861. Modern Italy became a nation-state during the Risorgimento when most of the states of the Italian Peninsula and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies were united under King Victor Emmanuel II of the House of Savoy, which included the King of Sardinia and a realm that included Piedmont. At the time, the South Tyrol region was part of Austria.

Times in Europe were tough during the late 19^th and early 20^th Century. A lot of Italians immigrated to the United States (as well as to Canada and Australia) in search of a better life.

It wasn’t much later that South Tyrol became affiliated with Italy in 1919 after World War I. Under Benito Mussolini’s rule from 1922, the system of Italianization took place in South Tyrol.

The use of German language was entirely prohibited in schools, the media, through administration and in court. German town names were replaced by Italian names and people even had their own names changed.

In 1939, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini made an agreement, South Tyroleans had an option to emigrate to the German Reich or stay in Italy where they would give up their culture and language.

After a difficult and long negotiation process, the Gruber de Gasperi Treaty (Paris Treaty), granted rights and protection of the German-speaking population in South Tyrol as well as Trentino.

Today, South Tyrol offers an incredible and fascinating culture that people from all over the world are itching to get a taste of.

When it comes to the food and architecture in South Tyrol, there portrays a harmonious bond between the people, mountains and countryside.

Ladin homes (or the Viles) are wooden chalet huts spread all throughout the mountains and rolling green hills.

The Ladin people also celebrate their culture by wearing traditional clothes. During church events and celebrations, women will wear the traditional Ladin dresses. An unmarried woman will wear a white apron with her dress and a married woman wears a dark blue one.

I was able to see these beautiful dresses when I went into some of the restaurants during my winter trip in the Dolomites and they resemble a German dirndl.

If you want to learn more about the life of the Dolomites’ Ladins, I recommend visiting the Museum Ladin Ciastel de Tor.

Traditional Ladin food is absolutely delicious and Hotel Teresa definitely exposed me to the best that South Tyrol offers.

On my first evening at the hotel, I had dinner with Sara and Catrin while David presented us with the meals for the night.

I first had some delicious appetizers such as speck, which is a cured smoked meat that is a staple to the Dolomites (it’s similar to prosciutto, but thicker).

I also had feiès da soni, which are fried potato wedges; tultres, which is similar to a fried spinach ravioli; cancì checi, which is cooked ravioloni; soprassata (smoked Italian sausage) and Italian flatbread (similar to pita). With my appetizer, I enjoyed a Hugo, which is an Alpine Spritz made with Prosecco, elderflower syrup and mint. It is so refreshing!

After savoring the amazing appetizers, we were given jopa da zigher, which is a soup made with local cheese and edible flowers followed with spinach spätzle and cream.

For the meat dish, we had spine de porcel sciöme (smoked pork) with an amazing regional red wine on the side. Everything was amazing!

For dessert, we savored a delicious chocolate mousse with apricot in the middle.

During my second evening at Hotel Teresa, I ate a refreshing quinoa salad with speck; gnocchi (Italian potato dumplings) with pomodoro (tomato) sauce; roasted piglet with mashed potatoes that were sprinkled with pesto and sauerkraut on the side and then panettoncino with fig and chia seeds for dessert. It was absolutely delicious!

To easily put it, I would say that traditional Ladin cuisine is a mixture of Italian and German foods.

Winter Activities in the Dolomites:

During your stay at Hotel Teresa, there are so many amazing winter adventures you could sign up for in the Dolomites.

While I was in San Vigilio, I went skiing at Kronplatz, which was absolutely incredible and one of the best ski days I’ve had!

I also had the opportunity to do an epic nature hike in Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park with Hotel Teresa.

In addition to skiing and hiking, you could also go cross-country skiing (it is very popular in the Dolomites during winter), ski mountaineering, snowshoeing, ice climbing, sledding/tobogganing, ice skating, paragliding and horseback riding.

Hotel Teresa offers unbeatable packages to introduce you to the best adventures of the Dolomites.

(During summer in the Dolomites, you could experience mountaineering and climbing, hiking, biking, zip lining, horseback riding, paragliding, canyoning, rafting, archery and more.)

Experiencing Nature in the Dolomites with Hotel Teresa:

Sadly, even though the rest of the world’s biodiversity is shrinking; here in the Dolomites, it is actually expanding!

During my stay at Hotel Teresa, I went on an epic hike in Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park! David of Hotel Teresa is a passionate ecologist and with Swarovski Optik, we were able to see some wild animals from the highest summits of the mountains. (Hotel Teresa is a collaborative and partner hotel of Swarovski Optik).

David provided me with binoculars and he also brought a telescope that also came with a device where I was able to capture everything we saw with my iPhone X. It was incredible!

When we first arrived at the nature park, I was given crampons, which are a traction device that you attach to your shoes for snow hiking, ice climbing, etc. so that you don’t slip and fall.

From there, we made our way up the mountains in the nature park. Before I go into my experience at Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, there are rules of conduct that everyone must follow: there are no engines permitted; you cannot leave marked paths; do not leave garbage behind; do not pick mushrooms and plants or take home any minerals; avoid making loud noises; respect the huts and fences; tents or camping is prohibited as well as open fires and all dogs must be kept on a leash.

The Dolomites are known to have fresh scents, bright colors and some of the most beautiful flora in Europe. (Elderflower is a popular flower in the Dolomites.)

Obviously, you could see more of South Tyrol’s flowers during the spring and summer months, but the beauty of the snowy mountains are truly incredible. There are also medicinal and poisonous flowers, forage plants and grasses that are important for wildlife, insects and farm animals.

During our hike, we saw a lot of chamois, which is a species of goat-antelope that is native to the Alps and Pyrenees. We even witnessed them migrating from one side of the park to the other. It was so cool to see!

Other animals you could find in the Dolomites are deer, ibex, marmots, eagles (the golden eagle is special to see) and there are also bears. (The bears recently made their way to the Dolomites.) There are also birds, butterflies and so much more!

Italy boasts Europe’s highest mountain and today’s mighty peaks of the Dolomites are iconic for their cone shape and were formed around 270 to 200 million years ago, in the Upper Permian and the Triassic eras. They were once atolls and coral reefs from the tropical sea, which is so cool.

As we continued our hike, David showed me the different types of trees that dominate the Dolomites, areas that featured red rocks and stunning freshwater lakes and rivers.

Something I noticed as I was hiking were tall wooden logs ascending from the ground that had troll faces carved into them. David explained to me that South Tyrol is known as the “Kingdom of the Fanes”, a mystical world of legend.

There are numerous folklore telling stories of war heroes, alliances and conspiracies. The rugged rock formations, clear lakes and different wildlife are likely to have encouraged these legends.

After a few hours of hiking, we made our way to Rifugio Fanes Hütte, a warm and welcoming hut in the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park. I absolutely loved the adorable mountain huts throughout the Dolomites and they were such a cozy place to warm up to during my winter trip.

One piece of advice I would love to give you all is that when you go to a hut in the Dolomites to have lunch, it is best to eat your food inside during the winter. I completely understand that it is tempting to sit outside and enjoy the views even on a winter’s day because you also sweat underneath all of your heavy clothing when you go hiking or skiing, but your food will get cold quickly in the outdoors.

Since the South Tyrol region isn’t densely populated, a lot of people eating and drinking in the huts know each other, even if they are from other villages.

When I stepped into the hut, everyone was gathered around playing cards, eating lunch and drinking a beer. It was such a happy feeling!

During lunch, I savored speck dumpling soup, which was absolutely delicious! This tasty dish consists of speck, flour, eggs, parsley, bouillon and chives. It is the perfect meal to savor on a cold winter’s day!

For dessert, we had Tyrolean pancakes which are delicious sweet cakes with raisins that are chopped up and topped with powdered sugar. It came with apple mousse and lingonberry jam. It was so good!

On our way down the mountain, we sleighed down with a toboggan and it was such a blast! I will admit that it did get scary when we went fast around the edge of the mountain, but overall I’m so glad I did it.

There were also a few times where the terrain flattened out and we had to walk the toboggan to the next hill. I definitely recommend doing this when you go on a hike in the Dolomites during the winter!

A Dolomitic Spa Experience:

Another wonderful experience I got through Hotel Teresa was a wonderful Dolomitic Facial. Before I dive deep into my amazing facial, I do want to let you know that the hotel offers a variety of spa packages from massages to facials and manicures to pedicures.

One of the top things Hotel Teresa wanted to offer its guests was the ultimate natural beauty experience right from the Italian Alps.

They were so excited to offer the brand-new Dolomitic Water Aqua 1296 skin care line to their facials.

Dolomitic Water offers hydration from high altitudes in the mountains and it is derived from the union of water of the Dolomites and porphyry stone of Trentino along with the combination of prehistoric nature with the latest in biotechnology.

This amazing spa experience was so refreshing, relaxing and rejuvenating for my skin and it left my face glowing and feeling super soft.

The freshness of the mountain waters and the power of the stone allow you to feel total regeneration. The Dolomitic Water offers calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, which stimulates hydration and allows your skin to recover fast.

All Dolomitic Water products are dermatologically tested and suitable for all skin types. They are also completely free from synthetic dyes, have a delicate fragrance and are paraben free. The products felt amazing on my skin and I loved how awakened I was after the facial.

Overall, it was an hour long and the esthetician did an amazing job. It was the perfect treat during my Dolomites winter getaway!

A Day Trip to Lago di Braies:

Even though I visited Lago di Braies on my very last day in the Italian Dolomites and didn’t go through the hotel, I highly recommend making your way there during your winter Dolomites trip since it located on the other side of Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park.

Lago di Braies is the largest natural lake in the Dolomites and it is also one of the deepest.

During the summertime, you could see this stunning lake reflect its emerald colors and are filled with colorful canoes. In the winter, Lago di Braies is covered with ice and snow and it offers the perfect playground for snowshoe hikes and Nordic Walkers.

In addition, you could go hiking all year round and, in the wintertime, they offer dogsledding.

During your time at Lago di Braies, I recommend walking around and checking out all of the beauty, including the stunning chapel located right on the lake!

The Hotel Pragser Wildsee is located on Lago di Braies and it is the perfect place to grab a nice lunch and a local wine!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my winter escape; enjoying the nature and culture of the Dolomites as well as my experience staying at Hotel Teresa.

If you have any questions about my time in the Italian Dolomites, please email me at info@browneyedflowerchild.com.

Make sure to pin this post if you find it useful!

Basic Facts of Italy:

Currency: Euro, Capital: Rome, Time Zone: Central European Standard Time

*Anything could happen during your travels. Always make sure you are insured in case there are unforeseen circumstances such as lost luggage/theft, natural disasters, personal liabilities and more. Click here to get insured for your next trip.

Shop my Dolomites Look: