Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8pm-8am)
After-hours
Guardia Medica Notturna
(
0461 58 56 37; Piazza Centrale 1, Andalo;
medical call-out service.
Molveno Tourist Office
(
0461 58 69 24; Piazza Marconi;
9am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm Mon-Sat,
9.30am-12.30pm Sun )
IRON WAYS
During WWI, the Italian army was engaged in a lengthy conflict against their Austrian foes on a verti-
ginous battlefront that sliced across the Dolomites, and the scars of this brutal campaign are still
etched indelibly over the Alpine landscape.
In order to maximise ease of movement up in the rugged, perilous peaks, the two armies attached
ropes and ladders across seemingly impregnable crags in a series of fixed-protection climbing paths
known as
vie ferrate
(iron ways). Renovated with steel rungs, bridges and heavy-duty wires after the
war, the
vie ferrate
evolved into a cross between standard hiking and full-blown rock climbing, allow-
ing non-mountaineers, with the right equipment, to experience such challenging terrain.
Madonna di Campiglio and Cortina d'Ampezzo are the gateways to the most spectacular routes, but
vie ferrate
exist all over the Dolomites.
From mid-June to mid-September, a network of mountain huts offering food and accommodation
line the route -
Tourism Südtirol
(
www.trekking.suedtirol.info
) maintains a comprehensive list.
Tourist offices can provide maps and details of skill level required, and descriptions of each route can
be found at
www.dolomiti-altevie.it
.
Getting There & Around
Free ski buses serve the area in winter.
Trentino Trasporti
( 0461 82 10 00;
www.ttesercizio.it
)
Runs buses between all five villages
and Trento (€3.10 to €4.40, 1-2½ hours, up to nine daily) and services to Madonna di
Campiglio (€5.10) and Riva del Garda (€6.20) on Lago di Garda; tourist offices have
timetables.
Madonna Di Campiglio & Pinzolo
POP 700 / ELEV 1522M
Let there be no doubt, this is the Dolomites' bling belt, where ankle-length furs are stand-
ard après-ski wear and the formidable downhill runs often a secondary concern to the so-
cial whirl. Austrian royalty set the tone in the 19th century, in particular Franz Joseph and
wife Elisabeth (Sissi). This early celeb patronage is commemorated in late February, when
fireworks blaze and costumed pageants waltz through town for the annual
Habsburg Carni-
