Sunny Side Up
Hike through the
enchanting and more affordable side of Alps this summer
As a student, a vacation in Swiss Alps usually meant
an expensive Swiss sojourn that was out of bounds during the skiing season due
to the exorbitant rates or overbooking in summer with visitors from across the
globe. French and Austrian sides were equally enticing but also expensive. A
visit to the postcard mountains was to remain a dream till one Italian
classmate uttered Alps and Dolomites. Apart from his unmissable Italian way of
speaking, what sounded music to our ears was the affordable plan he laid out in
front of us. Alps at half the cost! And with the blink of an eye a group of
enthusiastic univ students were going to embark on an Italian hike of a
lifetime.
SAME RANGE, DIFFERENT SIDES
Now first things first, Alps and Dolomites are not
two separate mountain ranges but the same. If you are planning a visit to Italy
and hope to visit either or both the ranges, the choice is simple. If you are
in Milan, opt for Alps and if you are in Venice, opt for Dolomites. Both the
regions are not too far from each other and you can reach from one end to the
other in about six hours, driving down some incredible mountain roads. Best is
to drive down, as public transport can be a bit tricky and there are many small
villages and scenic spots on the way that you would want to stop and enjoy.
DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS
A three-hour drive from Venice took us to Dolomites.
If the drive wasn’t mesmerising enough, the first sight of the fabled lush
green slopes and endless scenic beauty just leaves you absolutely spellbound.
The drive on the Grand Dolomite Road from Bolzano to Cortina seems like a work
of fiction with all the natural beauty around. Our chosen stop was Cortina
d’Ampezzo, an extremely popular winter ski destination that, during summer, is
nothing less than a paradise for hiking, biking and rock climbing. It is best
advised to book your stay here in advance as on-the-spot bookings can be
difficult to find or will cost even more than hotels in Venice.
After enjoying Cortina for a day, we headed to Passo
di Giau or Giau Pass the next day. This is the area where we got to admire the
Dolomites or Southern Limestone Alps, as they are also known, to their fullest.
While many usually return from Cortina, we can’t thank our Italian friend
enough for taking us to this mountain pass. This is where most people go for a
warm-up trek, preparing for treks to higher peaks.
VALLEY OF 100 CASTLES
Next, we were on our way to explore the other end of
Italian Alps bordering Switzerland and France. Since we were to pass Milan on
the way, we stopped to explore the popular Italian tourist destination for a
couple of days. Again, having a local really helped, as he took us to Lake Como
from Milan (just a 90-min drive). Most tourists would have missed this gem of a
place. From Milan we headed out to Valle d’Aosta or Aosta Valley. It was to be
our gateway to the western Alps. Forests, waterfalls, snowcapped mountain peaks
and a number of castles with many riverside villages on the way, we could not
have thought of a better setting for a long drive. Aosta has abundant castles,
museums, small water bodies and beautiful natural parks to visit. It is said
that one had to pass the valley to go to the Alpine region where ancient lords
had built castles as toll collection points. Some of them — Savoy Castle and
Cly castle — are a must visit as is St Bernard Pass.
After a truly memorable outing, one would recommend
the mountainous side of Italy any day over the oversaturated Italian towns and
cities.
Nausheen Tareen
TOI 6MAY18
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