Dolomiti: Alleghe Funivie

When we asked the woman at the tourist information office to recommend a mountain village to visit nearby, she didn’t hesitate in suggesting Alleghe. Thus, that is where we headed today.

Alleghe is settled on the shores of Lago di Alleghe … in the foothills of Monte Civetta, which rises to 10,565 feet (3,220m) above sea level. Many consider it the geographical heart of the Dolomites (which, if I haven’t mentioned it before, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

When we left the apartment, the plan was to park the car, walk around Lago di Alleghe, and find a place for lunch with a view. We ended up skipping most of the middle part of that plan, replacing it with a funivia (cableway) ride up to the largest ski area in the Veneto Region.

We had no expectation of snow at the top, but we did find the cooler temperatures that were missing in the valley. So much so that, when the wind picked up, we had to break out the jackets we had tucked into Mui’s backpack. That was the good news. The not so good? We lost the sun the further up we went. Oh well.

The funivia consists of two separate lines. The first one goes up from Alleghe at 3,182 feet asl (970m) to Piani di Pezzè at 4,763 feet asl (1,452m). The second line goes up a further 1,542 feet (470m) to Col dei Baldi at 6,305 feet asl (1,922m). One can buy tickets for one line or both; one way or round trip. We opted for the latter in both cases.

On a weekday, there were no lines at all. In fact, our entire time on the mountain was quiet with very few people around. Those we encountered were either heading off on a hike or returning from one of the trails.

Within a minute or two of purchasing our tickets, we were on our way up. Getting off the first line, we walked in the direction of the station for the second line, dallying along the way to check out the views, and the Chiesetta Alpina, the tiny church near the chalet where Mui grabbed an espresso.

Pressing onward with our second gondola ride, we spent more time at the top, enjoying the scenery despite the wind and the increasing cloud cover. At the chalet, we grabbed hot beverages — espresso for Mui, and a thick, gooey hot chocolate for me that left Mui salivating. We found seats on the terrace, out of the wind, and enjoyed our beverages with a view.

We debated doing a hike. The one that went to Lago di Coldai promised a lake with reflections. But we had not come prepared for a three-hour, high-elevation hike. Instead, we decided to head back down to the village for lunch.Read more