Villnöß

Santa Maddalena, also known as St. Magdalena, is a picturesque medieval church sequestered in the northern mountains of Italy. The Odle Mountain Group of the Dolomites tower above the surrounding valley and provide an incredible backdrop for images. To reach the best vantage point to photograph Santa Maddalena, start from the spot marked on the map and follow the small trail a short way up th...

This small church sits in a cow pasture just outside of Puez-Geisler Nature Park. The church is next to a hotel, making parking and visiting a little easier. To get the best vantage point of the church and mountains, walk down the road and shoot through the fence. The mountains are fairly luminous, so you'll want to bracket your shots.

Seceda is one of the most famous (and most photographed) spots in all of the Italian Dolomites. This summer I decided to finally visit it to see if it was really worth the hype, and to see if there was a way to escape the worst of the crowds.Most tourists visit Seceda from Ortisei, taking the cable car up. But for anyone who loves to hike there's also another way (that's also cheaper!).Instead ...

If you want to add a via ferrata on to your itinerary for the Dolomites, then the Pisciadù Via Ferrata (also known as Brigata Tridentina Klettersteig) is one of the best. A Dolomites classic! This VF is easily accessible from the village of Colfosco, on the Passo Gardena mountain pass, with a small parking area close to the start. Because this VF is easy to reach and not too technically challen...

If you're planning a trip to the Dolomites, you simply must plan a hut-to-hut hike.Last year I did a number of multi-day hikes from hut to hut, and this one definitely has to be one of the most dramatic.I've already shared the first day of the adventure in this post, so today I'm going to share the next stage of the adventure.After spending the night in Rifugio Pisciadu, we got up for sunrise a...

Cita dei Sassi is a great sport climbing and bouldering area on the Sella Pass, not far from Val Gardena in the Dolomites, with a number of boulders and short, bolted sport routes all a short walk from the car park. To access the area, drive over the Sella Pass until you reach the parking areas for the Cabinovia Forcella Sassolungo lift and the Rifugio Malga Sella. There is a small amount of fr...

One of the most scenic lakes in the Dolomites, this spot can be found right along the road as you drive by from Lake Garda toward Lago Di Brais.  One of the richest and deepest blues in a glacial lake in the Dolomites. Definitely worth your time to stretch your legs and hike around this amazing scene.  It is near a coffeeshop, bakery, and gift shop near a parking lot where you can have lunch! 

Lago Limides is a small alpine lake on the Falzarego Pass in the Italian Dolomites, not far from Cortina d'Ampezzo.For this hike, we parked at the Falzarego Lagazuoi cable car station, and followed the trail on the opposite side of the road. The trail is a narrow dirt trail, but it's easy to follow. After a short uphill, it bends off a little to the left and you traverse across until you get to...

The hike from Passo San Pellegrino to Rifugio Mulaz is stage seven of the incredible Alta Via 2 multi-day hut-to-hut trek in the Dolomites, which starts in Brixen/Bressanone and ends in Croce d’Aune north of Venice. This challenging but stunning hike is full of incredible scenery, where lush green alpine pasture turn into rugged rocky spires. We started this stage of the hike on San Pellegrino,...