Dolomites
Encyclopedia
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps
Southern Limestone Alps
The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacent lands of Austria and Slovenia. The distinction from the Central Alps, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological...

 and extends from the River Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....

 in the west to the Piave Valley
Piave River
Piave is a river in north Italy. It begins in the Alps and flows southeast for into the Adriatic Sea near the city of Venice....

 (Pieve di Cadore
Pieve di Cadore
Pieve di Cadore is a comune in the province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 110 km north of Venice and about 35 km northeast of Belluno.The painter Titian was born here, c. 1485...

) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley
Pustertal
The Puster Valley is a valley in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in Tyrol, Austria and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy...

 and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno
Province of Belluno
TheThe Province of Belluno is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Belluno.It has an area of 3,678 km², and a total population of 214,026 .-Geography:...

, South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...

 and Trentino.

There are also mountain groups of similar geological structure that spread over the River Piave to the east – Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west – Dolomiti di Brenta
Brenta Group
The Brenta Group is a mountain range of the Rhaetian Alps. It is located in the Italian province of Trentino.The Brenta Group is separated from the Ortler Alps in the north by the Noce valley; from the Adamello-Presanella group in the west by the Campo Carlo Magno Pass and the river Sarca; from...

 (Western Dolomites). There is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites) located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona
Province of Verona
The Province of Verona is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Verona.-Overview:The province has an area of 3,109 km², and a total population of 912,981...

 and Vicenza
Province of Vicenza
The Province of Vicenza is a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital city is Vicenza.The province has an area of 2,723 km², and a total population of 840,000 . There are 121 comuni in the province...

 (see the map).

One national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

 and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a natural heritage site by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

.

History

During the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites. There are now open-air war museums at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the Vie ferrate
Via ferrata
A via ferrata or klettersteig is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities...

, protected paths created during the First World War. A number of long distance footpaths run across the Dolomites, which are called "Alte vie" (i.e., high paths). Such long trails, which are numbered from 1 to 8, require at least a week to be walked through and are served by numerous "Rifugi" (huts). The first and, perhaps, most renowned is the Alta Via 1
Alta Via 1
Alta Via 1 is a 150 km long high level public footpath which runs through the eastern Dolomites in Italy. It is also known as the Dolomite High Route 1. It passes through some of the finest scenery in the Dolomites. The path runs south from Pragser Wildsee, near Toblach, to Belluno...

.

Geography

The region is commonly divided into the Western and Eastern Dolomites, separated by a line following the Val Badia – Campolongo Pass – Cordevole Valley (Agordino) axis.

Origin of the name

The name "Dolomites" is derived from the famous French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 mineralogist
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...

 Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu
Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu
Dieudonné Sylvain Guy Tancrède de Dolomieu usually known as Déodat de Dolomieu was a French geologist; the rock dolomite and the largest summital crater on the Piton de la Fournaise volcano were named after him.Déodat de Dolomieu was born in Dauphiné, France, one of 11 children of the Marquis de...

 who was the first to describe the rock, dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....

, a type of carbonate rock
Carbonate rock
Carbonate rocks are a class of sedimentary rocks composed primarily of carbonate minerals. The two major types are limestone, which is composed of calcite or aragonite and dolostone, which is composed of the mineral dolomite .Calcite can be either dissolved by groundwater or precipitated by...

 which is responsible for the characteristic shapes and colour of these mountains; previously they were called the "pale mountains," and it was only in the early 19th century that the name was Gallicized.

Tourism

A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

 in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, climbing and Base Jumping
BASE jumping
BASE jumping, also sometimes written as B.A.S.E jumping, is an activity that employs an initially packed parachute to jump from fixed objects...

, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. Free climbing
Free climbing
Free climbing is a type of rock climbing in which the climber uses only hands, feet and other parts of the body to ascend, employing ropes and forms of climbing protection to prevent falls only....

 has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajolettürme. The main centres include: Rocca Pietore
Rocca Pietore
Rocca Pietore is a comune in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 160 km north of Venice and about 40 km northwest of Belluno....

 alongside the Marmolada
Marmolada
Marmolada is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites ....

 Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe
Alleghe
Alleghe is a village and comune in the province of Belluno, Veneto, NE Italy.To the west Alleghe borders with Alleghe Lake, which was formed in 1771 by a landslide from the adjacent Mount Piz.-Name:...

, Falcade
Falcade
Falcade is a comune in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 110 km northwest of Venice and about 35 km northwest of Belluno...

, Auronzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...

 and the villages of Arabba, Urtijëi
Urtijëi
Urtijëi is a town of 4,637 inhabitants in South Tyrol, in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It occupies the Val Gardena within the Dolomites, a mountain chain that is part of the Alps...

 and San Martino di Castrozza
San Martino di Castrozza
San Martino di Castrozza is a mountain resort in the Primiero valley in the Trentino province in Italy. The western part, with 428 inhabitants, is in the comune of Siror, the eastern, with 135, in Tonadico.- History :...

, as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys.

In the first week in July, the Maratona dles Dolomites
Maratona dles Dolomites
The Maratona dles Dolomites , is an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven spectacular mountain passes in the Dolomites. Open to amateurs cyclists, the Maratona—with 9,000 riders from over 40 nations—is one of the biggest Italian Granfondo bicycle races...

, an annual single-day road bicycle racing race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, is staged.

Major peaks





















































































































































































NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
Marmolada
Marmolada
Marmolada is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites ....

3343 10,968 Pala di San Martino 2982 9831
Antelao
Antelao
Monte Antelao is the highest mountain in the eastern Dolomites in northeastern Italy, southeast of the town of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the region of Cadore. It is known as the "King of the Dolomites"...

3264 10,706 Rosengartenspitze
Rosengartenspitze
- External links :*...

 / Catinaccio
2981 9781
Tofana di Mezzo 3241 10,633 Marmarole 2961 9715
Punta Sorapis 3229 10,594 Cima di Fradusta 2941 9649
Monte Civetta
Monte Civetta
Monte Civetta is a mountain in the Dolomites, in the Province of Belluno in northern Italy.The north-western side of the mountain has a steep cliff more than 1,000 m high.-External links:* - Wikivoyage...

3220 10,564 Monte Agner 2872 9416
Vernel 3145 10,319 Fermedaturm 2867 9407
Cristallo
Cristallo (mountain)
Cristallo is a mountain group in the Italian Dolomites, northeast of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. It is a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres.-Peaks:...

3221 10568 Cima d'Asta 2848 9344
Cima di Vezzana 3192 10,470 Cima di Canali 2846 9338
Cimon della Pala
Cimon della Pala
Cimon della Pala, sometimes called Cimone and The Matterhorn of the Dolomites , is the best-known peak of the Pale di San Martino group, in the Dolomites, northern Italy...

3184 10,453 Croda Grande 2839 9315
Langkofel
Langkofel
The Langkofel is a mountain in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy....

 / Sassolungo
3181 10,427 Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet (highest) 2821 9256
Pelmo 3169 10,397 Sass Maor 2816 9239
Dreischusterspitze 3162 10,375 Cima di Ball 2783 9131
Boespitze / Piz Boè
Piz Boè
Piz Boè is the main peak of the Sella-Group a mountain-range in the Dolomites, Italy. It has an elevation of .-External links:**...

 (Sella group
Sella group
The Sella is a plateau shaped massif in the Dolomites mountains of northern Italy. The Sella lies north of the Marmolada and to the east of the Langkofel...

)
3152 10,342 Cima della Madonna (Sass Maor) 2751 9026
Croda Rossa (Hohe Gaisl) 3148 10,329 Rosetta 2741 8993
Piz Popena 3143 10,312 Croda da Lago 2716 8911
Elferkofel
Elferkofel
- References :*Richard Goedeke: Sextener Dolomiten. Bergverlag Rother, 1988. ISBN 3-7633-1255-2...

3115 10,220 Central Grasleitenspitze 2705 8875
Grohmannspitze (Langkofel
Langkofel
The Langkofel is a mountain in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy....

)
3111 10,207 Schlern
Schlern
The Schlern is a mountain of the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy.The peak at the north west end of the mountain was first ascended in 1888 by Johann Santner...

2562 8406
Zwölferkofel
Zwölferkofel
The Zwölferkofel or Zwölfer is a peak of the Sexten Dolomites on the border between the provinces South Tyrol and Belluno, in Italy....

3091 10,142 Sasso di Mur 2554 8380
Sass Rigais
Sass Rigais
Sass Rigais is a mountain in the Alps lying in the northwestern Dolomites, in Italy and part of the Geisler group . Sass Rigais offers as one of few Dolomites threethousands entire crossing top from one part to the second. Both footpaths are separate ways. Via ferrata Villnössersteig are...

 (Geislerspitzen)
3027 9932 Cima delle Dodici 2338 7671
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps...

3003 9853 Monte Pavione 2336 7664
Kesselkogel
Kesselkogel
The Kesselkogel is the highest mountain in the Rosengarten group in South Tyrol, Italy....

 (Rosengarten)
3001 9846 Cima di Posta 2235 7333
Fünffingerspitze 2997 9833 Monte Pasubio 2232 7323

Major passes

Name metres feet
Ombretta Pass (Campitello to Caprile), foot path 2,738 8,983
Langkofeljoch (Gröden Valley to Campitello), foot path 2,683 8,803
Tschagerjoch (Karersee
Karersee
The Karersee is a lake in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy. It belongs to the municipality of Welschnofen.- References :*...

 to the Vajolet Glen), foot path
2,644 8,675
Grasleiten Pass (Vajolet Glen to the Grasleiten Glen), foot path 2,597 8,521
Pravitale Pass (Rosetta Plateau to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2,580 8,465
Comelle Pass (same to Cencenighe), foot path 2,579 8,462
Rosetta Pass (San Martino di Castrozza
San Martino di Castrozza
San Martino di Castrozza is a mountain resort in the Primiero valley in the Trentino province in Italy. The western part, with 428 inhabitants, is in the comune of Siror, the eastern, with 135, in Tonadico.- History :...

 to the great limestone Rosetta plateau), foot path
2,573 8,442
Vajolet Pass (Tiers to the Vajolet Glen), foot path 2,549 8,363
Canali Pass (Primiero to Agordo), foot path 2,497 8,193
Tierseralpljoch (Campitello to Tiers), foot path 2,455 8,055
Ball Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2,450 8,038
Forcella di Giralba (Sexten
Sexten
Sexten is a comune in South Tyrol, in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of north-east Italy. The town is famous as a summer and winter sport resort and the mountains.-Geography:...

 to Auronzo), foot path
2,436 7,992
Col dei Bos (Falzarego Glen to the Travernanzes Glen), foot path 2,313 7,589
Forcella Grande (San Vito to Auronzo), foot path 2,262 7,422
Pordoi Pass (Arabba to Val di Fassa), road 2,250 7,382
Sella Pass (Gröden Valley to Val di Fassa), road 2,244 7,362
Giau Pass (Cortina
Cortina
-Things:* Cortina * Ford Cortina, a medium-sized family car built by Ford of Britain from 1962 to 1982**Lotus Cortina, a 1963–1968 performance variant on the above...

 to Val Fiorentina), road
2,236 7,336
Tre Sassi Pass (Cortina
Cortina
-Things:* Cortina * Ford Cortina, a medium-sized family car built by Ford of Britain from 1962 to 1982**Lotus Cortina, a 1963–1968 performance variant on the above...

 to St Cassian), foot path
2,199 7,215
Valparola Pass (Cortina
Cortina
-Things:* Cortina * Ford Cortina, a medium-sized family car built by Ford of Britain from 1962 to 1982**Lotus Cortina, a 1963–1968 performance variant on the above...

 to St Cassian), road
2,168 7,113
Mahlknechtjoch (Upper Duron Glen to the Seiser Alp), foot path 2,168 7,113
Gardena Pass (Gröden Valley to Colfuschg), road 2,121 6,959
Falzarego Pass (Caprile to Cortina
Cortina
-Things:* Cortina * Ford Cortina, a medium-sized family car built by Ford of Britain from 1962 to 1982**Lotus Cortina, a 1963–1968 performance variant on the above...

), road
2,117 6,946
Fedaja Pass (Val di Fassa to Caprile), bridle path 2,046 6,713
Valles Pass (Paneveggio to Falcade), road 2,032 6,667
Würzjoch (Eisacktal
Eisacktal
Eisack Valley is a district in South Tyrol, Italy. It comprises the middle part of the valley of the Eisack, from Franzensfeste in the north to Waidbruck in the south....

 to Val Badia), road
2,003 6,572
Rolle Pass (Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero), road 1,984 6,509
Forcella Forada (Caprile to San Vito), bridle path 1,975 6,480
San Pellegrino Pass (Moena to Cencenighe), road 1,910 6,267
Campolongo Pass (Corvara to Arabba), road 1,875 6,152
Forcella d'Alleghe (Alleghe to the Zoldo Glen), foot path 1,820 5,971
Tre Croci Pass (Cortina to Auronzo), road 1,808 5,932
Furkel Pass (Mareo
Mareo
Mareo is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 90 km northeast of Trento and about 50 km northeast of Bolzano .-Geography:...

 to Olang
Olang
Olang is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 100 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 60 km northeast of the city of Bolzano.-Geography:...

), road
1,759 5,771
Karerpass or Costalunga Pass (Welschnofen to Vigo di Fassa
Vigo di Fassa
Vigo di Fassa is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 60 km northeast of Trento...

), road
1,753 5,751
Kreuzbergpass or Monte Croce Pass (Innichen and Sexten to the Piave Valley and Belluno), road 1,638 5,374
Ampezzo Pass (Toblach
Toblach
Toblach is a comune/Gemeinde in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located in the Puster Valley about 110 km northeast of the city of Trento and about 70 km northeast of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.As of November 30, 2010, it had a...

 to Cortina and Belluno), path
1,544 5,066
Cereda Pass (Primiero to Agordo), road 1,372 4,501
Toblach Pass (Bruneck
Bruneck
Bruneck is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr with the Rienz Bruneck is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr with the Rienz...

 to Lienz
Lienz
Lienz is a medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality also includes the cadastral subdivision of Patriasdorf.-Geography:...

), railway
1,209 3,967

Major parks

  • Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park 77865 acres (315.1 km²)
  • Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo 27675 acres (112 km²)
  • Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags
    Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags
    The Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park is a nature reserve in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy.- References :*- External links :...

     25680 ha (257 km²)
  • Parco naturale Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino 48680 acres (197 km²)
  • Naturpark Schlern-Rosengarten
    Naturpark Schlern-Rosengarten
    - References :*- External links :...

     6796 ha (68 km²)
  • Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten 28750 acres (116.3 km²)
  • Naturpark Puez-Geisler
    Naturpark Puez-Geisler
    The Puez-Geisler Nature Park is a nature reserve in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy.- References :*- External links :* Photo 360°: position: Seceda, position: Brogles, position: Gschnagenhardt...

    10196 ha (102 km²)
  • Parco naturale provinciale dell' Adamello-Brenta 153320 acres (620.5 km²)


  • External links

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