Majestic, magical, unique
A World Heritage Site since 2009, according to Reinhold Messner “the most beautiful mountains in the world” and for many a hiking and winter region par excellence: the Dolomites. Laion is considered the gateway to the pale giants. And the perfect connection to the cable cars ensures you can get quickly up to its rocky heart. Off you go: Pack your rucksack and set off into a world where unforgettable adventures await.
History book and time machine
With its bizarre rocky formations and steep sides, the Dolomites are incomparable to other mountains in the world. The different layers of rock are considered to be unique witnesses of the earth’s history, which is over 250 million years old. Here, you’ll walk over former islands, coral reefs and lagoons, which once lay deep under the sea level. In 2009, the Dolomites were added to the list of World Heritage Sites – the highest award to be bestowed on a natural site.
Hiking on a sea bed. Cycle around a coral reef. Climb through the earth’s history. Or simply look, look and look again.
Ulrich Ladurner – journalist from South Tyrol
365 days on the move
The Dolomite mountains can be experienced in many different ways the whole year round. In the winter, they transform into the largest ski circuit in the world. The Dolomiti Superski region and the Sellaronda are an absolute must for skiing fans. And the best bit? It’s just 15 minutes away from the mountain village Laion in Italy. Anyone seeking out the winter’s quiet side will find it: with snowshoes over glittering slopes, on cross-country skies along cross-country skiing runs, in hiking boots to alpine huts and back down again on a toboggan.
And the summer is in no way inferior to the variety offered in winter, whether you enjoy cycling, wandering through the Puez-Odle Nature Park or climbing the mountain peaks. Enjoy the extended view out over the Dolomites on the Dolorama hiking trail to or from Laion. This is a longer trail that takes several days to complete.
If you’ve ever been to the Dolomites, you’ll know: They are not just mountains.
The Rasciesca: Like a gigantic open-air cinema
What you definitely should put on your to-do list: a hike on the Rasciesca, the local mountain and Laion landmark. Why? Because it is said to be the best viewing point in the Dolomites. On the Rasciesca, with its largely untouched alpine pasture, there is a panorama view par excellence, and in fact it takes in the whole southern Valle Isarco, the Val Gardena Valley, the jagged Geisler peaks, the mighty Sella Group of mountains, the Marmolada glacier, the striking Sasso Lungo Group all the way up to Sciliar.
The Rasciesca is ideal for admiring the mountains in the evening too, when they are draped in mystical colours. On beautiful evenings, the Enrosadira, a special spectacle of light, lights up the rugged limestone towers with colours ranging from glowing red to orange to ever darker violet.