Day Trip from Lake Grada to Dolomites

By Earth's Pilgrim
Read the entire Series - Italian Road Trip
Show More Posts
You can’t conquer a mountain, though it may conquer youJimmy Chin

The much-awaited road trip and something we both were looking forward to were the mighty Dolomites. Have been seeing and reading a lot about them and it was finally time to head to the Dolomites. Join us for a perfect Day trip from Lake Grada to Dolomites exploring Sella pass, Seiser Alm, Lake of Carezza and more.

We had an early start and headed North from Lake Garda. Addy had her breakfast in the car itself today as we had quite some distance to cover. We took the highway towards Bolzano before taking a detour towards the Dolomites. The landscape was fast changing with initially rugged mountains appearing on both sides, followed by pine trees and signs of snow-capped peaks. A couple of more hairpin bends and right next to a steep corner – The first uninterrupted look of the mighty Dolomites. We were absolutely awestruck at the beauty of this place.

One tip is to get your tank beforehand as there are very few Fuel stations on this route and ensure you drive safely as the roads are narrow at certain places

The preferred Dolomites route is from Bolzano to Cortina, however we were keen to do a section of this route as we were on a day trip. So we were keen to do the Bolzano to Sella pass circular and have time for some random detours. One very important aspect of this route is the weather – Please check beforehand as roads usually get closed if the weather is not good. Here is a list of websites and webcams to check for the Bolzano to Sella pass circular day trip

As we wind through the narrow mountain road the scenery kept getting more and more awesome and soon, we were at our first destination – Lake of Carezza. This is a small Alpine Lake in the Dolomites and one of the famous Instagram pictures. We parked here and head over across the tunnel to the viewing platform. This was March and the lake was fully frozen though the place was beautiful, and desserted – So addy had loads of fun running around while we stretched our legs. This place also as a visitor centre/café and toilets.

Lake of Carezza Parking – https://goo.gl/maps/dng8JkTA5QhyHeRq8

Soon we got going heading further north into the Dolomites heading towards Canazei. More and more majestic peaks were now appearing, and we took quite a lot of random pitstops to soak in the beauty. We passed multiple little settlements/villages which were buzzing with tourists as this is a quite a famous Ski destination. Well skiing isn’t our thing, so we marched ahead awing at what surrounded us – Blue skies, towering peaks glistening with the white slow and the pine trees which were the icing on the cake. The Route as such has no specific Destinations/Points, it’s the natural beauty surrounding you which makes the drive worthwhile.

We marched ahead taking the left towards Urtijëi to continue our Circular route stopping by at the Sella peaks and the Sella pass. The peaks were quite intimidating, and the pass was absolutely mesmerising. We parked our car at the top and rested for some time taking in all the views and breathing in the fresh cold air into our lungs – felt very refreshing – In tune with the harmony of nature!

We winded downhill towards Urtijëi – again a little town and one of the last on our Circular route. So, this meant we had all the time to take our little detour planned to Seiser Alm. And this proved to be one of the best drives in the Dolomites. We quickly left Urtijëi and headed uphill through a narrow path surrounded by pine trees and crossing multiple small settlements. The drive was wonderful, though a little scary at times! Very soon we were at Seiser Alm a Skiing Plateau. We had a nice Lunch there and one of best Beef Goulash.

Post lunch we got on the Snow and let Addy have her first experience with the white magical crystals. She loved every bit of it and dint want to get off the Snow and back in the car.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to the Dolomites and make our way back to our home – Lake Garda. So, with a heavy heart we bid Adieu to the Dolomites, the Only regret being that we should have spent more time here and had a couple of days to stay here!

To celebrate this wonderful day all 3 of us were now craving for Ice-cream and to our surprise as we reached Lake Garda everything was closed, or shops ran out of ice-cream! But our willpower is quite strong when it comes to Food . We went around Lake Garda jumping from one shop to other and spending an additional 1.5hrs to find the elusive Ice-cream and savour it. Though foolish, we had a good laugh at the end of it and we had a happy kiddo .

Dolomites were truly the highlight of this Italian Road trip and something which will be cherished in our memories for ever. Tuscany, Venice, Lake Grada and then Dolomites – What an amazing road trip it has been..

Earth's Pilgrim

This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *