Italian Dolomites & Alpe di Siusi
Based in Castelrotto
The photos I had seen of the Dolomites didn't impress me, so I didn't expect much. WoW! Was I ever wrong! The Alpe di Siusi and Italian Dolomites were absolutely stunning!
We stayed in centrally located Castelrotto at the base of the Dolomites. Unless you're a strong hiker, you need to take a gondola up to Alpe di Siusi which is Europe's largest Alpine meadow.
I had read in the RS tour book about local horseback riding and thought that would be fun so I booked a half day morning ride. It was an easy 10 min bus ride and walk to the clean horse ranch. We rode for about 3 hours in a huge circle around Castelrotto. The horses were well trained and beautiful ... and the ride was absolutely magical ... and the weather was fantastic again.
After the ride I caught the gondola up the mountain to the Alpe di Siusi. OMG! Absolutely breathtaking in every direction. After grabbing some lunch and a cold beer with amazing views around me, I walked awhile then caught a gondola higher up the mountain and hiked back down to the meadow, then took the gondola back down to the base, and bus back to Castelrotto. Another magical day!
Accommodations
On day 3 & 4 of the My Way Tour we stayed in Castelrotto ... very centrally located in the magnificent Italian Dolomites! Our hotel was a beautiful, old family-run hotel named Hotel Cavallino D'Oro
You can see from the photo of my room below how beautiful decorated they are ... with a balcony view to die for.
Castelrotto
Loved my Room!
Part of my attraction to Rick Steves tours is the lovely hotels and rooms they always find for us that are efficiently run, comfortable, usually very charming and always centrally located. I paid the single supplement so I always had a room to myself. Probably best because I can be messy! Haha!