A Road Trip in Italy

It’s a different way to travel. It reminds me of the best part of my childhood. A road trip lets you watch the scenery roll by, but it also helps you understand your endurance and resilience on the road. It lets you listen to your body, rest when you need to, and fall asleep quickly. There’s no time for nonsense like insomnia or trouble eating. We have to keep moving and be in top shape to tackle the hikes we’ve planned—especially if we want to reach our destination or the end of our journey. You get the picture!

On our way to Italy, we’ll be taking long hikes over five days in the Dolomites. Then, we’ll head down to the Amalfi Coast and finally stop in the “boot” of Italy—Puglia. On our way back up to Belgium, we’ll make another stop at the Cinque Terre. We sincerely hope to bring the good weather back with us on our return. I’ll create a page on this site with the routes and hotels we’ll be staying at along the way.

Heading to the Dolomites

A 12-hour overnight drive, passing through Luxembourg and crisscrossing Germany and Austria in pouring rain—at times torrential. This rain became increasingly exhausting as the night wore on, and our breaks were extremely short. We looked for shelter to stretch our legs, and our spirits took a hit at every stop. At times, we wondered if we were really on a trip at all. This feeling was heightened because we’d left Belgium in the rain, and that weather seemed to follow us like a magnet throughout our entire journey.

Twelve hours later, we finally reached the South Tyrol region in the Alps.

We arrived in Bolzano early in the morning, exhausted from the drive, and took a short break in the city while waiting to check in at the Hotel Leonard, located on the city’s hillside. After eating and killing some time in town, we headed to the hotel, where a quick nap was in order.

Bolzano

Bolzano is the major hub of South Tyrol; it’s a large basin in the middle of the Alps with a milder, more pleasant climate, serving as a transit point for everything moving from north to south. The valleys of South Tyrol have been traversed by migrating peoples throughout history. In fact, the first written records of the city date back to Roman times.

After eating, we hit the road again toward the hotel, which is located on the hills above the city, south of Bolzano. We rest for a few hours before getting ready to head out again. That said, when choosing our hotels, we didn’t anticipate that a 20-kilometer drive could be so tedious and time-consuming in the mountains.

Lake Carezza.

A 30-km drive can quickly turn into more than 1 hour and 30 minutes due to traffic jams and the mountainous terrain. We head to the starting point of the Carezza Lake hike, located in the parking lot of a hotel-restaurant; the QR code below will give you the exact address.

The trail begins with an uphill path. We walk a little over 4 km through the woods before catching sight of the blue-green lake ahead of us—first high above, then as we get closer.

The color is so intense that it doesn’t look nearly as captivating in photos. It looks like an emerald gem. We walk around the lake, trying to weave our way through the other tourists. It’s worth noting that this lake is easily accessible by road.

We’re at the lake’s edge, at an elevation of 1,534 meters; the lake is 300 meters long and 22 meters deep in some places. The lake’s name comes from the Caricaceae, a family of plants with broad, lobed leaves. It’s fed by melting ice via underground springs.

We walk around the lake but stop almost every meter to take photos; the color is so magical that we can’t help but be in awe.

Finally, we leave the lake after spending a good hour there and head back into the woods. We take a wrong turn on the last few kilometers and find ourselves having to tackle a difficult climb through the humid, stifling wilderness, under the blazing heat! The shy sun was definitely out in full force!The 8 km planned in the original itinerary quickly turned into 11 km!

A little anecdote

To tell the truth, it’s becoming common for us to end up with more kilometers on the odometer than on paper. Our hiking training sessions in Belgium have shown us that we always end up walking a few extra kilometers in reality!

And actually, to tell you the truth, I hadn’t planned a trip at all for the summer. Luckily, I got the chance to go on this trip because the weather in Belgium is so depressing in the middle of summer. Actually, I had ear surgery in April and wasn’t allowed to fly for a few months. A friend told me about her road trip plans with an old friend of hers. It came at just the right time! It’s been my habit for the past few years to always ask if I can come along! An adventure is an adventure, and I love road trips. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a different way to travel!

Of course, we’d trained in parts of Belgium where hikes can be a bit challenging, but the difficulty level here is inevitably much higher—and it’s especially our endurance that’s going to take a hit over several days in a row! We’d tested our endurance, our ability to recover, and—most of all—our legs. And off we went!

Secada at 2,500 m.

The “2.5-hour” rule really comes into play here, along with the 500-meter elevation gain—as you’ll see as you read on, theory and practice are by no means the same!

Day 2. We plan to leave earlier the next day because we’re heading up a long climb to the Secada viewpoint, combined with a change of accommodations! The night before, we asked the hotel to pack us a breakfast to take with us. So we hit the road for Ortisei. The road was congested with traffic, but the scenery was already impressive.

We parked in a lot that cost €7.50 for the day, and from there, we began our ascent. It was a long, continuous climb up a rocky trail.

With the fatigue that’s been building up over the past three days, I have to admit we’re struggling—our calves are burning, and it’s our willpower that’s pushing us forward. At the first rest stop, we arrive at a winter resort with chalets scattered across the hills, somewhat abandoned in the summer.

We continue our ascent, where the elevation gain becomes increasingly difficult to manage. The second section is more exposed and therefore more in the sun, which beats down harder at this altitude.

The peak is at an altitude of 2,500 meters, and we’re struggling to reach it. We’re stopping more and more often, out of breath. Fatigue is setting in, but we’re determined to reach the summit.

A drink awaits us at the last bar at the top! We can’t resist, though, and have one halfway up to give us a boost!

After hours of climbing, we’ve finally made it. This summit—so close, yet so far away at the same time. I’m taken in by a breathtaking landscape, majestic from this height, but also imbued with a sense of tranquility and peace offered by this spectacular, seemingly endless view.

Secada and the Odle Peaks. I savor this moment of natural beauty for a very long time, and we finally take a long break at the bar located at an altitude of 2,500 meters.

It’s 4:00 p.m.; we need to head back down as soon as possible—we have to have dinner and check in at our new lodging. We decide to take the chairlift for the first part of the descent, and luck is on our side—it was closing time, but the handsome Italian guy who was wrapping up his day lets us take the last ride. The rest of the descent is on foot, taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Tired but proud of our achievement, we go to dinner at a restaurant before hitting the road again toward our new lodging in Cortina.

We crossed another mountain range—75 km—to reach Cortina d’Ampezzo. We arrived at sunset, and by the time we unpacked our things, it was already late. Tomorrow, a new hike awaits us.

See you soon for the next installment of our adventures,

Your devoted Ninve,

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