Travel Diaries
Two Sides of the Dolomites
by Kiersten Rich of The Blonde AbroadSpending the summer traveling through Europe, I somehow found myself in the Dolomites twice within two weeks. The first time, I arrived with three girlfriends and a shared commitment to doing as little as humanly possible. The second, I had my four-year-old in tow, hiking shoes packed and a very different agenda. It turned out to be the perfect way to experience a destination I’d been dreaming about for years. The Dolomites are equally suited to days spent doing absolutely nothing and days spent chasing the next mountain view. And, as I quickly discovered, there’s a very luxurious way to do both.
Peak Girls’ Trip
The first stop on our Dolomites tour was a girls’ trip, so naturally, it started on the road. Three girlfriends and I reunited in Italy, piled into a car and set off toward the Dolomites, with three nights ahead of us and one very clear objective: relax. After a busy start to the summer, we had intentionally planned almost nothing. This is somewhat out of character for me (I’m usually the person who arrives with a color-coded itinerary), but somewhere between the winding mountain roads, dramatic peaks and increasingly beautiful views, the idea of having nowhere to be felt pretty perfect.
Our road trip eventually brought us to Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti in Pinzolo, set high in the mountains above town. The design feels both distinctly Italian and perfectly at home in the Dolomites, pairing warm Italian woods, natural stone and sleek, light-filled spaces with floor-to-ceiling glass that opens onto sweeping views of the Dolomite peaks. It has all the coziness of a modern mountain chalet, just elevated to a rather more glamorous level.
We checked into a Two Bedroom Residence that quickly became our own private mountain hideaway, complete with a walk-in closet, freestanding whirlpool tub and, best of all, an in-room steam sauna. It was the best of both worlds for a girls’ trip: the space and intimacy of having an apartment together, with the service and polish of a five-star resort just downstairs.
Booked, Busy, Blissed Out
But the real reason to come here is the spa. At 5,000 square metres spread across four levels, Lefay SPA Dolomiti is one of the largest wellness spaces in the entire Alps, with nine types of saunas and steam baths, relaxation areas, more than 20 treatment rooms and its showstopping heated indoor-outdoor pool. Floating here felt like being suspended in the mountains. Even the outdoor showers had a view. Heavenly, really.
The experience is rooted in Lefay’s wellness philosophy, which blends classical Chinese medicine with Western techniques, so this is not the sort of spa where you squeeze in a massage and call it a day. Here, wellness is a full-blown affair, and we were more than happy to commit. Between the four of us, we managed to book around 25 treatments over three days. Our motto quickly became spa, swim, sauna, repeat—with occasional breaks for breakfast, a spritz and the resort’s DIY juicing station.
But unanimously, the Black Tortoise Detox Path was the highlight—and, according to all four of us, the best treatment we’d ever had. It starts with 30 minutes floating in saline pools before moving into an hour-long scrub and massage, followed by a full-body steam on a heated water bed. By the end, we had completely lost track of time.
Après-Spa
Come evening, we finally traded robes for something more glamorous. After a full day of relaxation, getting dressed for dinner became our main event, followed by martinis and a table at one of Lefay’s restaurants. There are two to choose from: Michelin-starred Grual, named for the nearby mountain and built around “altimetric” cuisine, with dishes inspired by the different landscapes and elevations of the region, from high mountain to Alpine pasture and valley floor. Then there’s Dolomia, where organic, locally sourced ingredients come together in a contemporary menu rooted in modern Italian cuisine.
The irony wasn’t lost on us: we had come to the Dolomites, surrounded by some of Europe’s most spectacular trails and alpine adventures, only to spend three days barely leaving the resort. In our defense, we had mountains to admire, saunas to sweat in and very important spa research to conduct. I regret nothing.
Little One, Big Mountains
The next stop looked a little different: this time, with my little one, Oliver, in tow. The trip shifted from spa days with my girlfriends to mountain adventures for two—in the best possible way.
Before settling into our hotel, we stopped at Plose for the Woody Walk, a less-than-six-kilometre trail filled with interactive stations and play areas that kept Oliver entertained along the way. Pro tip: grab a map at the base of the cable car station—it turns the hike into a mountain treasure hunt. And don’t miss the Plosebob, a rail-guided alpine coaster that drops 147 metres before sending you racing back to the starting point. One last adrenaline rush before check-in.
Home, Sweet Dolomites
We made our way to the oh-so-charming Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa in Ortisei, tucked just off the town’s pedestrian centre. If Lefay showed me how wonderful the Dolomites can be when you barely leave the hotel, Gardena showed me the other side of the equation: how much easier it is to embrace the outdoors when the mountains are practically on your doorstep.
We checked into the Chalet Seceda Suite, a spacious retreat with a large balcony overlooking the village and surrounding peaks. Ortisei is one of those mountain towns that looks almost too picturesque to be real, and waking up to that view made it very easy to understand its appeal.
The Hills Are Alive (With Playgrounds)
One morning, we took the cable car up to Seceda, where the landscape felt almost out of this world. We hiked, stopped at the alpine playground and took in the views before heading back down.
Another day, we simply walked 200 metres from the hotel to the Alpe di Siusi cableway. No loading up the car, hunting for parking or turning a mountain outing into a logistical operation. For a parent traveling with a little one, that is my definition of luxury.
At the top, the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe stretched out before us. We spent the day exploring the wide-open landscape before stopping at Malga Schgaguler Schwaige for farm-fresh South Tyrolean food. There were animals to meet, a playground for Oliver to conquer and plenty of mountain views to admire while I enjoyed the very important local cuisine. I’ve decided I fall into what I call the “European Outdoorsy” category: happy to hike, provided there is a spritz, pasta, butter, bread or an exceptional view waiting somewhere along the way.
A Little Something for Everyone
Back at Gardena, the adventures could give way to a different kind of afternoon. We’d slip into the heated pool beneath a rather spectacular chandelier, or retreat to the spa while Oliver discovered one of his favorite hotel activities: making his own juice. The hotel’s juicing room became a highlight, with fruits and vegetables laid out for him to turn into his own creations. Afterward, I managed to get in a deep-tissue massage. Everyone was happy.
That, really, became the beauty of Gardena. The days could be as active as we wanted, but there was always somewhere comfortable to return to afterwards. The hotel has hiking poles, backpacks and an all-terrain stroller available, while its Kids Club welcomes children from three years old, giving parents the chance to enjoy a little downtime of their own. The hotel itself never feels like a “kids’ hotel,” though. It remains elegant, peaceful and decidedly grown-up, with the service, dining and wellness you’d expect from a five-star stay. It just happens to be exceptionally good at making a four-year-old happy, too.
The Best of Both Worlds
I’m not sure which version of the Dolomites I loved more. At Lefay, the mountains were the backdrop to three days of doing wonderfully little: spa treatments, long meals, time with girlfriends and absolutely no pressure to see it all. At Gardena, they became our playground, with days spent exploring outside before returning to all the comforts that make traveling with a young child feel a little less like work. Same mountains. Same summer. Two completely different trips. And perhaps that’s what surprised me most about the Dolomites: you can come here determined to hike every trail you can squeeze into a day, or happily spend the afternoon in a bathrobe. You can bring your girlfriends, bring your kids, or, as I discovered, come back and do both. If the Dolomites can make me equally happy in hiking boots and a robe, I have a feeling this won’t be my last time here.