Family Holidays on the Dolomites

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The Dolomites for Children This is a great place for holidays with kids who love the outdoors. The area offers some of Italy's most spectacular Alpine scenery, dotted with storybook castles for aspiring knights and princesses. The ski-season opens in December and closes at Easter. There are great family ski resorts with activities and courses for children, like Corvara in Val Badia or Vigo in  Val di Fassa. The ski-season opens in December and closes at Easter. But that said, the Dolomites are a great destination also for the summer. The limestone peaks tower over meadows filled with wildflowers in summer and are the perfect setting for a family picnic.  There are hiking, biking, horse riding, and mountain climbing opportunities to suit all ages. There is plenty of entertainment for history buffs and budding geologists. To enjoy summer in the Dolomites, it's best to visit between mid-June to mid-September, when summer chairlifts and cable cars are working. The average temperature in July and August is 25C in the valleys, so kids can enjoy activities without overheating and there is usually a cool breeze higher up the mountains. There are lovely trips to be had to Alpine dairy farms and fun to be has shopping for wooden toys. The best places where to stay are Val di Fassa, Val Badia, and Val Gardena in Trentino Alto Adige and around the chic Cortina in Veneto.

The Must-See Otzi 'The Iceman' has found his final resting place in Bolzano. He is Europe's oldest natural mummy and was discovered high in the mountains in 1991. He lived in 3300BC and his fascinating story is told in the city's excellent museum. Kids find the story intriguing and seeing his mummified corpse is certainly something to write about when they get back to school! Here are two fun Dolomite facts to tantalize them with: you are in Italy but many people speak German, which has a distinctly Teutonic feel. Why? The area was actually part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of the First World War. They also speak a little known language – Ladin. There are about 30 000 Ladin speakers in the area and they have their own TV and radio station. Ladin legends inspired the fantasies of JRR Tolkien, so be sure to see the frescoes of dwarves and giants at the wonderfully named Schloss Runklstein (Castel Roncolo) while in Bolzano. Just outside Bolzano, the medieval Sigmundskron Castle is the headquarters of the Messner Mountain Museum, founded by the mountaineer Reinhold Messner, who hails from the Dolomites. Explore the castle and learn about mountain cultures.

The Great Outdoors In winter, there is plenty of sledding, snowboarding, and skiing. To put the icing on the cake take a sleigh ride like Santa! In summer, be enchanted by endless green pastures and the wildflowers of the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest Alpine plateau. It's just east of Bolzano. Alternatively take a stroll around the Sompunt Lake at La Villa, where there is also a deer park. The local tourist office will have details of climbing schools in the area as well as horse riding and mountain biking. Children love riding on cable cars, which is great as the area is dotted with them! Wrap up warm for a bird's eye view of the snow-covered roof of Europe. In summer a cable car ride is a good way to start a mountain walk with children as it takes away the puff of an uphill climb. Paragliding is also a memorable experience for the whole family!

The Big Day Out One such cable car runs up to the Cinque Torri - 35mins from Cortina by car - from the Tre Sassi Fort. It's a good day out combining the outdoors with a family history lesson. In the fort is a museum detailing the fierce battles that broke out here in 1915. The Cinque Torri is an open-air museum where you can spend hours exploring the trenches and the gun emplacements. Then go on a dinosaur hunt. The Dolomites were created 250 million years ago when Africa collided with southern Europe. Find out more at the Geopark Bletterbach, near Aldino. Hike along the 8km fossil packed gorge carved out during the last Ice Age.

What to eat That's the paradise for wurstel and chips lovers! Offer children also the delicious local cheese with speck - the traditional lightly smoked ham - and the fresh yogurt with honey, red fruit, and muesli. Local jams are excellent!

Where to stay  There is lots of good family-friendly accommodation. There are hotels that organize special family bike tours, walking tours, outdoor activities, including climbing, and even family sauna sessions! They have kids' clubs, children's menus, indoor pools, table tennis, and playrooms. Choose a half-board package so you do not have to worry about restaurants' reservations and children are usually tired after a busy day outdoor.

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