Dolomites ski & Venice Voyage

San Cassiano & Venice, Italy: 7 Nights – 8 Days

Hotel Options:
4 Nights – Dolomites, Italy, Hotel Rosa Alpina
3 Nights – Venice, Italy, Hotel Bauer Il Palazzo

A stunning itinerary that takes you to the spectacular Dolomites in Italy, one of Europe’s most beautiful ski regions, then the magical Venice. A perfect adventure for those who love mountains, good food, culture and something a little different.

Description

This itinerary takes in the spectacular hidden gem of the Dolomites, and the eternally beautiful city of Venice – quite simply it’s a trip that can’t fail to enchant. The Dolomites offer some of the most spectacular and crowd free skiing in Europe. Still relatively unexplored by all but the Italians, it is the world’s largest interconnected ski area, and one of our favourites. Magnificent scenery amongst the vertiginous peaks of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, varied ski terrain to suit all levels and quite exceptional food (these mountains have more than their fair share of Michelin star restaurants), there’s very little not to like. The immensely varied terrain of the Dolomites together with its legendary beauty will not fail to seduce you. Altogether there are 1200km of perfectly prepared cruising as well as more testing slopes. The Sella Ronda circuit will see you spending a day amongst some truly remarkable scenery, one of our favourites being the Hidden Valley where the run takes you past frozen waterfalls and craggy peaks. At the bottom you can take a horse drawn carriage to connect you back to the Sella Ronda circuit, with 3000m peaks towering above you, changing colour dramatically as the sun moves across the sky. Frequently orange, red or even purple, the locals call this the “enrosadira”. Ask us about hiring a ski safari guide during your stay, to experience the very best the Dolomites have to offer.

San Cassiano is one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the Dolomites, with a traditional Tyrolean charm, full of high quality restaurants and little boutiques. From here you have access to the entire Alta Badia ski region and the vast 12 valleys of the Dolomiti Superski. And for non-skiers, there are numerous walking trails, horse drawn carriage rides and a wealth of other activities, whilst the slopes above the village are ideal for beginners. One of our favourite hotels here is the timelessly elegant Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa. A luxury, five star hotel with magnificent views over San Cassiano and the surrounding mountains, it’s family run, with generous and warm Italian hospitality. It has outstanding restaurants, including the very popular two Michelin star restaurant St Hubertus, as well as the Wine Bar & Grill where mouthwatering pizzas come straight from the wood oven fire. The Spa offers a full range of relaxing treatments, and is complemented by an extensive wellness area with an indoor pool, sauna, Hamman and hot tub.
Enjoy the scenic skiing, delicious food and the locals’ hospitality before taking a transfer to one of the most romantic destinations in the world – Venice. This haunting and historic city, with its architecture and vistas encapsulated by so many famous artists over the centuries, is somewhere you’ll always yearn to revisit. An UNESCO World Heritage Site, there is nowhere else in the world that can compete with its 117 islands, 150 canals, 400 bridges and myriad of winding streets, in which you can lose yourself for hours. The only traffic you’ll see is the gondole and vaporetti on the canals, and the only mode of transport you’ll need is your feet or a boat. From the Rialto to the Doge’s Palace, to Harry’s Bar to the glassblowing factories of Murano, there’s plenty to see. But to wander aimlessly through this city is one of the best ways to explore. For your stay here we recommend the sumptuous Bauer Il Palazzo – a stunning boutique hotel in the heart of Venice on the Grand Canal, just a few steps away from Piazza San Marco. An historic 18th century building, it has been beautifully restored and has views towards the island of San Giorgio and the church of Santa Maria della Salute. It has the city’s highest roof terrace, with Il Settimo Cielo lounge, giving guests a pretty spectacular view over breakfast. It is decorated in true lavish Venetian style, with rich colours, gilt and marble, and romantic balconies overlooking the city and canals.

We love Venice in the winter when it’s far less crowded and when the watery light makes it seem quite magical. In early February the city is entirely taken over by the annual carnival and its extravagant costumes and masks. A trip to coincide with this would be amazing, although we would definitely recommend booking early. Alternatively, enjoy an evening at La Fenice, the recently rebuilt and ornate opera house, which holds regular and popular programmes. This is a suggested itinerary, and we can add longer stays in each place, or include further destinations. Please speak to one of our travel specialists for more information and ideas

When to travel
The climate in Alta Badia is a typical alpine microclimate – winters are long and cold and from December to February average temperatures are below zero and night time temperatures can fall to minus 20°C. There are great differences between daytime and night time temperatures. Winters are snowy but approximately 100 days of sunshine between December and March is the norm.