Cinque Torri, Italy 2018 🇮🇹 – Michael and Pam's Travels

Date: 22st September 2018

Travelled: 39 kms from Cortina d’Ampezzo in Veneto to Arabba in Trento, Italy.

Visited: The Cinque Torri and the Dolomites.

Stayed: Arabba, free sosta, with services. N46.49700, E11.87705

Budget: 111 days @ €92 per day.

It was a quiet evening in Cortina d’Ampezzo. We chatted with our German neighbour for a while. His Hymer the same year as ours but a slightly different model. He was a lovely old fellow with excellent english. Having had his Hymer since new, he told me they don’t travel as far as they used too. Mostly trips into the mountains of Austria, Italy and German he tells me. He tells me his Hymer is like him getting a bit old.

Anyway we wake to a change in the weather. The mountains surrounding Cortina d’Ampezzo are now shrouded in cloud. We had hope to take the Col Druscie gondola (3,200m) this morning. The situation hasn’t changed by the time we finish breakfast, so we decide on a walk up to the gondola station to check the weather on top. Whilst we enjoyed the walk around town the girl at the gondola station tells us, it’s a white out up top and the forecast is more of the same.

So back to the Hymer we pack up, say goodbye to our neighbour and set the GPS for Cinque Torri (5 Peaks).

Departing Cortina d’Ampezzo the road climbs steeply for the next 10 klms.

Road to Rif. Cinque Torri, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Veneto, Italy

We find the right car-park and chairlift (no signs). Check the weather at the top station and pay our €8.40

Up we go to 2800m. The return journy is €12.60, but our plan is (sort of) to visit the open-air museum then walk back down.

The Lonely Planet recommends the Cirque Torri for a walking visit. In the heart of the Dolomites is was once the front line of a long and ferocous battle during WW1. As a result there are numerous walking trails around the mountain top.

Another view from top station, the weather changes every few minutes, but no rain.

Michael and Pam's Photo Sphere (Cinque Torri Pano)

We walk across to the open air museum, there is maze of old trenches, gun pits and artillery emplacements. There are 5 klms of it, but we only walk a 2 klm loop.

Mock ups of various things are scattered around the mountain top. Lots of information panels in English help as we were unaware of its history.

Pam become very attached to the rope ballestrades after a few of these stairs.

Despite the limited visability the views across the Dolomites are amazing.

After an hour or so scurrying around the top of the mountain, we start the long walk down. About 5 klms looping around the mountain back to the car-park. The going is a little steep and slow in parts and it takes us about 2 hours to get down.

Arabba, Veneto, Italy

From the car-park in Cirque Torri, we drive on to the village of Arabba. Whilst its not that far the road is steep and winding, so it’s almost an hour to the sosta. Best of all the pay machine is taped up and our overnight stay with services is free.

After today’s long mountain walk, we decide on dinner out. Walking up town we stop at a restuarant and decide we have walked far enough. Pam gives the home made soup a go, I have a pizza the size of a Fiat 500. The local beer and wine is just fine. Pam gets a take away (home made) strudel, so her sweet tooth gets the final say for day.

Michael and Pam

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