Dolomites

The Dolomites (Italian: Dolomiti; Ladin: Dolomites; German: Dolomiten; Venetian: Dołomiti: Friulian: Dolomitis) are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Italian: Valsugana). The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino.

There are also mountain groups of similar geological structure that spread over the River Piave to the east â€" Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west â€" Dolomiti di Brenta (Western Dolomites). There is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites) located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona and Vicenza (see the map).

One national park and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Etymology

The name "Dolomites" is derived from the famous French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu who was the first to describe the rock, dolomite, a type of carbonate rock which is responsible for the characteristic shapes and colour of these mountains; previously they were called the "pale mountains," and it was only in the early 19th century that the name was Gallicized.

History

During the First World War, the line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites. There are now open-air war museums at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the vie ferrate, protected paths created during the First World War. A number of long distance footpaths run across the Dolomites, which are called "alte vie" (i.e., high paths). Such long trails, which are numbered from 1 to 8, require at least a week to be walked through and are served by numerous "Rifugi" (huts). The first and, perhaps, most renowned is the Alta Via 1.

Geography

The region is commonly divided into the Western and Eastern Dolomites, separated by a line following the Val Badia â€" Campolongo Pass â€" Cordevole Valley (Agordino) axis.

Current classification

Based on current classifications, the Dolomites may be divided into the following ranges:

Tourism

A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, cycling, and Base Jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajolettürme. The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside the Marmolada Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe, Falcade, Auronzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo and the villages of Arabba, Urtijëi and San Martino di Castrozza, as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys.

The Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual single-day road bicycle racing race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, occurs in the first week of July.

Other characteristic places are:

• Mount Pasubio and Strada delle 52 Gallerie (a military mule road built during World War I with 52 tunnels)
• Altopiano di Asiago and Calà del Sasso, with 4444 steps, the world's longest staircase open to the public.

Major peaks

Major passes

Major parks

See also

• Alta Via 1
• Belluno
• Via Ferrata
• Strada delle 52 Gallerie
• Franco Grisa Timelapse

References

Bibliography

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Provincia di Belluno, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Provincia di Pordenone, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Provincia di Udine, Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, 2008. Nomination of the Dolomites for inscription on the World Natural Heritage List UNESCO. Nomination Document. 363 pp. http://fondazionedolomitiunesco.org/documentazione-2/01_DOLOMITES_nomination_document_jan2008_1236608233_1294933181.pdf

• "HD Pictures of the main areas of the Dolomites". Bruno Mandolesi. 
• "360 degree panorama Dolomites". SiMedia Srl. Retrieved 14 April 2010. 
• Roger. "Walks and Via Ferrata in the Dolomites". CommunityWalk.com. Retrieved 14 April 2010. 
• "Strada delle 52 Gallerie". Eclectica. 
• "Monte Piana in the Dolomites". Eclectica. August 21, 2006. 
• "Via Ferrata Lagazuoi Tunnels". Eclectica. August 9, 2006. 
• "Up to the Turquoise Lake". Eclectica. August 1, 2006. 

Maps

• Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it