From Venice to the Dolomites: UNESCO World Natural Heritage

This tour will take you to one of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. In a couple of hours' drive we'll pass from the lagoon to a typical Alpine landscape made of woods, lakes and cottages. Cortina is called the "Pearl of the Dolomites" because, like a precious gem, it is surrounded by peaks more than 10000 feet high . We are in Cadore, the area that supplied Venice with the wood necessary for its foundations, boats and palaces. The drive to Cortina is the occasion for interesting stops to breath some fresh air and enjoy the view. Good restaurants offer a large variety of traditional dishes, like game polenta and mushrooms or the popular beetroot ravioli.

The drive to Cortina lasts two hours and a half Some stops on the way include: - St Cross lake - Longarone, a village that in 1963 was completely destroyed when a landslide caused the local dam to overflow. - Pieve di Cadore, a small centre that gave birth to Titian, one of the greatest painters in XVI century - Cortina is a small town that counts just with 5000 inhabitants but it is one of the most popular winter ski resorts of Italy, while in the summer it offers a refreshing escape from the warm and congested towns. It has always been a high-end destination and the evening "struscio", the walk along the main street, is the occasion for expensive shopping. - From the city centre you can take the Freccia del cielo cableway for hiking.