Dolomites

For other uses, see Dolomite (disambiguation).

Dolomites
Italian: Dolomiticode: it is deprecated German: Dolomiten
View from Pordoi
Highest point
Peak	Marmolada
Elevation
Coordinates
Geography
Dolomites Location of the Dolomites in the Alps
Country	Italy
Province	Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino
Geology
Orogeny	Alpine orogeny
Age of rock	Mostly Triassic
Type of rock	Sedimentary rocks, including dolomite, and volcanics

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Dolomites
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Criteria	vii, viii
Reference	1237
UNESCO region	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	2009 (33rd Session)

Parco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi
IUCN category II (national park)
View of the Dolomites
Location	Veneto
Nearest city	Venice
Area	315.12 km2 (121.67 sq mi)
Established	1990
Governing body	Ministero dell'Ambiente
http://www.dolomitipark.it/Eindex.php

The Dolomites (Italian: Dolomiticode: it is deprecated [doloˈmiːti]; Ladin: Dolomites; German: Dolomiten [doːloːˈmɪtn̩]; Venetian: Dołomiti [doɰoˈmiti]: Friulian: Dolomitis) are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form a part of the 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 – Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west – 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 Dolomites were originally known as the "pale mountains". The modern name was adopted in the 19th century in commemoration of the French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801), who was the first to describe the carbonate rock, dolomite, which is responsible for the mountains' characteristic shape and colour.

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 – Campolongo Pass – Cordevole Valley (Agordino) axis.

Current classification

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

• Sella
• Marmolada
• Tofane
• Langkofel Group
• Geisler Group
• Peitlerkofel Group
• Puez Group
• Fanes Group
• Schlern Group

• Rosengarten
• Latemar
• Pala
• Lüsen Mountains
• Civetta
• Pelmo
• Marmarole
• Cadini Group
• Cristallo Group

• Sorapiss
• Antelao
• Lagorai
• Bosconero
• Vette Feltrine
• Schiara
• Prague Dolomites
• Sexten Dolomites
• Friulan Dolomites

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

Tofana Group

Winter view of the Sella Group

Vajolettürme

Name	metres	feet	Name	metres	feet
Marmolada	3,343	10,968	Pala di San Martino	2,982	9,831
Antelao	3,264	10,706	Rosengartenspitze / Catinaccio	2,981	9,781
Tofana di Mezzo	3,241	10,633	Cima di Fradusta	2,941	9,715
Sorapiss	3,229	10,594	Cimon del Froppa	2,932	9,649
Monte Civetta	3,220	10,564	Monte Agnèr	2,872	9,416
Vernel	3,145	10,319	Fermedaturm	2,867	9,407
Cristallo	3,221	10,568	Cima d'Asta	2,848	9,344
Cima di Vezzana	3,192	10,470	Cima di Canali	2,846	9,338
Cimon della Pala	3,184	10,453	Croda Grande	2,839	9,315
Langkofel / Sassolungo	3,181	10,427	Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet (highest)	2,821	9,256
Monte Pelmo	3,168	10,397	Sass Maor	2,816	9,239
Dreischusterspitze	3,162	10,375	Cima di Ball	2,783	9,131
Boespitze / Piz Boè (Sella group)	3,152	10,342	Cima della Madonna (Sass Maor)	2,751	9,026
Hohe Gaisl (Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo)	3,148	10,329	Rosetta	2,741	8,993
Piz Popena	3,143	10,312	Croda da Lago	2,716	8,911
Grohmannspitze (Langkofel)	3,126	10,256	Central Grasleitenspitze	2,705	8,875
Zwölferkofel	3,094	10,151	Schlern	2,562	8,406
Elferkofel	3,092	10,144	Sasso di Mur	2,554	8,380
Sass Rigais (Geislerspitzen)	3,025	9,925	Cima delle Dodici	2,338	7,671
Kesselkogel (Rosengarten)	3,004	9,856	Monte Pavione	2,336	7,664
Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen)	2,999	9,839	Cima Palon	2,239	7,346
Fünffingerspitze	2,997	9,833	Cima di Posta	2,235	7,333

Major passes

Langkofel/Sassolungo

Pordoi Pass

Falzarego Pass

Gardena Pass

Name	metres	feet
Ombretta Pass (Campitello to Caprile), foot path	2,738	8,983
Langkofeljoch (Gröden Valley to Campitello), foot path	2,683	8,803
Tschagerjoch (Karersee to the Vajolet Glen), foot path	2,644	8,675
Grasleiten Pass (Vajolet Glen to the Grasleiten Glen), foot path	2,597	8,521
Pravitale Pass (Rosetta Plateau to the Pravitale Glen), foot path	2,580	8,465
Comelle Pass (same to Cencenighe), foot path	2,579	8,462
Rosetta Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the great limestone Rosetta plateau), foot path	2,573	8,442
Vajolet Pass (Tiers to the Vajolet Glen), foot path	2,549	8,363
Canali Pass (Primiero to Agordo), foot path	2,497	8,193
Tierseralpljoch (Campitello to Tiers), foot path	2,455	8,055
Ball Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the Pravitale Glen), foot path	2,450	8,038
Forcella di Giralba (Sexten to Auronzo), foot path	2,436	7,992
Col dei Bos (Falzarego Glen to the Travernanzes Glen), foot path	2,313	7,589
Forcella Grande (San Vito to Auronzo), foot path	2,262	7,422
Pordoi Pass (Arabba to Val di Fassa), road	2,250	7,382
Sella Pass (Gröden Valley to Val di Fassa), road	2,244	7,362
Giau Pass (Cortina to Val Fiorentina), road	2,236	7,336
Tre Sassi Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), foot path	2,199	7,215
Valparola Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), road	2,168	7,113
Mahlknechtjoch (Upper Duron Glen to the Seiser Alp), foot path	2,168	7,113
Gardena Pass (Gröden Valley to Colfuschg), road	2,121	6,959
Falzarego Pass (Caprile to Cortina), road	2,117	6,946
Fedaja Pass (Val di Fassa to Caprile), bridle path	2,046	6,713
Valles Pass (Paneveggio to Falcade), road	2,032	6,667
Würzjoch (Eisacktal to Val Badia), road	2,003	6,572
Rolle Pass (Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero), road	1,984	6,509
Forcella Forada (Caprile to San Vito), bridle path	1,975	6,480
San Pellegrino Pass (Moena to Cencenighe), road	1,910	6,267
Campolongo Pass (Corvara to Arabba), road	1,875	6,152
Forcella d'Alleghe (Alleghe to the Zoldo Glen), foot path	1,820	5,971
Tre Croci Pass (Cortina to Auronzo), road	1,808	5,932
Furkel Pass (Mareo to Olang), road	1,759	5,771
Karerpass or Costalunga Pass (Welschnofen to Vigo di Fassa), road	1,753	5,751
Kreuzbergpass or Monte Croce Pass (Innichen and Sexten to the Piave Valley and Belluno), road	1,638	5,374
Ampezzo Pass (Toblach to Cortina and Belluno), path	1,544	5,066
Cereda Pass (Primiero to Agordo), road	1,372	4,501
Toblach Pass (Bruneck to Lienz), railway	1,209	3,967

Major parks

• Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park 77,865 acres (315.11 km²)
• Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo 27,675 acres (112.00 km²)
• Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags 25,680 ha (257 km²)

• Parco naturale Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino 48,680 acres (197.0 km²)
• Naturpark Schlern-Rosengarten 6,796 ha (68 km²)
• Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten 28,750 acres (116.3 km²)

• Naturpark Puez-Geisler 10,196 ha (102 km²)
• Parco naturale provinciale dell' Adamello-Brenta 153,320 acres (620.5 km²)
• Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti Friulane

360° panoramic view from Marmolada, highest peak in the Dolomites

See also

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

Bibliography

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
• 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

Maps

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