Encouraged by the previous adventure in Mount Civetta, we decided to continue our journey and stay overnight in another refugee. We had one day off for a bad weather and charming meeting with friends who came to visit us. It left time to plan another adventure. Soon, we decided to explore the part of the Dolomites called Sasso Piatto and Sasso Lungo. A few years ago we visited this massif climbing it from the west and Val Duron but this time we scheduled it differently. The booking As this was the peak of the season we decided to book a bed in the refugee in advance. I would like to encourage you to do the very same thing. Obviously, the refugee should always host you even if they give you only a floor to sleep on but we were a group of five and didn’t want to risk. When we called, a lady told us there are five posts left and we gladly booked them. The traffic Next day, in the early morning, we took the car and drove from our tranquil valley called Valle del Biois, to Passo Sella. This was not a long way but with the heavy traffic in Val di Fassa, it took us as long as two hours to arrive! That’s a lot of time! So again, you should pick up off season months, when you have a choice. We found parking slot and waited in a line for an old fashion cableway car from Passo Sella to Rifugio Demetz, at 2685 masl. The weather was chilly and sunny. The hike Along the crowd, we followed the path down. The panorama was amazing. This particular part of the massif is all about rocks and sand. If you enjoy a very rough and unforgiving terrain, Sasso Piatto should be your next destination. A very interesting detail of this trek is that it starts downhill. The beginning was rough mainly because of the crowds. There were people of all abilities and skills, including small children who needed extra care from their parents. Soon, the crowd turned into a line. After half an hour, though, the path was less crowded and in about 45 minutes we arrived in the refugee called Vicenza, at 2256 masl. Luckily, we got a table inside and had a quick lunch. The whole facility, including the terrace, was full of people. Further north We continued our hike and followed the path downhill. It turned west and soon we started to walk around the west part of the massif. The path leads further through a picturesque meadows full of brown-and-white cows, who looked totally happy. Climbing up, we arrived at a large plateau with a lovely view towards Alpi di Siusi. This was a perfect place for a short break before the final stage of out trek. The next part of our walk was one of the most beautiful paths in the Dolomites, and at the same time, one of the the easiest one. Green hills, grey rocks, and small streams, all shined in a mild sun, making the walk carefree and relaxing. Rifugio Sasso Piatto After three hours in total, we arrived in the refugee. Rifugio Sasso Piatto, at 2301 masl, is one of the most beautiful ones that I have ever slept in. It is modern, well kept and very well organised. We got the key to our room quite quickly and were guided to a shoe room. We got our crocs and followed to the rooms. Wooden floor, large windows, new beds and clean bathrooms welcomed us. Also, the views from a comfortable common room were magnificent. This refugee is highly recommended for the night, especially to someone who has never done it before. Back home After a delicious dinner, we had a peaceful night and woke up relaxed. We had a short breakfast and started our return home. Along the way from Rifugio Sasso Piatto to Passo Sella, there are as many as three other refugees. First, a small wooden hut called Sandro Pertini, at 2300 masl. Last time we were there off season it was closed, but this time, we finally entered and had a warm tea. The weather was chilly so it was most appreciated. This part of the walk was pleasant due to the absence of other tourists. The silence was overwhelming. We could fully enjoy and appreciate the luxury of solitude that only the high mountains can give. After half an hour, we arrived in another refugee called Rifugio Friedrich-August 2398 masl. Large building seen from the distance welcomed us with the incredible smell of freshly baked sweets. Our Italian friends could not resist the smell and ate one bombolone each. The last half hour was a light walk down to Passo Sella where a luxury hotel opens its door to all. It is called Passo Sella Resort (2180 masl). The trekking around Sasso Lungo is doable in one day. We decided to split the hike in two days to get a profound experience of the Dolomites. I must say, it was truly enjoyable. A rich experience that I would recommend to anyone, including the beginners.  

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Do you hike? Are you an outdoor activities lover? Have you ever spent a night in a mountain hut or a refugee? If you are a camping type of person you probably did but to some people, this might look like an adventure. In fact, two of our Italian friends have never done it before and so this year’s plan was to expand the mountain adventure and include at least one night slept in a mountain hut. Here is how we did and how you can do this too, in the Italian Dolomites. I love the Dolomites in every season. These large mountain chains in the north of Italy provide memorable holidays, breathtaking views and outstanding level of services to all nature lovers. I tend to go back there at least once a year and I never get tired of its views. In major part, I spent time in Val di Fassa, which is the most developed part of the mountains but this year it all went differently. It was five of us and we explored a totally new area: Monte Civetta. Here is a review of a two-day hike we did in the second week of August. Starting point We stayed in an apartment in Caviola, a small village near Falcade. Although this is not that far from Val di Fassa, these two places are located in different Italian regions: Val di Fassa is a part of autonomous region Trento-Alto Adige, while Falcade makes part of Veneto. This might look only as an administrative detail but you can spot the difference in a minute. Val di Fassa, through its extensive international promotion and excellent ski facilities, earned a title of one of the best places for skiing in the world. For years, it has gathered thousands of skiers and it increased its income quite successfully. Being an autonomous region Trento-Alto Adige keeps the major part of this income while Veneto does not. Luckily, the Dolomites are for everyone. If you are more into social life and high standard services you will find Val di Fassa appealing. If you prefer tranquillity and contact with local people you should stay in Falcade, Caviola or Alleghe. Both areas are just fine if you know your preferences. Way up In the early morning, we took a cableway car from a lake town Alleghe called Ski Civetta. At about 9:00 we started our walk up. The first part of the path is more like a walk in the park. After 15 minutes we arrived in a small mountain hut where sheep and goats are held. The milk is used to produce delicious cheese that we bought on our way back. From the hut, there was a one hour walk up to the refugee called Rifugio Coldai, at 2315 masl. It is located in a beautiful place, surrounded by high grey rocks and looking at a very weird peak called Pelmo (3168 masl), that grows out of nowhere. We ate a strudel in the refugee that was slowly filling up with the tourists. The lake We continued our way up for a while and after less than a quarter we saw a beautiful small lake. We went down and enjoyed the panorama of the town Alleghe way down and high white rocks mirrored in its surface. The lake was a busy place. To some tourists, this is an arrival point and so the meadows near the lake were full of picknick baskets, colorful blankets, and families with the kids. A spectacular place for a picknick, indeed. The final part Our target was Rifugio Tissi, though, at the altitude of 2250 masl. We saw it way before arrival! There was still more than one hour climb when we spotted it for the first time. It seemed very small and distant but smartly located. There were two different paths to take: one just below the rock wall and the second one which leads first down and then up. We picked up the second one and in the heat of the day we climbed right to the refugee. It did not come easy. For me and my Polish companions, the heat was unbearable. This hour climb might seem not much but, considering the circumstance, this was a challenge. The Tissi Refugee The whole hike took us around three hours. The final part was especially hard as it leads up and in the heat of the day it was not really pleasant, however, we got our reward. On a blue sky, there was the whole chain of the rocky peaks seen from the window of our room and the terrace of the refugee. The building itself is old and used by endless generations of mountain trekkers. The quality of services was not as we expected. The bathroom was small and crowded but it was the shower that beat everything. The shower hung just above the squat toilet, sometimes called the Turkish or Indian toilet. Believe me, this was not the most pleasant shower I’ve had. The sunset The real pleasure of sleeping in a refugee is the sunset. Along the unexpected crowd of other tourists, we climbed a few meters up and enjoyed the view. On the one side, there was a high wall of the Civetta peak that turned into a mild rose colour. It is sometimes called “the wall of all walls” due to its difficulty and fame among the alpinists. The setting sun made all the frayed edges of the rocks visible. The mountain seemed like it was a living thing. The colours exploded into a vivid orange to fade slowly after the sun set. The real nature show available only to those who stay up there for the night. We slept in a room with 8 bunks and this was one of the downsides of our stay in Tissi. The other tourists did not bother to take a shower and made a horrible noise snoring loudly. This was definitely not the best night ever but we survived it. At 5:00 a.m. we...

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This is the last post from Marche. But before we’ll say ‘good buy’ to her let me show you the real pearl of renaissance architecture: Palazzo Ducale. I can tell you that Giorgia from Marche Holiday was right: Urbino is all about renaissance and Palazzo Ducale is the best example to show you this. Light Palazzo Ducale dominates the city skyline: it is visible from Fortezza and from few squares throughout the city. The most characteristic elements are two thin and very tall towers that were constructed in few stages. I had a bad luck and when I was visiting Urbino the towers were covered with scaffolding and couldn’t fully appreciated this precious architectural element. There were extensive conservation works ongoing in few rooms inside too. Despite of this, Palazzo Ducale impressed me so I can only imagine its splendor and plan another trip to Urbino after the works are done to fully enjoy it! “It’s all about light!” – I was told when the history of Urbino was explained to me. And you see it from the very first moment you enter this impressive building. A staircase you see below is the first one ever constructed this way. Starting from this building all other European lords and dukes followed this pattern. Duke of Urbino – Duca Federico Montefeltro – made his palace full of light and when others saw it they wanted the very same thing in their courts. This was the first staircase in Europe that has been constructed this way: perfect proportions, very large windows, beautiful ornaments and comfortable steps. Duca Federico Duca Federico was a powerful man! Indeed. He ruled Urbino from 1444 to 1482 and in these years he had completely changed this city. If you think about influential people in Italian history and art he is the one who comes to mind in top 3. Duca Federico was very special and Urbino is still his city. Although many years have passed and Urbino has turned into a vibrant university city it still keeps his original thoughts about greatness in it. Federico was passionate about two things: war and art. This is not a very popular combination, is it? Either someone loves to fight or to contemplate works of art. Federico loved both. And was amazingly good in it! Long story short: after he won few wars with neighbor dukes he became very rich. And instead of loosing his money on vanity he was determined to immortalized his love towards beautiful objects. He decided to construct a palace like no other. And he was very successful in it. Watching it today I can easily believe that this was a stunning piece of architecture in his own times. Artists Urbino, in times of Duca Federico, was full of artists. The best artists of renaissance worked here: Piero della Francesca, Giovanni Santi (father of famous Raphael), Luciano Laurana, Perugino, Signorelli, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, Bramante and so many others. At some point every ambitious artist must have spent part of his artistic life in Urbino. What is really sad about it is that paintings and sculptures created by these artists are scarce in Urbino. Although Palazzo Ducale was turned into National Gallery of Marche there are few popular objects exhibited here. Not even famous portrait of Duca Federico and his wife that was taken to Galleria Uffizi. Palazzo Ducale I spent in this museum few hours and was able to visit only one floor. Although the museum does not have the most renown paintings of Italian renaissance it is still worthy to pay a visit. Rooms, corridors and stairs, everything immersed in Italian light make great impression. Following the itinerary you will experience for yourself the greatness of the duke. Starting from relatively modest and small rooms you proceed through the larger ones, up to his own apartment with amazing ‘study room’. A huge ball room with large windows and lovely celling is a cherry on the cake. What I appreciated the most was a very elegant details and ornaments. This particular interior design still keeps its beauty: modest but carefully crafted and with prefect proportions. I enjoyed my stay in this museum very much even though it has no new technologies employed. The building itself is stunning and walking in these rooms was a great experience. I really hope to get back to Marche as soon as possible. I would love to visit Urbino again, participate another truffle hunt, taste new wines or just sit under an olive tree. Thanks again my awesome hosts from Marche Holiday whose services I sincerely recommend and see you next time! So it’s not really a ‘good bye’, rather a ‘see you soon’! See previous posts here! For the record: I have recently started to work with City of Poznan – My Home City – so stay tuned for a series of posts from here! Have you ever thought about visiting Italy? Here is an alternative way on how to visit Italy and get really close to the Italian way of life. I created a project ‘I love Ferrara‘ so you could join me and experience how beautiful and tasty Ferrara is. If you wish to immerse in Italy book your holiday now!  

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