Alta Via 1

The Alta Via 1 is the most popular of the Italian Dolomites' high-altitude long-distance footpaths — 125 km from the famous emerald Lago di Braies in the north to the town of Belluno in the south, traversing the eastern Dolomites between 1,500 and 2,750 m. It threads together a chain of mountain rifugi (huts) with daily stages of 10–15 km, climbing high passes between named mountain groups whose vertical limestone walls and pinnacles are some of the most photogenic in Europe.

The trail is walked north-to-south, starting at the dock at Lago di Braies and finishing at La Pissa or the bus stop near Belluno. The first days cross the Fanes and Sennes high pastures with the wartime-tunnel Lagazuoi rifugio (a still-pockmarked WWI Austrian/Italian frontline) as the headline overnight. The middle section traces the rim of the Civetta massif — Rifugio Coldai sits below the wall of the 3,220 m Civetta peak — and threads down through Vazzoler, Carestiato, and Pramperet rifugi. The final days descend through the wilder, less-walked Schiara group to Belluno. Cumulative climb is around 6,700 m, distributed gently — no single day is especially brutal, but the cumulative 9 days of hut life and 8 hours daily on alpine trail add up.

The walking season is late June to mid-September; outside it, the high rifugi close and the route is unsafe. Bookings for the rifugi open in April each year and the popular nights (Lagazuoi, Nuvolau, Coldai) sell out within days for July and August — book the chain in one pass when reservations open. No permit, no fee; just hut booking. Rifugi are full-board dormitory operations costing €60–90 per night with dinner and breakfast. The route uses well-marked CAI trail numbers and is non-technical — Alta Via 1 specifically avoids the via ferrata sections common to other Dolomite high routes. Suitable for fit walkers with multi-day experience and a head for moderate exposure.