Alleghe Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Arriving to Alleghe is relatively easy if you're coming from the south. It's one of the first stops in the Dolomites you'll get to coming from Venice, so long as you take the route via Belluno and Agordo.

Once you get past Conegliano, the mountains start popping up and the drive gets really scenic. I highly recommend a pit stop in Belluno for lunch or if you want something quicker, this panini shop just north of Agordo is delish.

If you don't have your own car, I highly recommend you rent a car for your trip here. Most of Italy is accessible via public transportation but exploring the mountains will be tough without your own vehicle.

Check-In

I recommend heading straight to your hotel or vacation rental to drop your bags before you start exploring. I'll explain more about Alleghe below but I'll go ahead and mention here that the town is smaller than it seems at first glance.

Because of this, there aren't many options in terms of grocery stores or restaurants. Unless your hotel provides dinner, I'd recommend you stay in a holiday home instead with your own kitchen to whip up a meal or two after your outdoor activities.

Some recommendations include:

• Budget Stay: Hotel Alle Alpi: If you want to stay right at the gondola, this is a great option. It's a no frills option but you will have a hard time beating the location at this price point.
• Mid-Tier Stay: Alessandra's House Mountain: This is where we stayed. It's just a 3-minute drive from the gondola. We chose it because it's affordable, had space for both of us to work, and it's pet-friendly (Monti and Bandido both joined us on this trip). It offers really great value.
• Luxury Stay: Naturae Lodge Wellness & Spa: For a more upscale hotel experience right in the heart of town, I'd suggest this lodge. Hit the slopes during the day and the spa in the evening to wind down comfortably.

Explore Town

So long as you don't get to town too late, go ahead and use the rest of your day to get to know Alleghe - trust me, it won't take long!

There's only one grocery store, Coop, in Alleghe. Note that they close each day for lunch so the evening might be the perfect time to swing by and pick up whatever you'll need for your stay. It's a decent size store and well stocked from our experience.

The views from town over Alleghe Lake are really nice. In winter the lake completely freezes over so I imagine the views in the summer are completely different. You can get a view from anywhere by the lake's shore but the best is from this viewpoint.

If you want to enjoy a dinner out, we tried Enoteca Alleghe and really enjoyed it. The menu is simple and focused on local Dolomiti dishes.

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Day 2

Today's your prime day to explore Alleghe and the nature surrounding the town. There's a handful of bars in town to grab a cappuccino and croissant in town, if you don't cook for yourself, but if you have to drive by Bar alla Caminada, the views of the lake from here are worth the stop.

Regardless of the season, I highly recommend you spend today enjoying the mountains. Alleghe isn't the town you go to for shopping and wandering around town - it's too small for that. And while you can find some cozy places with a good view to cuddle up indoors, I do think you'd prefer being somewhere more remote if that's your plan.

Take The Gondola Up to Civetta

In the winter and spring, this is skiing and snowboarding haven. In the summer and fall, it converts to please hikers and bikers.

Civetta ski resort connects Alleghe to Zoldo and Pescul so regardless if you're exploring on skis or your own two feet, there's a lot of ground to cover from up here.

I wrote in detail about skiing and snowboarding Civetta Ski Resort if you're planning a winter trip. Civetta Ski Resort is the largest ski area in the Veneto region and is part of the Dolomiti Superski.

Even if you visit in the summer or early fall, take the gondola up here for a number of long trails or to simply soak up the views and grab lunch at one of the rifugi, mountain huts.

I'd suggest spending as much time as possible outdoors today as the surrounding mountains are what brought you to Alleghe in the first place and there's no better view of them than from up here.

Do note that there are a few months or weeks each year in the Dolomites that the gondolas will close. This is for annual maintenance and when the conditions aren't safe for either skiing or hiking. Think late fall and early spring when there's not enough snow to open the slopes but still too much for the trails to be accessible.

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Day 3

On your last day in Alleghe, enjoy a lazy morning and a good breakfast. Just note that hotels are the only place you'll find an American-style breakfast with eggs and the like and most bars will offer just a pastry and at most a small panino.

Once you've eaten and packed up, you have a choice on how to spend your final day in Alleghe.

Take a Scenic Drive or Walk Around the Lake

If you'd rather hit the road, I recommend a scenic drive before going on to your next destination. If you need to head back south, I recommend adding an hour or two to your drive and heading north first before looping back around.

I'd drive north to Lagazuoi Gondola and then circle back around from there. You can take the other highway back south so you don't have to do the same drive twice, driving through Pescul instead of Alleghe. This should just add one hour to your drive, plus any stops you want to take.

If you don't have the desire to drive farther or are heading that direction anyways for the rest of your trip, I'd suggest walking around Lake Alleghe instead. The trail is only 5km and is relatively flat.

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Alleghe Travel Tips

Generally speaking, Alleghe is a resort-style village that's more residential than anything else. While you won't find a large variety of things to do, for those seeking nature and time well-spent in the mountains, Alleghe is a great option.

Best Time to Visit

Alleghe enjoys four true seasons. You can expect heavy snow and cold weather in the winter and crisp sunny days in the summer. Spring and fall can be unpredictable, with some days being shorts and t-shirt weather and others cold enough for a sweater.

There's really no bad time to visit Alleghe, so long as you're aware of the seasonal changes. The only exception to this rule is around May and November when there's too little snow for the slopes to be open but too much for the trails to still be safe. Note that this uncertainty can stretch from April-June and October-December depending on the year.

How to Get Around

I highly recommend you rent a car to explore anywhere in the Dolomites. While there are buses, and even a designated ski bus, you'll have a hard time getting to specific trailheads and even your accommodation without your own vehicle.

Local Foods to Try

The Dolomites region is home to its own cuisine. While you can still likely find pizza and lasagna on menus, they have their own mountain dishes that you can dig into. A lot of the food here is a fusion between Italian and Austrian.

A few of my favorite include:

• Canederli: Canederli are like large dumplings, usually served in broth. They're often made of bread crumbs and something else. The something else is really up to the restaurant but spinach, speck, and/or cheese are the most popular varieties.
• Spätzle: This dish of gnocchi-like spinach pasta is common in Germany and Hungary and also a big hitter in Northern Italy. It's typically served with ham and a cheesy sauce.
• Strudel di Mele: Apple strudel is another dish that many associate with Germany and Austria but is also a super popular dessert throughout the Dolomites.
• Bombardino: This is a drink, often only served in the winter. It's the Italian take on eggnog but packs a mighty punch that its name, little bomb, hints towards.

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Enjoy Your Trip to Alleghe

For those looking for an easy-to-reach mountain getaway, Alleghe is a great option. With Mt. Civetta looming over the town, you'll easily have plenty of hiking and biking trails in the summer and ski slopes in the winter to traverse.

While I wouldn't recommend Alleghe for those that don't enjoy outdoor activities, for those that do, this is a great alternative to the more popular destinations farther into the Dolomites. Accommodation and food tends to be cheaper here and you shouldn't face nearly the crowds other areas can attract.

Hero picture courtesy of depositphotos.com.