Europe’s bon viveurs are increasingly trading the Med for the mountains — and the chic Dolomites in particular, preferring the cooler climes, wholesome lifestyle and the phenomenal spas. Swish spa-and-ski Dolomite hotels, such as Relais & Chateaux Hotel Cappella and Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel and Spa, saw a major boost in summer occupancy last year. But there’s a coterie who’ve been quietly shunning the hot coastal summers for a while — they’ve fallen head over heels for the cinematic Pale Mountain summer.
From hotels with steaming outdoor pools tipping over pastoral valleys to sun-trap restaurant terraces built for drawn-out lunches, here’s how to summer in the Dolomites (and ditch the scorching, overpriced Med).
