Dolomites Location
The Dolomites (Italian: Dolomiti [doloˈmiːti]) are in the northeast of Italy, between the Austrian border in the north and the big Venetian plain in the south. They lie in the most northern regions of Italy, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige, and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The Dolomites are part of the provinces of Belluno, Bolzano, Trento, Udine, and Pordenone.
Precisely, 46% of the Dolomites lie in the province of Belluno, 24.6% in Bolzano, 13.3% in Pordenone, 12.2% in Trentino, and 3.9% in Udine.
Geography
These mountains cover an area of more than 90 km north to south and 100 km east to west.
The Dolomites consist of 15 massifs, each reaching around 3000 meters in altitude. These massifs are divided by rivers, valleys, and passes. Marmolada is the highest mountain of the Dolomites (10,968 ft) and lies between the borders of Trentino and Veneto.
The most important rivers are Isarco and Adige in the west, Rienza in the north, Piave in the east, and Avisio and Cordevole, which run north to south through the Dolomiti.
The only massif west of the Adige River is the Brenta Group, a big oval-shaped group slightly separated from the rest of the Dolomites. The Dolomites form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige west to the Piave Valley east. The Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley define the northern and southern borders.
Mountain groups of similar geological structure also spread over the River Piave to the east – Dolomiti d’Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west – Dolomiti di Brenta. Another smaller group, Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites), is located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona, and Vicenza.
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. The Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites and many other regional parks are located there. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How to get there
The leading international airports closer to the Dolomites are those in Venice (160km) and Monaco (Germany). Treviso, Verona, and Innsbruck (Austria) also has smaller regional airports. For more info, read “How to get to the Dolomites.“
Geology of the Dolomites
The Dolomite landscape is the result of geological processes that, over millions of years, led to the formation of the Alps. Rocks, fossils, and minerals tell a story of deserts, tropical seas, volcanoes, and ocean depths. The fantastic scenery of the Dolomites is due to their geology. These shapes are pretty strange and unusual compared to the rest of the Alps and the other mountains on our planet.
The main geological difference is the combination of two different kinds of rocks, volcanic and dolomitic.
Dolomite’s name derives from its discoverer, Deodat de Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801), a French chemist and mineralogist.
While traveling to Rome in 1789, he collected a strange rock in Valle Isarco.
Later examination proved that the rock was made of an unknown mineral: calcium magnesium carbonate, CaMg(C03)2.
Dolomite is now a scientific term applied to mineral formation. However, not all the rocks of this region are made of dolomite.
For example, the Latemar and the Marmolada (the highest peak of the Dolomites—3343 m) are limestones, slightly different rocks with similar origins. When these rocks formed, they were all limestones.
The dolomite process began later, leaving out the Latemar and the Marmolada, possibly because volcanic rocks covered them.
The term dolomite refers to the mineral that forms dolostone, a rock that differs from limestone because of its significant magnesium content. To learn more about the geology of the Dolomites, watch this film written and directed by Rolando Menardi. Film © Rolando Menardi.
The processes that formed the Dolomites were in the Permian-Triassic (200-265 million years ago). They remained undisturbed for over 100 million years under a significant layer of marine sediment. During the Tertiary period (between 60 and 5 million years ago), the collision between the African and European continents deformed the crust, and sea deposits emerged.
The Alps, including the Dolomite region, were born in that period.
Many fossils were found in the area; you can find others when you hike close to these fantastic mountains.
Learn more about the fossils from the Dolomites
Climate of the Dolomites
The Dolomites’ climate is typically alpine, characterized by harsh winter temperatures and a sharp decrease in altitude. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer, while in winter, sunny days account for about 80% of the total.
The climate of the Dolomites is characterized, on the one hand, by the cold air coming from the continental plains of the Danubian region, on the other hand, by the mild and wet climate of the Mediterranean. The Dolomiti are generally warm and get less precipitation than the alpine regions of Austria, Switzerland, and France. The lousy weather typically comes from the southwest. Wind from the north usually brings good weather. As in all other mountain regions, the weather can change suddenly, especially in July and August.
During the summer period, from the middle of June to the beginning of August, the climate is pleasantly warm during the day and fresh during the night. Thunderstorms often occur in the afternoon from mid-June to the end of August. A warm sunny day can transform into hell in less than an hour. Considering the wind-chill factor, the temperature can fall up to 15 degrees. For this reason, anyone planning to set off climbing or trekking is advised first to check the local weather report or visit the local Alpine Guide Office. It is also advisable to start any activity early in the morning.
The weather is stable and clear from September to October (and sometimes also in November), with chill nights and the possibility of snowfall on the highest peaks when the weather is bad. During these months, fantastic autumn colors can be seen in the woods and forests.
From December to March, it is wintertime, and a white blanket of snow covers the Dolomites. Winter snow usually begins to accumulate in December, lasting through March and sometimes April. While temperatures fall below freezing, and snowfall is ample, the sun shines an unparalleled 8 days out of 10 in the Dolomites – more than any other range in the Alps! The sunny winter paradise of the Dolomite Mountains makes skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing adventures here unbeatable!
Spring returns with warmer weather and longer days, but also with rain. But this, too, is welcomed, as it clears the air for spectacular vistas and brings beautiful green valleys and pastures overflowing with wildflowers!
Below some weather data of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the “Queen of the Dolomites” (Elevation 1,224m (4,016′) – Latitude 46.540471 N – Longitudine 12.135652 E).
Bibliography: James and Anne Goldsmith: “The Dolomites of Italy” – Hunter Publishing Inc,1989
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