The Great Dolomite Road

There is probably no more beautiful inland drive in Italy than this one. In English, it’s called «The Great Dolomite Road» while the Italians call it «La Grande Strada delle Dolomiti.»
One probably associates a scenic drive in Italy with twists and turns over the sea. Well, that’s a fairly good association. However, this is a scenic drive across the top of Italy, through the Dolomites, where you are probably less than half an hour south of the Austrian border at any given time. The beauty of the rocky peaks, the forests, the small lakes, the streams, and the picturesque villages is breathtaking.
It is only about 65 miles long, yet the drive takes about 3 hours. That tells you how mountainous and curvy the road is. It is apparently marked as SS 241, though I’ve always thought of it as SR 48. It can be traveled in both directions, from the Trentino-​Alto Adige region to the Veneto region, or vice-​versa, though I think beginning in the Trentino-​Alto Adige makes for a bolder statement. The beginning of the road is off the autostrada exit minutes north of Bolzano and signposted as Val D’Ega. From there, it winds slowly eastward and, at about the halfway point, the climb, as well as the twists and turns, get serious. A camera is indispensable. Going in this direction, most people choose to end the trek at the elegant ski town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. From there, one can pick up speed and head southward through Belluno and into the general Venice area.
I had only planned to go to Bolzano (Bozen in German, which is also spoken this far north). In Bolzano, I had one of the best cheap lunches in my life: a skillet with a huge portion of turkey breast, sauteed spinach, and roasted potatoes. However, I needed to get back to Venice. A Bolzano local suggested the Great Dolomite Road instead of doubling back on the autostrada. I was glad that I listened to his suggestion and was thus able to see one of Italy’s most scenic regions … at a pace of about 20 mph.