The pale mountains that rose from the sea

Origins of the name

The Dolomites take their name from the French naturalist Déodat de Dolomieu (1750 - 1801), who was the first to study that particular type of rock.

Enrosadira

The Marmolada and all the Dolomites are tinged with a pink glow at dawn: this phenomenon of changing colours is called Enrosadira. The rock was created from an accumulation of shells, coral and calcareous algae, which began 250 million years ago. Punta Penìa, on the Marmolada, is the highest peak (3343 metres).

Record slopes

The Dolomiti Superski is the largest ski resort in Europe: 1200 km of slopes and 10.5 million daily ski-passes sold a year.

Hop off in China

Some companies from Alto Adige have opened a Dolomites Mountain Resort in the Hebei region (218 km north of Peking).