The Italian Alps List

Even though I don’t ski, I’ve always wanted to visit the Italian Alps—to experience the Italians’ take on Alpine culture: the food, the wine, and all the hiking. But for some reason I’ve never been able to navigate the region—while I usually have a great sense of direction, when it comes to this part of the world I very discombobulated.

On a recent trip to Switzerland, I ran into Roberta Segantin, the founder of Sentier, a Northern Italian family-run shoe company that makes very cool hiking boots and Friulane slippers. She shared with me the pocket guidebooks that she’s been making with Meredith Erickson, the author of Alpine Cooking. When Meredith first came out with her beautiful book a few years back, she hugely demystified this part of the world and its rustic-elegant cuisine for me, as it’s not just a cookbook but packed with super-useful intel on Alpine travel. I fell in love with it immediately. And so I asked Roberta and Meredith if I could share some of their guidebook intel with you. But I’m just giving a small taste, because I hope you’ll order Meredith’s amazing book, and Roberta’s amazing shoes, and support them both! —Y.E.

THE DOLOMITES

Of all the Alpine countries, Italy—and specifically the Dolomites—offers the softest landing. The people are warm, the ski pistes (runs) seem to be managed better than anywhere else, and the food is delicious and varied. Beyond their natural beauty, the Dolomites have a major advantage where good skiing and hiking combine, and that is the Dolomiti Superski region: 1200km of slopes and 12 ski areas, each of which has one to two dozen rifugios at altitude. I’m talking about more than 120 huts at which to eat superlative alpine Italian dishes while still wearing your ski or hiking boots.

SAN CASSIANO AND CORVARA

STAY

Hotel Rosa Alpina: If neighboring Cortina d’Ampezzo is about the glitz, then San Cassiano is all about family as it has one of the best ski schools in the area. Unless you’re staying here, which is all about both. This is due to Hugo Pizzinini, the owner, and one of the most beloved and well-connected characters in the hotel business. Personally I think of this hotel as the gateway drug to luxury in the Alps. Situated in this small pedestrian town in the Alta Badia region, it appears to be located in a normal Ladin-speaking mountain community, until you see the black sedans lining the road. Diplomats, dignitaries, artists, gallerists and great chefs all gather in the hotel’s restaurant, St. Hubertus, the five-star dining room of Northern Italy.

Hotel Ladinia: Set on the actual slopes above the Col Alt cable car, this 13-room hotel is one of the oldest buildings in the village and was converted to a hotel in 1930. The feel of the dining room, with its old stube, wooden floors, servers in dirndels, upholstery in pinks, greens, and reds—is Tyrolean cozy turned up to an eleven. It’s a reminder that Austria is mere miles away.

Hotel Armentarola

Hotel Tyrol

EAT

Ciasa Salares: One of the best wine bars, period. Captained by Jan Clemens Wiser, a progressive wine mind and heir to the family hotel business, it is under the mountain, almost grotto-like, where the rocky walls hold literally thousands of bottles. It is a sort of anything-goes subterranean wine heaven. Fonduta (fondue with Fontina cheese from Aosta) is the must-have order.

Scotoni Hutte

Rifugio Bioch: Accessible to any beginner, it’s always packed, with their iconic striped lounge chairs out in the snow filled with tanning Italians, evocative of a Slim Aarons way of life. With a streudel and grappa, from here the Dolomites are revealed: a panoramic skiable feast all year round. Their abundance is dizzying.