There is probably no more beautiful inland drive in Italy than this one. In English, it's called…read more"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.

The Grande Strada della Dolomiti connects up Bolzano and Cortina d'Ampezzo. I'll describe the route…read morehere starting from Bolzano but obviously it can also be done in reverse, starting from Cortina. A great many panoramic points and car parking areas give you breathtaking views over the Dolomites around you. You can see the majority of the main Dolomite peaks from the Great Dolomites Road and for this reason I advise you to take a whole day over these 110 kilometres of tarmac road so that you can stop as often as you want to admire the view, go for a little stroll and enjoy the splendours of this mountain world. I suggest a linkt to a website which describes the history and details of the Great Dolomites Road: https://www.guidedolomiti.com/en/great-dolomites-road/

It is worth the small fee to view the city from the top of the Stadtturm. The mountains, colorful…read moreflats along the river and copper patina church domes are charming.

The Stadtturm is a quick and easy attraction, worth doing when in Innsbruck if only to orient…read moreyourselves and to take a very good pictures of Innsbruck and the surrounding area. Be warned, there are quite a number of stairs to climb and no elevator, but it is not too onerous, and if you have a Fitbit, it will help your stair count considerably! My wife, two daughters (8 and 10), handled the stairs without a problem. When we arrived at the top, we found very nice views of the city and met a number of nice people willing to take pictures of us. It is a bit cramped up at the top, so people need to be friendly and patient with one another. The entire visit does not take very long, so it is a nice thing to do just to get one's bearing on the town and its surroundings. Definitely worth doing.