- Dolomites
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For other uses, see Dolomites (disambiguation).
Dolomites Italian: Dolomiti
German: DolomitenRange 
View from PordoiCountry Italy Province Belluno, South Tyrol, Trentino Highest point Marmolada - elevation 3,343 m (10,968 ft) - coordinates 46°26′N 11°51′E / 46.433°N 11.85°E Geology Sedimentary rocks,
including dolomite, and volcanicsOrogeny Alpine orogeny Period Mostly Triassic UNESCO World Heritage Site Name The Dolomites Year 2009 (#33) Number 1237 Region Europe and North America Criteria vii, viii 
Location of the Dolomites in the Eastern AlpsParco Nazionale Dolomiti Bellunesi IUCN Category II (National Park)Location Veneto Nearest city Venice Area 315.12 km2 (121.67 sq mi) Established 1990 Governing body Ministero dell'Ambiente Official website The Dolomites (Ladin: Dolomites; Italian: Dolomiti; German: Dolomiten; Venetian: Dołomiti: Friulian: Dolomitis) are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). The Dolomites are nearly equally shared between the provinces of Belluno, South Tyrol and Trentino.
There are also mountain groups of similar geological structure that spread over the River Piave to the east – Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west – Dolomiti di Brenta (Western Dolomites). There is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites) located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona and Vicenza (see the map).
One national park and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a natural heritage site by UNESCO.
Contents
History
During the First World War, the line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites. There are now open-air war museums at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the Vie ferrate, protected paths created during the First World War. A number of long distance footpaths run across the Dolomites, which are called "Alte vie" (i.e., high paths). Such long trails, which are numbered from 1 to 8, require at least a week to be walked through and are served by numerous "Rifugi" (huts). The first and, perhaps, most renowned is the Alta Via 1.
Geography
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.
Origin of the name
The name "Dolomites" is derived from the famous French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu who was the first to describe the rock, dolomite, a type of carbonate rock which is responsible for the characteristic shapes and colour of these mountains; previously they were called the "pale mountains," and it was only in the early 19th century that the name was Gallicized.
Tourism
View of the Dolomites
A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, climbing and Base Jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn.[citation needed] Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajolettürme.[1] The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside the Marmolada Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe, Falcade, Auronzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo and the villages of Arabba, Urtijëi and San Martino di Castrozza, as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys.
In the first week in July, the Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual single-day road bicycle racing race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, is staged.
Major peaks
Tofana Group
Winter view of the Sella Group
Vajolettürme
Langkofel/SassolungoName metres feet Name metres feet Marmolada 3343 10,968 Pala di San Martino 2982 9831 Antelao 3264 10,706 Rosengartenspitze / Catinaccio 2981 9781 Tofana di Mezzo 3241 10,633 Marmarole 2961 9715 Punta Sorapis 3229 10,594 Cima di Fradusta 2941 9649 Monte Civetta 3220 10,564 Monte Agner 2872 9416 Vernel 3145 10,319 Fermedaturm 2867 9407 Cristallo 3221 10568 Cima d'Asta 2848 9344 Cima di Vezzana 3192 10,470 Cima di Canali 2846 9338 Cimon della Pala 3184 10,453 Croda Grande 2839 9315 Langkofel / Sassolungo 3181 10,427 Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet (highest) 2821 9256 Pelmo 3169 10,397 Sass Maor 2816 9239 Dreischusterspitze 3162 10,375 Cima di Ball 2783 9131 Boespitze / Piz Boè (Sella group) 3152 10,342 Cima della Madonna (Sass Maor) 2751 9026 Croda Rossa (Hohe Gaisl) 3148 10,329 Rosetta 2741 8993 Piz Popena 3143 10,312 Croda da Lago 2716 8911 Elferkofel 3115 10,220 Central Grasleitenspitze 2705 8875 Grohmannspitze (Langkofel) 3111 10,207 Schlern 2562 8406 Zwölferkofel 3091 10,142 Sasso di Mur 2554 8380 Sass Rigais (Geislerspitzen) 3027 9932 Cima delle Dodici 2338 7671 Tre Cime di Lavaredo 3003 9853 Monte Pavione 2336 7664 Kesselkogel (Rosengarten) 3001 9846 Cima di Posta 2235 7333 Fünffingerspitze 2997 9833 Monte Pasubio 2232 7323 Major passes
Falzarego Pass
Gardena PassName metres feet Ombretta Pass (Campitello to Caprile), foot path 2,738 8,983 Langkofeljoch (Gröden Valley to Campitello), foot path 2,683 8,803 Tschagerjoch (Karersee to the Vajolet Glen), foot path 2,644 8,675 Grasleiten Pass (Vajolet Glen to the Grasleiten Glen), foot path 2,597 8,521 Pravitale Pass (Rosetta Plateau to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2,580 8,465 Comelle Pass (same to Cencenighe), foot path 2,579 8,462 Rosetta Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the great limestone Rosetta plateau), foot path 2,573 8,442 Vajolet Pass (Tiers to the Vajolet Glen), foot path 2,549 8,363 Canali Pass (Primiero to Agordo), foot path 2,497 8,193 Tierseralpljoch (Campitello to Tiers), foot path 2,455 8,055 Ball Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2,450 8,038 Forcella di Giralba (Sexten to Auronzo), foot path 2,436 7,992 Col dei Bos (Falzarego Glen to the Travernanzes Glen), foot path 2,313 7,589 Forcella Grande (San Vito to Auronzo), foot path 2,262 7,422 Pordoi Pass (Arabba to Val di Fassa), road 2,250 7,382 Sella Pass (Gröden Valley to Val di Fassa), road 2,244 7,362 Giau Pass (Cortina to Val Fiorentina), road 2,236 7,336 Tre Sassi Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), foot path 2,199 7,215 Valparola Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), road 2,168 7,113 Mahlknechtjoch (Upper Duron Glen to the Seiser Alp), foot path 2,168 7,113 Gardena Pass (Gröden Valley to Colfuschg), road 2,121 6,959 Falzarego Pass (Caprile to Cortina), road 2,117 6,946 Fedaja Pass (Val di Fassa to Caprile), bridle path 2,046 6,713 Valles Pass (Paneveggio to Falcade), road 2,032 6,667 Würzjoch (Eisacktal to Val Badia), road 2,003 6,572 Rolle Pass (Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero), road 1,984 6,509 Forcella Forada (Caprile to San Vito), bridle path 1,975 6,480 San Pellegrino Pass (Moena to Cencenighe), road 1,910 6,267 Campolongo Pass (Corvara to Arabba), road 1,875 6,152 Forcella d'Alleghe (Alleghe to the Zoldo Glen), foot path 1,820 5,971 Tre Croci Pass (Cortina to Auronzo), road 1,808 5,932 Furkel Pass (Mareo to Olang), road 1,759 5,771 Karerpass or Costalunga Pass (Welschnofen to Vigo di Fassa), road 1,753 5,751 Kreuzbergpass or Monte Croce Pass (Innichen and Sexten to the Piave Valley and Belluno), road 1,638 5,374 Ampezzo Pass (Toblach to Cortina and Belluno), path 1,544 5,066 Cereda Pass (Primiero to Agordo), road 1,372 4,501 Toblach Pass (Bruneck to Lienz), railway 1,209 3,967 Major parks
- Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park 77,865 acres (315.11 km2)
- Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo 27,675 acres (112.00 km2)
- Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags 25,680 ha (257 km2)
- Parco naturale Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino 48,680 acres (197.0 km2)
- Naturpark Schlern-Rosengarten 6,796 ha (68 km2)
- Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten 28,750 acres (116.3 km2)
- Naturpark Puez-Geisler 10,196 ha (102 km2)
- Parco naturale provinciale dell' Adamello-Brenta 153,320 acres (620.5 km2)
360° panoramic view from Marmolada, highest peak in the DolomitesSee also
References
- ^ Huber, Alex. "The Perfect Perfume". Rock and Ice Magazine. http://www.rockandice.com/inthemag.php?id=15&type=news.
Bibliography
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links
- "HD Pictures of the main areas of the Dolomites". Bruno Mandolesi. http://www.ilovethedolomites.com.
- "360 degree panorama Dolomites". SiMedia Srl. http://www.dolomites.org/en/panorama-dolomites-south-tyrol.asp. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- Roger. "Walks and Via Ferrata in the Dolomites". CommunityWalk.com. http://www.communitywalk.com/map/15055#101;0010746.29G=612.=%3C^0. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- "Strada delle 52 Gallerie". Eclectica. http://addiator.blogspot.com/p/strada-delle-52-gallerie.html.
- "Monte Piana in the Dolomites". Eclectica. August 21, 2006. http://addiator.blogspot.com/2006/08/monte-piana-in-dolomites.html.
- "Via Ferrata Lagazuoi Tunnels". Eclectica. August 9, 2006. http://addiator.blogspot.com/2006/08/lagazuoi-tunnels.html.
- "Up to the Turquoise Lake". Eclectica. August 1, 2006. http://addiator.blogspot.com/2006/08/up-to-turquoise-lake-rif-vandelli.html.
Coordinates: 46°23′N 11°51′E / 46.383°N 11.85°E
National parks of ItalyNational parks Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise · Alta Murgia · Appennino Lucano - Val d'Agri - Lagonegrese · Appennino Tosco-Emiliano · Arcipelago de la Maddalena · Arcipelago Toscano · Asinara · Aspromonte · Circeo · Cilento and Vallo di Diano · Dolomiti Bellunesi · Cinque Terre · Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona, Campigna · Gargano · Gennargentu · Gran Paradiso · Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga · Majella · Monti Sibillini · Pollino · Sila · Stelvio · Val Grande · Vesuvius
Categories:- IUCN Category II
- Mountain ranges of Italy
- Mountain ranges of South Tyrol
- Mountain ranges of the Alps
- Dolomites
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