Where to Eat, Stay, and Explore in Athens
Beyond the Acropolis, one of the most iconic cities in Greece offers a dazzling array of sights, sounds, and experiences.
THERE ARE FEW people in the world as hospitable and convivial as those who inhabit the Dolomites, owing largely to the complexity of their descent, both in terms of their cultural heritage and their geological history. The Dolomite mountain range emerged from the seafloor after a collision between the African and European continents during the Cretaceous period. The life story of the mountains is literally preserved in their fossil-filled rocks. The northern section of the Dolomites was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the early twentieth century. For this reason, German, Italian, and the local Ladin languages and dialects are all spoken here. This is a place that has witnessed such dramatic change and upheaval, that the people who live here are bound to have an innately elevated and broad vision of the world.
The Dolomites are a place for poets, wanderers, and romantics. The mountains inspire that mix of overwhelming awe and alarm one feels when beholding the majestic forces of nature, stimulating at once the fear of falling into emptiness and the subconscious desire to jump. At dawn and dusk, the rocky cliffs vary from glowing pale white to a bright-red hue that fuses into different shades of violet and pink. This phenomenon is called enrosadira, a Ladin term that means “to turn pink.” I’ve gathered a list of the places I’ve seen and the people I’ve met who embody this enrosadira, that complex and beautiful afterglow.
Where to Eat
Butëiga dal Pan Hofer
A storied bakery
After catching a whiff of homemade bread from my hotel balcony, I barged into the Pan Hofer and ordered a creamy krapfen pastry (a doughnut without a hole, usually filled with jams and custards) and a slice of streusel cake. It was a moment of...
After catching a whiff of homemade bread from my hotel balcony, I barged into the Pan Hofer and ordered a creamy krapfen pastry (a doughnut without a hole, usually filled with jams and custards) and a slice of streusel cake. It was a moment of heaven in Saint Antonio Square. The Butëiga dal Pan Hofer started more than 150 years ago when two Hofer brothers, Christian (the baker) and Hans (the miller), moved into the Val Gardena valley, and the bakery has since lived through several incarnations. Initially, the bread was prepared in a basement and was sold door-to-door; then, during the world-war years, when flour was scarce, other items were added to the menu. Today, the shop has expanded, and, despite the Disney-esque facade, the delicacies and South Tyrol pastries are some of the very best in the valley. Perfect breakfast or midday snack.
SanBrite
Sustainable and authentic family roots
It’s safe to say that the most interesting, layered, and delicious meal of my life was consumed in this renovated old barn, just above Cortina d’Ampezzo. The restaurant was launched by chef Riccardo Gaspari and his wife, Ludovica Rubbini, with the intention of...
It’s safe to say that the most interesting, layered, and delicious meal of my life was consumed in this renovated old barn, just above Cortina d’Ampezzo. The restaurant was launched by chef Riccardo Gaspari and his wife, Ludovica Rubbini, with the intention of changing the gastronomic perception of the area. The couple has a true sense of the land, an eye on sustainability (besides a Michelin star, SanBrite also earned one of Michelin’s green stars that recognize restaurants leading the way in sustainability), and authentic family roots. Their menu is like a lyrical poem. They use fruits and flowers from the forest and meadows, products from their personal vegetable garden, and milk from their own cows. Eating here feels like being part of an extended family. Each bite takes you to a wild pasture while an invisible hand spoon-feeds you earthly delights.
Ristoro da Bepi — Pian del Crep
Mountainside comfort food
The ultimate food experience is not in the Michelin-starred restaurants, but up in the mountains. Bepi, the owner of this nocturnal fast-food joint near the ski slopes of the Val di Zoldo in the Ski Civetta compound, is a white-haired,...
The ultimate food experience is not in the Michelin-starred restaurants, but up in the mountains. Bepi, the owner of this nocturnal fast-food joint near the ski slopes of the Val di Zoldo in the Ski Civetta compound, is a white-haired, mustachioed rockstar type. I came here with the snow, but the place is open in summer as well, with the only difference being that you don’t get to ski back down the mountain to digest your meal. I ordered the Bepi seasonal classic: a cheeseburger with an egg, with a side of fries and beer. Bepi was adamant about adding grilled cheese to my plate and made sure I got the perfect ratio of everything on my tray. Despite the fact that I was on skis, he insisted that I drink his infamous Bombardino (a bizarre concoction of dense Vov egg liqueur and whipped cream). “Come back!” Bepi commanded, pointing to a white snow-filled area that would soon turn green. “You can relax here and be kissed by the sun.”
Latteria Cortina
Unmatched local sandwiches
This seemingly low-profile wine and cheese deli is stocked with an incredible collection of local products and cured meats. The Cortina d’Ampezzo cooperative sells their own dairy products to the deli and everything is sourced locally, including an...
This seemingly low-profile wine and cheese deli is stocked with an incredible collection of local products and cured meats. The Cortina d’Ampezzo cooperative sells their own dairy products to the deli and everything is sourced locally, including an entire wall of different varieties of honey. The cheese options alone were almost overwhelming, but at the risk of missing my train, I decided to create a tasting event for myself. The sweet man behind the counter indulged me. I tried an assortment of their cheeses: “Tasty Valley,” “Gravariol,” a mint and chamomile flavored aged cheese, and their “Pra Fiorito,” a cow cheese with dried flowers that makes you feel like you’re actually eating a flowery meadow. We opened a bread roll and stuffed it with speck, added the Pra Fiorito, packed it all to go, and I ate everything while I drove up the mountains. This was, for me, the best adieu that I could give to the Dolomites.
Where to Stay
Alpina Dolomites
Thrilling beauty and architecture
This hotel has a James Bond or luxury Batman cave feeling to it. It’s located in the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest and most beautiful high-altitude plateau. Every room and indeed the entire building is so harmoniously incorporated in the environment...
This hotel has a James Bond or luxury Batman cave feeling to it. It’s located in the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest and most beautiful high-altitude plateau. Every room and indeed the entire building is so harmoniously incorporated in the environment that the mountains feel like an extension of your body. The spa has a spectacular view as well. Just by entering the space and looking out its expansive windows, a sense of healing seeps in. Being here, I felt simultaneously at peace and thrilled.
Gardena Grödnerhof
A homebase for adventurous excursions
This hotel is located in the quaint, postcard-worthy town of Ortisei, in the heart of the Val Gardena, a place dotted with alpine hotels with engraved wooden balconies overflowing with colorful mountain flowers. The town is a home base for more...
This hotel is located in the quaint, postcard-worthy town of Ortisei, in the heart of the Val Gardena, a place dotted with alpine hotels with engraved wooden balconies overflowing with colorful mountain flowers. The town is a home base for more adventurous excursions with easy access to cable cars and funiculars. The Gardena in particular is somewhere between a luxury hotel and an intimate, family affair. It was first built in 1923 and was one of the first hotels in the valley, founded by the Bernardi family who sought to create a laid back yet sophisticated atmosphere for mountain lovers. I would say they have succeeded in all their endeavors. The food and wine were divine, though my favorite meal might have been a very simple post-hike prosciutto sandwich and a glass of local red wine at the bar, one of those perfect alchemical moments when taste buds and the physical need to replenish meet in the right spot. The riveting chakra-opening massage I received later in the day was the cherry on top.
Hotel de Len
A timeless experience
The new “it hotel” in town opened its doors at the beginning of 2022 after a major renovation. If such a thing as a hipster hotel exists in Cortina, this is it. The main façade, with its modernly arranged ancient wood panels facing the mountains, is inviting...
The new “it hotel” in town opened its doors at the beginning of 2022 after a major renovation. If such a thing as a hipster hotel exists in Cortina, this is it. The main façade, with its modernly arranged ancient wood panels facing the mountains, is inviting and sculptural. As a writer, my favorite room was the reading room on the first floor — a quiet, cozy lounge filled with delightful vintage mountain books and local folktale anthologies. Plus, there was a table stacked with snacks and an extremely comfortable lounge chair. The quest to return to the essentials of life pervades the space. All of the wood is recovered and reworked by local craftsmen, artisans, blacksmiths, and carpenters, creating a sense of protection from the outside world. It was the timeless experience I didn’t know I was looking for.
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Where to Explore
Cortina In
Off-the-beaten-path tours
This one-of-a-kind company creates fully tailored off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Dolomites and beyond. Lorenzo Gambato, the co-founder, is charismatic and inspired, and he runs a tour-operating business with a smart and contemporary philosophy. The...
This one-of-a-kind company creates fully tailored off-the-beaten-path experiences in the Dolomites and beyond. Lorenzo Gambato, the co-founder, is charismatic and inspired, and he runs a tour-operating business with a smart and contemporary philosophy. The company provides authentic experiences to the widest possible range of clientele, with a particular focus on people with disabilities or special needs. He finds a gem in every season, always discovering new places to bring into the mix, stepping away from the most classically traveled roads and creating new ones.
Museo della Grande Guerra "Tre Sassi"
A history museum with breathtaking views
The Dolomites were the stage for World War I’s most merciless battles. During this time, the “vie ferrate” or iron paths were built to give strategic access to soldiers and equipment. The ferratas can be utilized and visited along...
The Dolomites were the stage for World War I’s most merciless battles. During this time, the “vie ferrate” or iron paths were built to give strategic access to soldiers and equipment. The ferratas can be utilized and visited along with a remarkable war museum that is lodged in the mountains where old war barricades were. The museum itself feels like a bit of a secret outpost. Historical relics and a rare collection of objects and paraphernalia from the Great War can be found here. The location is so breathtaking that it really transports you to another era.
Una Montagna di Libri
A mountain literary festival
Una Montagna di Libri is a summer book festival hosted by the uber-smart and well-read Francesco Chiamulera. His festival has hosted writers, philosophers, and directors such as Emmanuel Carrère, Peter Cameron, Hanif Kureishi, and Azar Nafisi, to...
Una Montagna di Libri is a summer book festival hosted by the uber-smart and well-read Francesco Chiamulera. His festival has hosted writers, philosophers, and directors such as Emmanuel Carrère, Peter Cameron, Hanif Kureishi, and Azar Nafisi, to name a few. The event is a real hybrid between a literary conference and a celebration of the landscape, meaning you’ll always find a meandering intellectual in the hills. The last time I attended, I ended up on a night chairlift ride that led to a secret restaurant hut in the mountains. The station had opened just for the dinner party, and a private concert was held there. The festival was born with the intention of reviving a historic tradition of “meet the author” conferences in Cortina and welcomes both tourists and local residents. There’s never a dull moment.
Hiking with Emanuel Demetz
Excellent hiking with a capable guide
Many hikers and mountain bikers visit the Dolomites in the summer months, meandering through pine forests and high-altitude plateaus on the Sasso Lungo and Sasso Piano, two striking mountains here. The walks are long and mystical, so I think...
Many hikers and mountain bikers visit the Dolomites in the summer months, meandering through pine forests and high-altitude plateaus on the Sasso Lungo and Sasso Piano, two striking mountains here. The walks are long and mystical, so I think it’s important to go with someone who knows the territory and can read the group. Emanuel Demetz has been exploring the Dolomites since he was a child. His father was a mountain man and raised his children to respect the area’s moodiness and power. He knows what to look for and avoid in every season. An unimposing dreamer, he leaves time for silent absorption, awe, and poetic gazing. Every Thursday at 10 a.m., he arrives in the lobby of the Hotel Gardena Grödnerhof and takes whoever shows up hiking. You can never know where you’ll be going beforehand because he decides in the morning according to the elements. All you can do is show up with a water bottle and consign yourself to him. You will not be disappointed.
Vittorino Cazzetta Museum in Selva di Cadore
A fascinating archeological collection
I visited this museum because I wanted to see this Mesolithic hunter who lived 7,500 years ago. A burial site was discovered on the Mondeval de Sora plateau, just upstream of the town of Selva di Cadore. The initial report was...
I visited this museum because I wanted to see this Mesolithic hunter who lived 7,500 years ago. A burial site was discovered on the Mondeval de Sora plateau, just upstream of the town of Selva di Cadore. The initial report was done by Vittorino Cazzetta and it consequently allowed a team of researchers to find the skeleton. The funerary equipment from the burial was on display, but I had an eerie sense that I had to keep going, until there I was, face to face with the original skeleton of a legendary ancestor. I loved this archeological collection and the stories of the ancient nomads that inhabited these mountains.
Libreria Sovilla
A crowd-pleasing bookstore
I visited this bookstore in need of a break from a particularly lively visit to Cortina. When I entered, I felt like Sebastian from “The Never Ending Story,” hiding in the antique bookstore. Time stopped. The bookstore was founded by the Luttieri family...
I visited this bookstore in need of a break from a particularly lively visit to Cortina. When I entered, I felt like Sebastian from “The Never Ending Story,” hiding in the antique bookstore. Time stopped. The bookstore was founded by the Luttieri family at the beginning of the twentieth century, and then in 1971, a couple of bookworms, Ilario and Giovanna Sovilla, took over. Today their son Franco and his wife Nicoletta manage it, remembering Ilario and Giovanna’s mission and their tradition of hosting literary events with great intellectuals. The bookstore feels like a private living room, where you can read, sit, and take your time. There is a fantastic fiction and non-fiction collection, and, of course, an entire section dedicated to the Dolomites’ role in World War I. You’ll also find all of Karl Felix Wolff’s local folklore books, as well as many children's books and creative games.
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Our Contributors
Chiara Barzini Writer
Chiara Barzini is an Italian author and screenwriter, nominated among the 100 most influential Women of 2020 by Forbes Italy. Her work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Village Voice, T Magazine, Interview Magazine, Harper’s, Vanity Fair Italy, GQ Italy, Vice, and Dazed&Confused amongst others. She is the author of the story collection Sister Stop Breathing (Calamari Press, 2012) and the novel Things That Happened Before The Earthquake (Doubleday, 2017.)
