It was a long way up but well worth it. The Italian Dolomites are just a short trip away from Venice. I wore as many layers as I possibly could but still experienced a special kind of cold up there. I’m not complaining…The Dolomites have been on my bucket list for many years and they exceeded every expectation. These mountains lie on the Italian-Austrian border and surround several manmade lakes like the Santa Caterina. They played an important role in World War I (The Italian army sought refuge in the caves from the weather when fighting the Austrians – but many still died due to extreme temperatures and winds). Despite the cold and terrifying edge-of-cliff driving, I would not change a thing about this adventure. I encourage anyone passing by Venice with a few hours to kill to take a Dolomite tour. But, remember … even during the peak of summer, it will be extremely cold up there. Ciao!