Never Have I Ever
Speck and cheese platters at a traditional Tyrolean Guesthouse. Prost!
Lumi Experience’s Marketing Manager, Lauren Honican, traveled with guests on the 2023 Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga Trip to Germany, Austria and Italy. Lauren takes a few moments to reflect on her experiences below…
From Lauren:
I’m a big fan of the TV series Never Have I Ever and found myself saying this over and over throughout the past 10 days on the Lumi Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga Trip: Never had I ever experienced skiing in Europe or traveled to Germany and Austria. This was also my first ever Lumi trip and only my second trip to Italy. My only other trip to Italy was 6 months ago to Sardinia for my birthday and I’m hoping to keep up this rate of returning to eat tiramisu in situ.
My big take-away from the trip is that skiing in the Dolomites is incredibly different from skiing in the US. I hope everyone reading this who has not already been will some day get to experience it! In addition to skiing at an elevation of 5,000 feet (more on that another time!), here are a few of the big differences that stood out to me:
1. Mountains: They can be hard to capture in photos, but to state the obvious, when you ski in the Dolomites there are incredible peaks all around you. From classic skiing the historic Via Ferrovia rail trail from Cortina to Toblach to the flat, open meadow trails perfectly groomed for skating in the Leutasch Valley, there are craggy mountains rising above you at every turn. A couple of my favorites were skiing two high-elevation plateaus surrounded by Dolomite spires in Passo Lavazé (at sunrise!) and Seiser Alm (at sunset)!
Lumi guests at a trailside restaurant along the Via Ferrovia ski trail from Cortina to Toblach
Classic skier in front of the iconic Schlern formation on the Seiser Alm plateau
2. Confluence of Cultures: The Dolomites are situated in the northeastern corner of Italy, bordering Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia. Because this area used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until it was annexed to Italy during World War I, the region is a unique blend of Tyrolean and Italian cultures, both in the languages and cuisine.
3. Medieval History: While traveling through the region’s curvy, steep roads and slopes by train, bus, gondola, taxi or chairlift, there were countless snowy peaks, ski infrastructure, vineyards and apple orchards, as well as medieval castles. The castles, often perched near or at the top of a mountain, were arresting. Every time I spotted one out of the corner of my eye, it was a clear reminder that people have been inhabiting the area for many centuries.
View from a 13th century castle that sits on a hill overlooking the small town of Brunico, where Lumi trip leader Vale’s family lives
4. Wellness Travel: Medieval times aside, the Dolomites have been a popular destination for wellness travel since Roman times. The Lumi hotels are family-run, elegant yet traditional, serve delicious breakfasts and dinners, and feature relaxing spas. In the afternoons, the post-ski spa experiences switching between the dry sauna, steam room, rain shower, and relaxation area was a memorable highlight.
A traditional Tyrolean stube, or den-like room with a wood-fired hearth, in Lumi’s hotel in Cavalese, Italy
Shelves of homemade preserves above the antipasti buffet at our boutique hotel in Cavalese, co-owned by sisters Patricia & Monica, specializing in front- and back-of-house roles
A first-course dish by chef Monica made with eggs from the hotel’s eight chickens
5. Skiing Infrastructure: All of the ski destinations and trail networks I got to experience are set up to host elite skiing events. From the Winter Olympics to Worldloppet races, you can be skiing along and then stumble upon the infamous Toblach Arena Stadium, ski jumping hill in Seefeld or biathlon range in Obertilliach. For the Lumi travelers who were skiing in Worldloppet races in some of these venues, having the support of Lumi’s trip leaders who are also elite ski coaches and World Cup wax-techs was the perfect boost for a strong race day.
The professional biathlon range in Obertilliach
The Toblach Arena Stadium with fresh snowfall
Trip leader Vale dialing in kick wax on race skis at sunrise before the Lavazé Loppet
Lumi guests Susan and Roy skiing the Lavazé Loppet on a sunny bluebird day
Lumi guest Marcia celebrating a strong Dolomitenlauf race!
6. Language: Grazie or Danke? At a hut at the top of a chairlift outside of Toblach, the pizza chef spoke Italian and the pastry chef who made apple strudel and Linzer torte spoke German. This typical blend of Austrian and Italian cultures across the region is a fun language learning test that’s all part of the adventure! Hint: as we traveled south, both the language and the food grew more Italian…
7. Trailside Restaurants: After skiing, nothing could beat the feeling of stepping into a warm, cozy mountain hut with panoramic views of the Dolomite peaks and ordering cioccolata calda con crema or “corrections” (booze), goulash soup, a speck and cheese platter, or knödels. I got bonus points for ordering a boozy Italian Bombardino before a sledding party on traditional Austrian rodels (sleds)!
Enjoying an Italian Bombardino at a slopeside hut
Speck and cheese platters at a traditional Tyrolean Guesthouse. Prost!
8. The People: From the all-star trip leaders Vale and Raphi who speak the local languages and grew up skiing the local trails to Lumi’s wonderful guests, hoteliers, bus drivers, chefs, and of course Garrott, the people I adventured with were a fun crew!
If you’re also saying Never Have I Ever about traveling to the Dolomites, there’s still room on Lumi’s 2024 Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga trip. Sign up by March 31st to save $300. It’s a great trip for both racers and non-racers (like me!). Alternatively, if you want to avoid anyone wearing a bib, but you still want to experience the best of cross-country skiing in the Dolomites, check out our new group trip to Seefeld & Seiser Alm.
Happy trails from a happy traveler,
Lauren Honican
info@lumiexperiences.com