When hikers and skiers – depending on the season - go back to town, mountain huts become one with the environment, which gets quieter and quieter. In this atmosphere, it is possible to live at full intensity two of the most magic moments in the mountains: sunrise and sunset.
Seeing the sun rise or set from a terrace nestled in the Dolomites is a truly touching experience in itself, to which you can add an extra bit of cosiness and Alpine atmosphere by sleeping at a mountain lodge.
Still, it is not strictly necessary to spend the night with your head in the clouds: some huts are close enough to town to make it possible to come back after sunset, while others organise special sunrise events.
An example worth mentioning is the Tofana area. In the summer, on specific dates, the highest part of the cable car is open to reach Cima Tofana for sunrise. The terrace of Cima Tofana is located at 3244 metres, just below the top of the mountain. The view is just unique, reaching well beyond the Ampezzo Valley and its stunning mountains. In the winter, special sunrise events are organised at Ra Valles, another part of the Tofana, with an equally scenic panorama overlooking Cortina from 2475m above the sea level. The plus here is that after having breakfast at the Ra Valles mountain hut, you can hit the slopes in a magic atmosphere before the other lifts are even open.
Another mountain hut worth mentioning is Rifugio Lagazuoi: its terrace with a view on some of the most famous Dolomite peaks spanning from Cortina to the neighbouring valleys is just unique, and arguably the most famous in the area. In some winter months, the short days have the advantage to make it possible to watch the sunset and still take the last cable car to go back to your car.
Sunrise and sunset are so magic in the Dolomites that they even inspired some local legends: definitely, a bucket list experience.
