Hiking in the Dolomites, Italy.

Pradel is a terrace at 1,350 m with the lake below it, reached by cable car from the village; the ticket for it is not part of the tour price. From there the path heads into the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, towards walls that grow taller with every bend. Croz dell'Altissimo sits at 1,435 m right under a rock face of 900 m.

Selvata, at 1,630 m, is the last refuge the listing names, a hut on a green plateau at the foot of the Massodi. From its terrace the view of the Croz dell'Altissimo wall is 900 m of vertical rock. Then the route turns for the valley and Molveno, with the lake coming back into view on the way down.

The Dolomites joined the World Heritage List on 26 June 2009, recognised for the beauty of their landscape and their geological importance. The Brenta is the ninth of their nine systems, and the whole group lies inside the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, founded in 1967 as one of the first two provincial parks in Italy.

For a walker, the Brenta has one big advantage: it starts at a lake. Molveno was placed first among lake destinations in the 2026 Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano guide, its eleventh win in that category. You can swim in the morning before you leave, or in the evening when you come back down.

Reviewers also mention the language. One praises a guide who switched smoothly between English and Italian for a mixed group; another says the guide spoke good English and Italian. One guest who had booked an English tour gave it a low score because most of it was in Italian, so if English matters to you, say so when you book.

The other theme is the view, and honesty about the terrain. One reviewer notes that there are some big drops along the way that can feel a little scary if you do not like heights, and says the views were worth it. A beginner from Italy writes that the climb was a little demanding but well worth the effort.

The Molveno cable car to Pradel opens every day from 25 April to 1 November in 2026. In high summer, from 21 June to 7 September, the first section runs from 08:00 to 18:45; from 8 September it runs 08:30 to 17:45.

Put those dates together and the comfortable window for this walk is June to mid-September, when every hut on the route is open. Late September is quieter and cooler, but check Selvata's closing date before you book a day after the 20th, and call the hut if you plan to eat there.

The official station in Selva di Val Gardena, in the Dolomites to the north-east, shows the pattern of a summer: 14 rainy days in June, 13 in July and 9 in September. That station describes Val Gardena rather than Molveno, but the message for the Brenta is the same: expect some wet days and plan around them.

The rescue service's rule is simple: if you get tired, unsure of the route or the weather turns, go back the way you came. And if a bad forecast arrives before the day, you can still call the walk off for free up to the 24-hour mark.

The price covers the guide. The cable car ticket and lunch are not included, so bring money for both; the refuges along the way serve lunch. Prices on this page load live from GetYourGuide, so you see the current figure before you commit.

Check the start time when you choose your date; the listing asks you to check availability for starting times rather than giving a fixed one. Arrive at the ticket office a little early so the group can ride up together.

Vertical walls need room in the frame. A wide lens or the wide setting on your phone helps, and so does a person on the trail for scale; without one, the size of the wall is hard to read. Clouds moving over the walls change the picture by the minute, so take the same view more than once.

Keep your phone in a pocket you can reach and a power bank in the pack, because you will use it more than you expect. On the steep parts, stop to take pictures rather than walking and shooting at the same time; one reviewer reminds you there are some big drops along the way.

Boots with grip matter most, because the paths are stony and some sections are steep. Wear layers: it is cooler at the huts than in Molveno, and shade under the walls is cold even in summer. A light rain jacket earns its place in the pack on almost every day of the season.

Bring enough water for the morning and money for the cable car and for lunch at the refuges. Leave anything heavy at your hotel; you will carry your pack for 6.5 hours, and a light one makes the long descent to Molveno much more pleasant.

If English is important to you, mention it in your booking and ask when you meet. The reviews show both experiences: guides praised for moving smoothly between the languages, and one guest disappointed that a tour booked in English ran mostly in Italian.

Either way, the trail itself needs no translation. The path is marked and the huts are the stops. Reviewers mention guides who shared plenty of local information and led them carefully over the more challenging parts, which is what you are paying for on unfamiliar ground.

Further north-east, Val Gardena is a different side of Dolomites hiking. The Seceda cable cars from Ortisei climb to a crest whose summit cross stands at 2,519 m, and the famous ridge walk is about 1 km long. On the other side of the valley, the Alpe di Siusi is called the largest high alpine pasture in Europe.

Molveno has more to do off the trail as well: a guided e-bike tour to Lago di Nembia, Lake Molveno and Andalo takes 4 hours in a small group of up to 6. It makes a good rest day between two walking days.

The caveats are worth knowing. The day is 6.5 hours long, with a steady climb and a long descent, and the reviews mention some big drops along the way. The cable car and lunch cost extra. And the guides speak Italian and English, so in a mostly Italian group you may hear more Italian.

If those suit you, it is a simple way into the Brenta: a local guide, a chain of refuges and some of the most impressive walls in the group, from $35, with free cancellation until the last 24 hours.