The Dolomites, also known as the “Pale Mountains”, are a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps covering an area that is shared by the provinces of Belluno, Bolzano, Trento, Udine, and Pordenone.

The Dolomites are geographically located entirely within Northern Italy, but culturally and linguistically, they are a fascinating blend of both Italian and German. This is because the region (specifically the South Tyrol or Südtirol province) was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries before being annexed by Italy after World War I. Today, the region is officially bilingual; in South Tyrol, approximately 62% of the population speaks German as their primary language, and towns have two names (e.g., Bolzano/Bozen). There is also a third, smaller linguistic group that speaks Ladin, an ancient Rhaeto-Romance language. This dual identity is reflected in everything from the architecture—which looks more like the Austrian Alps than Mediterranean Italy—to the cuisine, where you will find both world-class pasta and traditional apple strudel or speck. While you are politically in Italy and use the Euro, a visitor to the Dolomites will find that the cultural "vibe," the efficiency of the transport, and the primary language spoken in the mountain huts are often distinctly Germanic.