Alpe di Siusi and Seceda, Dolomites

The Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) is Europe's largest high alpine meadow, a rolling plateau of pastures, wooden huts and wildflowers below the jagged peaks of the Sassolungo and the Sciliar. It's wonderful for easy walks in summer and skiing in winter. Cars are restricted on the plateau, so take the cable car up from Siusi or Ortisei.

Nearby, a cable car from Ortisei climbs to Seceda, where a sharp ridge of tilted green slopes and rock spires gives one of the most famous views in the Dolomites. The Val Gardena villages are a great base.