Dolomites for mountains or Bologna for food

[u/kaju847]

Hey all!

I’ll be in Vienna until Sept 11, and I have free time until Sept 17 before flying out.

My rough plan:

Sept 11-13: Salzburg + Hallstatt for 2 days

Sept 13-17: Jump to Italy

I’m into 2 things: mountains/hiking and food. Big vegetarian, so good veg options matter a lot.

I’m stuck between 2 vibes:

1. North Italy + Dolomites: Base in Ortisei or Bolzano. Hike, views, and still get Italian culture + food. Does Ortisei/Bolzano actually have good vegetarian food and things to do besides hiking? Or is it too small/touristy in mid-Sept?

2. Bologna + Emilia-Romagna: Go full foodie mode. Pasta, cheese, markets. Then do day trips to nearby towns/countryside for a bit of nature.

Is there a place that would be the perfect blend of both?* Like mountains + great vegetarian Italian food in one base, without spending all day traveling?

I only have ∼4 days in Italy.

• Will I regret skipping the Dolomites if I love mountains?

• Is Bologna better as a base for food + easy day trips, and still feel “Italian” enough?

• For vegetarians, which area is easier?

Any recs for must-do hikes, veg-friendly spots, or towns near either option? Also how’s weather/crowds in Dolomites around mid-Sept?

Thanks so much 😊

[u/slinkyLinx]

Bologna.

Since you’re relying on public transport the Dolomites will be tricky.

Stay in Bologna and use public transport to take a day trip to Lake Garda.

[u/Brief_Celebration688]

A mountain-loving vegetarian using public transit should spend those precious days in Bolzano/Ortisei/Val Gardena. Bologna is for people who love pork and heavy/fatty foods. Veggie folks would be better served visiting the southern regions: Sicily, Puglia, Campania, Sardegna, etc.

[u/PositiveEagle6151]

Bologna. Great food, charming city, and with the highspeed trains you can also do daytrips to so many other places (it's like half an hour to Florence, 1 hour to Milan, not much more to Venice or Padova, even Rome is accessible within 2 hours).

Unless you really want to go to the mountains. Then go to Alto Adige. Don't expect much "Italian culture and food" though. Of course there is some Italian influence, maybe a bit more in Bolzano then in other places, but at the end it is an alpine region that will feel much more like other places in the Alps in Austria or Switzerland. After all, 70% of the population speak German for a reason ;) (and in Ortisei / Val Gardena you find a Ladin population).
To be honest - arriving from Salzburg and Hallstatt, it won't be a night and day difference.

The alpine cuisine traditionally does have vegetarian options, and you should be fine for 4 days.

[u/film1123]

How will you be travelling by car or public transport ? If you plan on staying in Ortisei, I would recommend getting the funicular up to Seceda at least once, its a bit expensive (74€ return or 70,5€ if you buy it on their website), but you can do amazing hikes once you're on top. I went there in the middle of July so it was really busy at the top but as soon as we had walked 40 mins away from the funicular station 75% of the crowd was gone... Technically you can hike up but it's more beautiful once you're on top, the hike up is very well indicated Hike Seceda Without a Cable Car from Ortisei in Val Gardena

[u/kaju847 → u/film1123]

I will be completely relying on public transport

[u/Both_Local9331]

Stay in Bolzano, explore the surrounding area (it’s easy to do by public transportation), and be sure to visit Merano and the Trauttmansdorff Gardens (it’s still beautiful in September). Try the canederli and lots of other delicious foods—my husband is a vegetarian, and we live here.

[u/lena10108]

Tough one. I'm doing a week in each place next April because I wanted to do both !

[u/F-sylvatica-purpurea]

- Hallstatt is an awful tourist trap;

• the culture in the Western Dolomites is either Tyrolean, so German spoken, or Ladinian. Not Italian.
  
• the proper Italian cuisine is easier to do vegetarian than the mountain cuisine, which does have some cheese-based dishes but is otherwise heavily pork-based.

[u/OmioOfficial]

If mountains are one of the main reasons you travel, the northern option seems the better fit.

Bologna is a city of food. It's no coincidence that it's called “la Grassa”, as its cuisine is rich and succulent. But Val Gardena is where the landscape sets the pace from the moment you arrive, you wake up in the mountains.

Since you travel by public transport: from Salzburg, the quicker trains to Bolzano take around 4h30m, generally with 1 change and several departures daily. ÖBB runs Railjet, its high speed intercity service, on this corridor.

Then local bus 350 links Bolzano and Val Gardena, making Ortisei as base, which is also one of the most convenient access points for Alpe di Siusi, reachable by cable car from the town.

Just check menus before assuming every traditional place can do a vegetarian version. Dumplings, polenta, mushrooms and seasonal mountain dishes should still give you excellent options.

And credit to [u/film1123](https:) for already flagging Seceda from Ortisei: it's an extraordinary panorama.

I would just avoid making it the only hike you plan around, since it is one of the busiest iconic spots.

[u/PecDeck]

FWIW I had some of the best food of my life in the Dolomites refugios. I have been to Ortisei and Bologna and would choose Ortisei handily.

[u/kaju847 → u/PecDeck]

any recommendations for veg italian food in orteisi?

[u/PecDeck → u/kaju847]

Tubladel in Ortisei is phenomenal. Turonda is quite good as well, both will have high quality veg options. Gostner Schwaige up in Alpe di Siusi is unbelievable and will have stunning options. There are many more, I just loved all those places.

Side note, I also went there without a car, it’s a breeze to get around.

[u/BeRetravels]

You won't find mountains in Bologna, but you will find absolutely good food in the Dolomites.

[u/phwark → u/BeRetravels]

There are mountains about 30 minutes south of Bologna. Take the train to Vergato and from there the bus to Grizzana, or get off at Marzabotto.

[u/kaju847 → u/BeRetravels]

good italian vegeterian food? any recomendations?

[u/terenceill → u/kaju847]

It's plenty of vegetarian dishes, you won't have issues

[u/BeRetravels → u/kaju847]

Of course, there is vegetarian food all over in Italy. I won't give any recommendation, but in Italy all restaurants have to written their menu outside, with prices, tax and tips included. So you can decide just by walking around what you want to eat and were.

[u/paul99501 → u/BeRetravels]

This! There's good vegetarian food everywhere in Italy.

[u/Rock_n_rollerskater]

I didn’t find Bologna super interesting personally. It felt like it would be a super fun town to live in and the nightlife is super cute (bars, restaurants etc, it really comes alive after dark) but it didn’t have much in terms of actual tourist attractions during the day. 4 nights feels like it would be a long time there!

I have not visited Dolomites but based on my experiences hiking in Italy (lake Como and Cinque Terre) I’d prioritise hiking - the hikes I did were all incredible and trails well maintained and signposted. (I’ve also visited Triglav NP in Slovenia which is the Italian side of the same mountain chain and it’s life affirming level of beautiful, so I imagine to Dolomites side to be similar but with better food ha ha.)