See These Towering Beauties In Italy's Dolomites Before They Crumble Away From Climate Change

Italy's Dolomites are irresistible for travelers. They are home to beautiful destinations like the serene fairytale valley, the Val di Funes, and the nearby scenic Val Gardena. In 2024, there were more than 37 million overnight stays in South Tyrol, a popular gateway to these beautiful mountains. While overtourism in the region has started to annoy locals, with some landowners demanding tourists pay a fee to pass, it may not be the most pressing concern. Unfortunately, one of the Dolomites' most iconic mountain ranges is slowly becoming the next victim of climate change.

The Five Towers or Cinque Torri is a small mountain range of eye-catching limestone monoliths rising out of a grassy hill surrounded by snow-capped mountains and lush valleys. As you can imagine, the sight is one to write home about. Unfortunately, these towers are crumbling. This isn't news to many locals, who said goodbye to the first one to fall back in 2004, when the Trephor Tower collapsed overnight. However, there are now more frequent rockfalls among these towers due to the adverse effects of climate change.

While the last collapse was over 20 years ago, scientists believe the next ones will occur soon, with one of the towers already showing signs of breaking. This process is being sped up by increasing instances of intense rainfall, which floods the rocks' cracks with water that freezes, expands, and fractures the towers, causing them to break or collapse entirely. It's known as the "radiator effect" and is why you may need to act fast to see these works of nature.

There may no longer be five prominent towers, but the Cinque Torri is still worth visiting while you can. Since rockfalls are becoming more frequent, it's important to brush up on safety tips, especially if you're hiking solo. For this particular hike, have a backup paper map, notify your emergency contacts, pack warm clothing, and bring ample food and water.

You have various routes to choose from, including the popular 1.2-mile loop that gets you up close to the limestone towers and includes World War I trenches and bunkers. If you're up for more of a challenge, you can tackle the 6.3-mile Passo Giau to Cinque Torri Circuit. This one is known for its spectacular Dolomites vistas, options for steep uphill hiking, and, of course, the monoliths. You can go by yourself or with a friend, or book a guided hike with a local expert. Rock climbers can also take on one of the many via ferratas or iron ways, protected routes that involve scrambling and should only be attempted with a guide and the proper equipment.

There are numerous gateways to the Cinque Torri, including picturesque mountain villages. Rifugio Fedare, Rifugio Nuvolau, and Rifugio Averau are good options close to hiking trails. Cortina d'Ampezzo and Selva di Cadore also have hotels, but they are a little further away. You could also stay at the historic Aman Rosa Alpina, a quiet mountain resort in the heart of the Dolomites. One of the easiest ways to get there is by flying to Venice Marco Polo Airport, where you can then take a bus, train, or rent a car to drive to the Dolomites.