DOLOMITES HIKES FOR PEOPLE WITH LOWER BACK ISSUES/HERNIATED DISC/NO HIKING EXPERIENCE

AUGUST 2024

The Dolomites do not seem like a logical destination when you have lower back issues and therefore cannot do advanced hikes… But I went with a herniated disc and still had a great time. So if I can, so can you and that’s why I wrote this blog. There actually are lots of beginner hikes and locations in the Dolomites that can easily be done even if you are not in the best conditions. I will give all my recommendations in this blogpost.

Easy hikes in the Dolomites

Seceda: You can take the gondola up to Seceda from Ortisei, making you skip hours of hiking. Once you get up to the top you only need to hike about 30 minutes to see all the famous viewpoints, and there is no steep incline. You can read all about this in my Seceda blogpost!

Tre Cime/Cadini di Misurina: If you drive the car to Rifigio Auronzo and park it, you can already spot the Tre Cime di Lavadero from the first path. If you hike for 15 minutes you can already spot the iconic three towers. The Cadini di Misurina hike takes about 45 minutes one-way and is definitely worth it for the views. I have explained everything in this blogpost.

Lago di Braies: The hike around the Instagram perfect lake only takes one hour and is so flat it cannot be called a hike. Definitely a must-visit if you want the Dolomites views, but cannot do long hikes. Check out my blogpost here.

Alpe di Siusi: In the alpine meadow of Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm there actually are many chairlifts that you can take to skip hiking. You can also decide to do it one way and hike back. Because it is a valley the surface is quite flat, so definitely suitable for beginner hikers.

Val di Funes: Val di Funes is one of the most underrated locations in the Dolomites. The little hike to the Santa Magdalena church is beautiful and well indicated. It is a bit of a slow burn, but still very doable if you have physic issues.

Villanderer Alm: Another alpine valley, you can just take the bus up and enjoy lots of flat hikes, visiting alpine huts for a delicious lunch.

Passo Val Gardena: The Val Gardena pass is another stunner in the Dolomites that you can enjoy with limited to no hiking. You need to be a confident driver though because there are quite some twists and turns. You can stop your car at several locations and do little hikes.