Italy

Always wanted to go to Italy with your dog? Italy turns out to be hugely dog-friendly! Taking your dog to a restaurant is very easy and you can even visit several museums with your dog. Read more about places like Bozen, Padova, Venice and more below!

Drei zinnen/Tre Cime di Lavaredo

In the summer of 2024, we happened to come across the German Drei zinnen in Germany. These are three relatively small boulders in Franconian Switzerland, named after the actual Drei Zinnen in South Tyrol. Since we were now quite close to these Drei Zinnen, we naturally had to go there. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Europe. When you google pictures you think, it can’t be that beautiful, but it is even more beautiful in real life than in the pictures.

The hike

You can do several hikes around the rock formations, depending on your hiking skills. We chose to do a hike of about three hours. Click here for Komoot tour: Wonderful Drei Zinnen hike

Make sure you get there on time

It can get quite crowded in the car park, so keep in mind to go early to make sure there is parking space. You pay 30 euros to drive the pass to the car park and then park at the top. If you are unable to hike, you can even see the rock formations from the plateau near the mountain hut, but it is even more magical to actually walk the hike.

Our hike

We were at the top at 9am in October and we had a beautiful view. It was a clear blue sky and we looked out at the clouds in the valley. You can walk all the way around the three giant rock formations and each side has its own charm. Once you are past the rock formations, you feel like you are alone in the world. In fact, most people walk on to the next mountain hut, but you can also walk directly past the formations. You pass a beautiful little lake in which you can see the reflection of the Drei Zinnen.

Venice

Let’s face it, Venice is the most beautiful city in the world. Unfortunately, these days it is being overrun by tourists. Still, we really wanted to take Shampoo to Venice.

Beware! There are days when you have to pay an entrance fee to see Venice. You can find which days they are on the internet. The days we were there were not considered ‘busy days’, so for us this did not apply. The city does this to protect the city and its citizens.

We chose to stay in a hotel in Quarto d’Altino. From here you can catch the train and be in Venice in about 20 minutes. We caught the train at the end of the day each time, so it wasn’t so crowded. At the end of the day, most tourists go back to their accommodation and you’ll have the city pretty much to yourself, especially on a rainy day, and you won’t have to worry about people stepping on your dog either.

In Italy, the rule is for dogs to wear a muzzle on public transport, but in some places this only applies to large dogs. Always take a muzzle with you just to be sure!

Keep in mind that there are a huge number of stairs throughout Venice. Our dog is not allowed to climb stairs, so we carried him all the time on the steps (not good for your back :)).

Venice is otherwise good to visit with your dog, if you don’t go during the day. They are very dog-friendly there. Dogs are welcome in most shops, cafés and restaurants, and the dog is also allowed on the water taxi and in some gondolas!

Restaurant tip:
La Patatina a San Giacomo
Very good food and dogs allowed inside!

There are few wastebaskets, so bear in mind that you sometimes have to walk with the pooch bag for a while before you come across one.

Bozen

The surroundings of Bozen invite you to go for beautiful walks with your dog.

Bozen itself is also well worth a visit. There are cosy streets you can wander through with your dog.

Restaurant tip:
FranziskanerStuben – Amazingly good food and the waiter tried immensely hard to give us a good time.

Hotel

We stayed at hotel Eggentaler for a couple of nights. This is a highly recommended place to go with your dog. The hotel has a swimming pool and hot tub and is beautifully situated among the mountains (see the picture above).

They are tremendously dog-friendly there. Your dog can also come with you to the restaurant. Our dog couldn’t wait in the morning for us to go to breakfast again ;).

Hiking in the Dolomites

You can take several gondolas or mountain trains nearby that take you to beautiful places in the mountains. Your dog can come along, provided it wears a muzzle. It varies from place to place how strict they maintain this rule. Most gondolas have muzzles on loan, but it is better to make sure you always have one with you.

Renon Cable Car - Rittner Bahn

From Bolzano, you can take the Renon cable car to the Rittner Bahn. So you go in the cable car first and from there you change to a little train. It’s fun to take the Rittnerbahn with your dog. The Rittnerbahn takes you through a beautiful landscape. You can get off at several stations.

We chose to stay on until the last station (Klobenstein) and started our hike from there. This hike takes you along the Piramidi de Terra:
Komoot hike Piramidi de Terra.

At some point you’ll come to Gasthaus Bad Siess and here you can have delicious kaiserschmarrn.

From Venice to...

As we did not fancy the hustle and bustle of Venice during the day, we took a number of day trips to other places near Venice.

Padova

Padova is a fun city to visit with your dog. There are cosy terraces where you can sit and your dog can even join you in the Museo Storico Della Terza Armata!

Before or after visiting the city, you can take a walk in the Colli Euganei Regional Park: Komoot hike near Padova

Ferrara

Spend an enchanting afternoon in Ferrara, starting with a visit to the majestic Castello Estense, a moated fortress rich in history. Wander through the charming Ferrara Cathedral, admiring its stunning Gothic facade. Stroll to the Palazzo dei Diamanti to marvel at its unique diamond-patterned exterior. Enjoy a coffee and a local treat at a nearby café, savoring the flavors of Ferrara.

Coffee tip:
Pappare’ Ferrara

Treviso

Treviso is Venice in miniature. It is certainly less impressive, but it is fun to stroll through for a few hours.

Bassano del Grappa

We think this is a very nice place. Unfortunately, it was far too busy in the morning we were there. It was market and the streets were littered with people. So we only spent 15 minutes here, because it was unbearable in the crowds.

Lago di Caldonazzo

A beautiful lake where your dog can enjoy a dip is Lago di Caldonazzo.

We stayed at Hotel Happy Days Sul Lago as a stopover before arriving in Venice. The hotel room was spotless. Dogs are allowed in the hotel and in the restaurant and it comes with a view!

Trente

From here, you can also take a day trip to Trente. A beautiful city with nice terraces!

Alpine lakes

Antholzer See

South Tyrol offers endless beautiful hiking opportunities. An example of such a beautiful walk can be taken around Antholzer See. The water is emerald blue and you can see the mountains wonderfully reflected in the calm lake.

Close to the lake is a large car park and if you walk from the car park to the lake, you will pass a cosy café (Tiroller Hütte) where you can get delicious coffee and cake. Definitely a must stop after the great hike.

When you’re done hiking, you can also ride the Passo di Stallo, which takes you across the border into Austria. During this pass, you will be treated to beautiful views and also a view of Lake Antholzer.

Keep in mind that you need to be at the top in 30 minutes, as after this, oncoming traffic is allowed to drive down. A traffic light perfectly indicates how long you have to wait until you are allowed to go up or down.

Lago di Landro

If your dog likes swimming, you can stop at Lago di Landro. This lake also features the beautiful emerald blue colour and, especially in autumn, the trees colour very nicely by the lake.