Love skiing in winter and mountain biking in summer? This month you can do both in the Italian Dolomites by adding fat biking – cycling on snow on bikes equipped with tyres up to five inches thick – to the traditional attractions of a springtime trip to the slopes.  Fat biking now takes its place alongside the torchlit evening walks, snowshoe excursions and climbing expeditions organised by the tourist board in Val Gardena. 

That’s great for those who love the mountains but don’t necessarily want to ski every minute of every day – or who, quite simply, want to add a new dimension to their trip. Thanks to its magical scenery and historical significance, the valley of Val Gardena in north-eastern Italy was awarded World Heritage status in 2009. It is also notable for its cable railway connection to Alpe Di Suisi – Europe’s largest mountain plateau – and access to the renowned Sellaronda ‘carousel’.