Our journey begins in Vigo di Cadore, Italy. Vigo di Cadore is around 30 km from the stunning Auronzo. Because we had only had three hours of sleep, we took the easy way out and booked a hotel in Vigo. I was familiar with the hotel’s proprietors, and it had been 5 years since my last visit. But we maintained contact throughout the years.

We’d continue our drive towards the Austrian Alps after a fantastic night, including a sunrise glimpse of the mountains. But first, I wanted to show my wife the wonderful small church I discovered just outside the hotel 5 years ago. The Church of Sant’Orsola is a 13th-century religious structure in Vigo di Cadore, Belluno Province, and the Diocese of Belluno-Feltre. Inside are a sequence of frescoes from the 13th century, mostly depicting Saint Orsola’s legends.

Our excellent tour guide informed us about the history and features of the structure. He told us that another mediaeval chapel was much older than the one we had visited. The church was called Chiesetta di Santa Margherita. Our excellent tour guide informed us about the history and features of the structure. He told us that another mediaeval chapel was much older than the one we had visited. Salagona’s Chiesette Santa Margherita is one of Cadore’s oldest ecclesiastical structures. The lone remaining structure in Salagona was destroyed by fire on August 21, 1705.

It was built under the control of the Caminesi and was first mentioned in 1285 when it was under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Aquileia.

It was a unique experience to see and feel the chapel. It’s incredible to visit something that has been around for almost 800 years. History was never my strongest subject in school, but the older I become, the more it draws me in.

The tour guide informed us more about the area. The ideal narrative to carry on to Austria. A 250-kilometer inner road through the breathtaking mountain regions. The meteorological conditions were less than ideal. The mountains had been blanketed in clouds, making the fall colours stand out even more.

The Sella di Rioda pass was one of the first places we drove. The Sella di Rioda (1,800 m) is a Carnic Alps alpine pass that links Vigo di Cadore with Sauris in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The route from the Friulian side to the pass begins in Ampezzo and passes via Sauris, with a total height difference of nearly 1300 m and steep grades (up to 18%) in the final stretch, whilst the ascent from the Cadore side is shorter and more irregular.

The pictures say it all; I could remain there for hours shooting photographs. Above all, I did not mention the pleasant smell of the forest. The thin air and the sound of running water from the mountain slopes. It feels just like peace in my mind.

Sauris was the next stop. A tiny alpine village.

We resumed our trip towards the Carnic Alps (Italian: Alpi Carniche) after passing through the lovely town of Sauris. The Carnic Alps are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in Austria and northeastern Italy. They are within Austrian East Tyrol and Carinthia, and Italian Friuli (Province of Udine) and marginally in Veneto.

The route is fantastically curvy, and the vistas from the mountain pass we took are breathtaking. The only downside was the rain, but it didn’t ruin the journey.

Our Defender takes us to the Austrian border, where we go to the Zillertal interior routes.

After crossing through Zillertal, we’d only be a few kilometres away from our final destination in Fugen. In addition to the Dolomites, we had spent over a half-day within the Alps. In a single word, magical! Nothing else comes to mind.

We planned to stay in Fugen for two days to tour Innsbruck and its beautiful castles and history. Today, however, it is all about the breathtaking beauty of nature around the earth.

I consider myself fortunate to have been able to photograph this tour. It helps me feel liberated and capable of recharging my batteries after hard days at work. The spirit I feel in the mountains is always amazing to me, and I hope you can see it in the photographs.

Thank you