At the international festival in Dobbiaco, you can discover the Upper Val Pusteria by hot air balloon every January
Image gallery: Dolomiti Balloon Festival
The Balloon Week, which takes place every year in the Upper Val Pusteria, opens with live music and the Night Glow of the hot air balloons. This is an impressive and colourful spectacle where gas burner flames heating the air inside make the hot air balloons literally glow. It succeeds the "Christmas in the Dolomites" event: As one concludes, the other is inaugurated.
However, the international meeting provides further highlights such as competitions between participants, tethered balloon rides for children and the model balloon glow at the Nordic Arena in Dobbiaco. Every January, those who wish to do so can also climb into a hot air balloon themselves in Dobbiaco and experience the Upper Val Pusteria and the Dolomites from lofty heights.
Hot air balloon rides can be booked or given as gift vouchers: A trip lasts half a day including setup, dismantling and the traditional "baptism", while the actual flight time is around one hour. The flight direction depends on the wind, meaning the destination cannot be determined in advance. The launch site for the balloons at the Dolomiti Balloon Festival is in Dobbiaco.
