A travel tip for the Dolomites: You don’t want to be the driver, negotiating steep hairpin turns and bands of Italian cyclists pedaling through dangerously narrow mountain passes. You want to be the passenger, the one hanging her head out the window, mouth agape, transfixed on the mountain peaks and gloriously green valleys. This monumental mountain range in northeastern Italy is one of the world’s most beautiful playgrounds for outdoor adventurers, from winter skiers to summer hikers, bikers, mountain climbers and more. But equally fascinating is its cultural heritage.

Much of the region was Austrian until annexation by Italy after World War I, and the distinctive local cuisine reflects these roots; expect lots of speck, sauerkraut, knödel and strudel. From valley to valley, village to village, you’ll still encounter mostly German, some Italian with a lilting accent, as well as Ladin, an umlaut-heavy language native to this remote region. But though road signs are posted in two or three languages, the otherworldly beauty of the Dolomites needs no translation.