VIA AMELIA – Time travel in the DolomitesItinerary 7: San Martino di Castrozza to CaprileThe second part of Amelia's Giro di Primiero, returning to Caprile, is a particularly rich and diverse itinerary that includes history, humour, mountain spirits, human spirits and a little pathos.Before leaving San Martino, we explore its history by following the series of illustrated panels displayed along Via Fontanelle. The mountain spirits envelop us as we climb to the Rolle Pass, dominated by Cimon della Pala, known as the Matterhorn of the Dolomites in Amelia's time. Descending through the wildly romantic forest of violins, where Stradivari once roamed, we reach the enchanting Paneveggio. The geological museum in Predazzo is another essential stop on Via Amelia, where we find Amelia's and Lucy's signatures in the digitally preserved visitors' book from the world-famous Nave d'Oro hotel, run by the Giacomelli family who still live in the town today. We connect with more human spirits in Vigo di Fassa at Hotel Alpen Corona, where Amelia stayed, still operated by the same Rizzi family today.Amelia's richly detailed pen portraits provide us with a unique record of people she met and places she visited, such as the Fedàia Alp. And there, at Passo Fedàia, we pause to remember those whose lives were scarificed during the brutal conditions of World War 1 and appreciate the peace we have inherited.VIA AMELIA is a tour of the Dolomites inspired, and guided, by Amelia Edwards, one of the first foreigners to explore these majestic mountains and write about them.In her book Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys, first published in 1873,  Amelia tells us the story of her astonishing adventures. It is not only the improbable journey in a bygone age that amazes us, but also the incredible illustrations drawn by the author herself.  Even today, it is one of the most popular guidebooks ever published about the Dolomites. In VIA AMELIA we bring it back to life, with Amelia as our courier. Along this guided tour, Amelia enthrals us, in her own words, with a vivid account of her travels by horse-drawn carriage and cart, riding side-saddle on mules over rougher trails and on foot up and down steep rocky paths accompanied by a female friend Lucy Renshaw.VIA AMELIA enables us to follow Amelia's and Lucy’s precise route, from Venice to Bolzano, by road and footpath, through the same valleys, across the same mountain passes and over, or around, the same magnificent peaks. Along the way we pass through places that Amelia and Lucy visited to discover what has happened to the inns and hotels where they slept, and to meet descendants of people Amelia and Lucy met. We also pause where Amelia stopped to sketch, so we can compare the view today with the beautiful engravings from Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented Valleys, or Amelia’s original paintings.As our guide, Amelia fascinates us with detailed descriptions of the places she visited and witty accounts of her conversations with the wide range of ordinary people they encountered. Her delightful sketches and exquisite pen-portraits enable our imaginations to travel through time, and picture what life was like at the dawn of tourism in this World Heritage Site. The precision of Amelia’s writing provides a rich historical insight that allows us to linger awhile and consider: What has changed? What remains the same? And, more importantly, what must we do to cherish and preserve our precious natural and cultural heritage?VIA AMELIA is divided into 10 separate itineraries. Each itinerary covers part of Amelia's and Lucy’s journey and provides an interesting and worthwhile experience on its own. Some itineraries take several days, if all the points are visited. Others may be followed in a single day. By completing all 10 itineraries we enjoy an all-embracing tour of the Dolomites, visiting the most iconic and famous places. We also explore some of the most pristine and unspoilt parts, where we feel closer to Amelia's and Lucy’s experiences.Transport today is compeletly different from Amelia's and Lucy’s journey. In each itinerary we provide details of public transport, but we can also follow on bicycle or private transport.Narrator: Susan BoyleVoice of Amelia Edwards: Judith BaggottFollow this link for information about a high-quality facsimile of Untrodden Peaks and Unfrequented ValleysFollow VIA AMELIA from your armchair with Spirits of the Dolomites in which the authors retrace Amelia's and Lucy's journey and describe their own encounters with descendants of people Amelia and Lucy met. Click here to peek inside.