The driest month of the Alpine winter, January brings cold, clear days with glorious sunshine. The Dolomites get less snow than the rest of the Alps but what falls stays put, making this one of the better stretches for skiing.

Enrosadira, the famous alpenglow that turns the limestone cliffs pink-orange at dawn and dusk, is especially extraordinary against the fresh snow.

The Dolomiti Superski circuit hits its full stride. Twelve linked valleys, 1,200km of pistes and the famous Sella Ronda lap are why serious skiers come.

The most reliable snow of the season meets long sunny stretches between fronts. Cold mornings and clear afternoons make this the sweet spot for skiing.

Sciliar, the Sella massif and the Marmolada are at their photographic best. Crisp air, fresh snow and low winter sun are a perfect combination.

Carnival in the Ladin valleys is wonderful. Wooden masks, Tyrolean costumes and ancient pre-Christian rituals fill villages like San Cassiano, Selva and Ortisei in the week before Lent.

Enjoy reliable and soft afternoon snow, late sunshine and aperitivi on rifugio terraces without the holiday crowds.

Snow stays on the high slopes, but Bolzano, Bressanone and the Adige Valley wake into early bloom — apple trees, magnolia and the first real warmth.

The wine cellars of the Adige Valley and Eisacktal welcome visitors out of winter mode. Lagrein, Vernatsch and Gewürztraminer producers around Bolzano open their doors before the summer rush.

The ski season winds down across most resorts as lower valleys welcome spring in earnest. Apple orchards in the Val Venosta and Val di Non bloom in vast pink-and-white sweeps, with the Dolomite peaks still snow-capped above.

The Vinschger Almabtrieb – the spring drive of dairy cattle up to high alpine pastures – begins in late April. Watching herds garlanded with bells and flowers walking up to the meadows is a rather atmospheric Tyrolean ritual.

Bolzano's Walther Square comes alive again as outdoor café terraces reopen and the open-air market settles back in.

The lower paths of the Alpe di Siusi and Val di Funes open for hiking. Wildflower meadows below 1,800m bloom with gentians, primrose and crocus – a hint of the high-summer spectacle to come.

The Adige and Eisacktal Valleys are at their gentlest spring best. Apple orchards in full bloom, vineyards leafing out and morning mist rising off the river make for one of the loveliest stretches of the year.

Bolzano's Strudel Festival celebrates South Tyrol's favourite pastry. Bakeries and pasticcerie compete across the city's piazze, with apple, poppy seed and quark variations all on show.

Most rifugi open in mid-June onwards along with the lifts, and high meadows explode into wildflower bloom – alpine roses, gentians, edelweiss and more.

Lago di Braies, Lago di Sorapis and Lago di Carezza all thaw and reach their famous shade of turquoise – before the summer parking restrictions properly kick in.

Days can stretch towards 15 hours of light and the longest evenings of the year mean late dinners on rifugio terraces, with the cliffs turning rose-gold well past 9 pm.

Hot, stable weather settles in with predictable afternoon thunderstorms, while mornings are reliably clear for hiking.

Via ferrata routes reach their absolute prime. The historic World War One routes through the Lagazuoi, the Tofane and the Cinque Torri can be tackled with proper grip and stable weather, with views into Austria.

Long evenings linger past 9 pm with proper alpine warmth at altitude. Dining on a rifugio terrace, watching enrosadira light the cliffs through second courses, is a magical summer moment.

The hottest, most stable weather of the year brings the heaviest crowds with it. Ferragosto on 15 August fills mountain villages with locals too.

Cinque Torri and the Lagazuoi tunnels reveal their full historical character. The First World War open-air museum and the underground galleries through Lagazuoi's interior are among the most remarkable history walks in Europe.

The Almencen alm cheese festivals begin across high pastures. Visit a working malga to taste the summer's mountain cheeses, made with milk from cows grazing on alpine herbs.

Crowds thin sharply after the first week, the first hints of autumn arrives, and the Dolomites bask in golden afternoon light. September is the best month for hikers prioritising solitude alongside warmth.

Air clarity returns to extraordinary distances, with the Marmolada's glacier sharper than it has been all summer.

Visit Lago di Braies, Lago di Sorapis or Lago di Carezza as the crowds ease and sensational light returns.

The first two weeks of October deliver the famous larch turn as entire valley sides blaze gold against the limestone cliffs.

Crisp, often cloudless days arrive with extraordinary visibility. The Marmolada, the Sella Group and the Tre Cime feel almost close enough to touch with horizontal autumn light bringing out every detail.

The chestnut and törggelen season takes over the Eisacktal. Tyrolean farmers open their masi (farmhouses) for new wine, roasted chestnuts, speck and Schlutzkrapfen – a proper autumn ritual.

The genuine in-between month when lifts are shut and most rifugi closed, you’ll find a quietly authentic Dolomites that belongs to the locals.

The first proper snow usually arrives mid-month, dusting the high peaks and transforming the limestone cliffs from autumn brown to sugary white.

Bolzano's Christmas market opens at the end of November. The Alpine wooden chalets fill Walther Square with mulled wine, hand-carved nativity figures, speck and the proper Christkindl atmosphere – one of the Alps' best.

As the snow returns, the ski season usually opens around the second weekend in December and the Dolomiti Superski circuit comes alive again.

One of the driest months in the Alps, enjoy frequent blue-sky days and those famous enrosadira moments at dawn and dusk.

Christmas markets are glorious and festive, while New Year’s Eve brings fireworks across the Sella massif.