In Italy’s Dolomites, the ancient coral peaks glow pink at dawn and dusk in a rare natural phenomenon called the enrosadira – a magical moment that makes skiing here unforgettable.

Maybe it's skiing beneath prehistoric, snow-capped spires or the combination of homemade pasta and Austrian apple strudel. But the après-ski scene just hits differently in Italy's Dolomite Mountains – and the "enrosadira" certainly has something to do with it.

This rare natural phenomenon washes over the Dolomites at dawn and dusk when the sun's rays reflect off the craggy peaks in steamy shades of hot pink and wildfire red. The revered towers and cliffs illuminate, transporting visitors back to when the ancient Unesco World Heritage-listed mountains were a coral reef ascending from the sea. And soon, these spectacular sunsets will light up for the entire world when the Dolomites co-host the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and Paralympics. But for now, you can still catch this wild, blushing beauty without all the crowds.

It's no surprise that enrosadira translates to "turning pink" in the Dolomites' ancient Ladin language (the world's last spoken Latin dialect). Like many Ladin traditions, tales of these mountains have been passed down for centuries. According to local legend, the magenta, amber and violet-tinged-bedrock that arrives every morning and evening is what's left of an elf king's beloved rose garden after his daughter was taken away by a suitor. Broken-hearted, he cast a spell forbidding anyone from seeing the beauty of his magical rose garden in the light of day again – only he left out daybreak and twilight.

"Enrosadira is deeply rooted in our Ladin tradition and linked to legends, emotions and a strong sense of belonging to the land," says Nicole Dorigo, a Ladin living in the Dolomites' Alta Badia region in the southern part of the Tyrol valley. "The play of lights on the mountains creates a magical and evocative atmosphere, conveying a sense of peace and connection with our homeland and the natural beauty that surrounds us."

Of course, the vibrant rock hues can also be explained by science. Back in the 1700s, French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu discovered that the range's peaks aren't pure limestone, as many previously believed. They're made of dolomite – a rock formed millions of years ago in a continental collision that uprooted the coral reef and islands between Africa and Europe. Magnesium-rich seawater slowly transformed the limestone reefs into a pale gray and tan sediment that reflects and re-emits more light than regular limestone, explaining why these mountains shine so brightly and vividly.

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