A HISTORIC mountain hut perched almost 3,000 metres up the Dolomites offers high living for holiday hikers and adventure tourists.

The historic Boè Mountain Hut in the Fassa Dolomites has been transformed by a three-year renovation and expansion project supported by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation.

Inspired by the Trentino region’s commitment to sustainable tourism, new technologies help reduce the environmental impact of the hut and preserve the precious natural resources of the region.

The expansion has included a 76-room new building which can accommodate 114 guests, as well as several dining rooms.

Having conquered the challenges of revamping the hut at an altitude of almost 3,000m, the Boè Mountain Hut finally re-opened its doors to guests in June.

It can be reached from a range of hiking trails where explorers will feel as though they’re walking on the moon in lunar landscapes and incredible rock formations.

Cutting edge technologies inform the water supply with melted ice channelled through the hut’s four water distribution networks providing an eco-friendly source for guests’ showers and purified drinking water which reduces the need for plastic bottles.

Such has been the success that the Val di Fumo Mountain Hut and the Saènt Silvio Dorigoni Mountain Hut are set to install the same purification systems, as well as a new turbine system to provide renewable energy.

Nestled at the feet of the Dolomites in northern Italy, the Trentino region has been attracting hikers for more than 150 years.

British mountaineers Francis Fox Tuckett and Edward Robson Whitwell made the first ascent in the Dolomites to Cimon de la Pala (known as “the Matterhorn of the Dolomites”) in 1870, paving the way for generations of future hikers.

Now, visitors can now explore more of the region’s peaks than ever before because Trentino’s Alpine Guides College has restored the region’s historic Via delle Normali route in a bid to welcome more walkers to the iconic mountain huts.

The route was first established over 90 years ago by explorer Cesare Maestri and now connects guests staying at the eight historic huts to trails up the 10 peaks of the Brenta Group, each of which towers over 2,900m high.

Hikers can enjoy the beauty of the Via delle Normali route in an exploratory mountaineering experience which offers an easier option for less experienced climbers, connecting several peaks along 45km of historic Dolomites routes.

Mountain guides have also restored the Via delle Normali rock routes with new rest anchors and protection in the most challenging areas so hikers can feel safe whilst exploring.

A programme conceived by the Trentino Alpine Guides, called ‘Let’s Dolomites’, offers visitors the chance to experience a Trentino mountain trek with packages of either three or six days including overnight stays in the mountain huts.

For further information, head to www.visittrentino.info/en or to book a mountain hut package visit www.campobase.travel.