To Lake Ajal From Lake Pianozes. The Hike of the Lakes

Introduction

This hike towards Lake Ajal, starting from Lake Pianozes, is a fairly short walk, taking about an hour. This nature-immersed trail is not very scenic, but it will allow you to discover two beautiful mountain lakes, both offering a restaurant and bar.

You can find this hike to Lake Ajal on the Tabacco Map 003 - "Cortina d'Ampezzo Dolomiti Ampezzane," along Path 430. Alternatively, you can see our route on Google Maps by clicking here.

This is a relatively short walk, but the path is a constant steep climb. Therefore, we do not recommend it for children or individuals who struggle with walking uphill.

Path of the Walk

The hike to Lake Ajal from Lake Pianozes might not be the most scenic, but your effort will be rewarded upon arrival, when you'll reach the lake, which is very atmospheric and evocative.

This path, as we imagined it for you, starts at the shores of Lake Pianozes, which looks like a place from a postcard, so it's the ideal starting point for our walk. If you are unsure of how to reach it, we'll describe it in depth further on the page in the chapter "How to Get There."

Leave Lake Pianozes behind, then walk north, in the direction of "Campo di Sotto." A few meters ahead you will find a small road that goes up to the left; you can see it, highlighted by a white arrow, in the picture below.

A few meters later you will reach the locality known as "Parù de Col." Here there's a big parking lot, from which a lot of different hikes starts. If you plan to get there with your car, you should park there.

After the parking area, in front of you, you'll find a fork. You have to take the road to the right, the steeper one, as highlighted in the picture below. The road to the left would lead to "Malga Federa" and to the wonderful hike named "Ra Góres de Fedèra," but we'll tell you about it later, in the section "Curiosities."

The first part of the road is asphalted; after a little you will see a "rough road" road sign, which indicates the beginning of the gravel road. This is a warning for vehicles. Since the road is open to traffic, pay attention to the cars. Once you have tackled the first climb, short but intense, the walk continues along the woods, a little less steep, without any particular deviations.

After about thirty minutes you'll find an information board and a crossroads. You are about halfway through the walk. If you want to rest a little, you could use the opportunity to learn something new about the local forest by reading the interesting information in the info table, but honestly, we can't remember if there is an English translation.

For those who are curious to know where the other two roads go, by going left you would reach a private log cabin in the woods, known as "Cejura Granda." The road to the right would bring you to the district of "Mortisa," from which it would be possible to reach the center of Cortina.

You have to go straight, heading towards the wooden bridge, along the only road that's not closed by poles.

Once you have crossed the wooden bridge, the road goes on a medium slope for about fifteen minutes. This is the only slightly scenic stretch, but don't expect too much: as mentioned in the introduction, this hike only rewards your effort once you reach the finish line, soon.

Continue for another ten minutes along the final stretch, which is flat. At the last crossroads, turn left towards "Ristorante Lago d'Ajal." The intersection is very well signposted, and you can clearly see the roof of the restaurant, on the left, slightly hidden behind the rise in the ground.

The restaurant is under new management and has recently been renovated. Once you reach it, you can stop to eat or drink something; the manager is very friendly, the place is very cozy, and the dishes are simple but good. As always, call ahead to check the actual opening or availability, especially considering seasonal changes.

If you want to take a look in the vicinity, you can visit the "Cióu del Conte" dam. This dam creates an artificial lake, which supplies water to the power plant in "Campo di Sotto." You may have noticed it at the beginning of the road towards Lake Pianozes. The path to the artificial lake is well signposted. Leaving the lake behind you, go straight at the crossroad, along the flat road.

Alternatively, at the crossroads, you could take the left and climb the slope closed by the pole. In about fifteen minutes you will reach the "Cason del Macaròn," a private wooden hut owned by the "Regole d'Ampezzo." It is given in usufruct to eligible residents. Here you can find a fountain where you can drink fresh spring water. From this point you can also reach "Pezié de Parù" and "Malga Federa," but we will not explain those hikes on this page.

If you decide to return to Lake Pianozes, there you will find the restaurant of the same name, but consider that it's quite prestigious and with prices that are not exactly popular. In the months of July and August, on the opposite shore of the lake, you will find a small wooden kiosk where you can eat sandwiches, drinks, and ice cream. It is way cheaper, and it also offers the possibility of renting deckchairs.

Curiosities

The parking lot of "Parù de Col" is the starting point of other hikes, but the best, for sure, is the one known as "Ra Góres de Fedèra." This is a newly built equipped path where you can walk up the gorges carved out by the stream known as "Ru de Fedèra." For more information on this hike, we invite you to read our page; you can see it below:

Ra Góres de Fedèra The Gorges of Fedèra, a new trail that starts from Lake Pianozes, to Malga Federa. 3h 30' - 10 km - Difficult

In 2021 the Alpine Guides and the "Scoiattoli" of Cortina built a walkable path around Lake Ajal. Curiously, it was not possible to walk all around the shores of the lake before.

The manager of the Restaurant Ajal is a curling enthusiast. For this reason, in the winter of 2021 and 2022, he set up a track on the frozen lake to allow customers to have fun practicing this sport.

The artificial lake of "Cióu del Conte," in addition to supplying the power plant with water, is also an excellent fishing basin. If you are passionate about this sport and you have a valid license, it is possible to fish excellent trout in the lake.

How to Get There

Lake Pianozes, the starting point of our hike, can be easily reached from the town center. The first possibility is a beautiful and scenic walk, lasting about forty-five minutes, along a road surrounded by greenery called "Convento." If you don't mind extending the walk, it's really worth it.

We have described this beautiful walk in depth on a dedicated page, which you can read by clicking below:

Walk to Lake Pianozes A walk from the center of Cortina to Lake Pianozes, along a road surrounded by green. 1h 45' - 6,5 km - Easy

If you want to take the car, you can leave your vehicle in the big and free parking lot of "Parù de Col." Considering that this is the starting point of many hikes, in peak season, it is a good idea to arrive early so as not to find the parking area full. The car ride will take you about fifteen minutes.

Alternatively, you can also consider taking the bus; in this case, you have to take bus n°2 from Roma Square to the bus stop at "Campo di Sotto." From there you can reach the lake in a ten-minute walk uphill. For more information and to purchase tickets, you should contact the ticket office, which is located in the same office as the Tourist Information Center. It may be closed during lunch.

Finally, you could take a taxi. From the town center to Lake Pianozes, the cost should be approximately €20. Considering that prices could vary a lot, both for the type of vehicle and the number of people, you should always ask for a quote. Taxis can be found both in Roma Square and at the bus station, or you can visit the official taxi website.

If you need any information, there is a tourist information office. It is located in the town center, near the church.

Useful information

The hike from Lake Pianozes to Lake Ajal could be done at any time of the year, but it is necessary to explain the situation. The Lago d'Ajal Restaurant has been closed during the winter of 2023/2024. For this reason the snow on the road has not been beaten. If the management decides to open next winter, the snow on the road will be regularly beaten. In any case, if the snowfalls are not heavy, the road should be walkable without too many problems. In the winter season it is advisable to bring snow crampons to apply on shoes to avoid slipping in case of ice.

The Pianozes Restaurant is open for most of the year; the kiosk on Lake Pianozes is open only in July and August. If you don't want to have any bad surprises, it's always better to call first to check if the restaurant is actually open.

The use of hiking equipment is not required, but considering that the road is mostly gravel, you should wear sports clothing and shoes. It's always advisable to have a backpack with at least some water, a snack, and a rain jacket. If you are not used to mountain hikes, before venturing, we recommend you read the page below:

Safety tips for hikers Tips for safely going hiking in the mountains and prepare your backpack with all you need. Reading time: 8 min.

We want to emphasize that, in the territory of the Dolomites, there are rules to be followed. The main ones are:

• It is strictly forbidden to light fires.
• It is strictly forbidden to pick plants and flowers.
• Free camping is prohibited.
• It is prohibited to abandon garbage.
• It is mandatory to keep pets on a leash.

Always be responsible, and when in doubt, stop. CiaoCortina cannot be held responsible for any damage to things or people, variations, wrong paths, errors, or inconveniences that may occur along the route.

Conclusion

We hope you liked this page about the walk from Lake Pianozes to Lake Ajal. Before saying goodbye, we would like to mention that you can find other amazing hikes in Cortina and its surroundings by clicking here.

If you want to thank us, you can read the page Support Us. If you only want to suggest a change, propose something, or just say hello, in the section Contacts and Info, you'll find all the ways to reach us.