Introduction
Lake Misurina is the largest alpine lake in the Dolomites and is considered one of the most beautiful high-altitude lakes in Italy.
Misurina is located 1,754 meters, or 5,754 feet, above sea level in the higher lands of "Auronzo di Cadore." It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Dolomite area. Let's discover together what this splendid Dolomite lake has to offer!
What to do at Misurina
The first thing to do once you get to Misurina is definitely a walk around the lake. The walk is really easy, and it will take you about 30 minutes. It is a loop that runs along the shores for its entire length. You can start from any point and in the direction you prefer.
During the walk, you'll be able to observe the beautiful peaks that surround the lake, such as the "Cadini," the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo," and Mount "Sorapis." The flora and fauna of the lake have great naturalistic interest, and there are always some nice waterfowl present, including several species of ducks, sometimes with their little ducklings.
Once the walk is over, you may go shopping in the stores in the area, and in some of them, you will revive the charm of other times. Even if Lake Misurina is not the paradise of worldliness and shopping, you will probably find some nice gift ideas to take home as a souvenir of this day in the mountains. If you want to have a drink, there are some bars overlooking the shores of the lake.
Once you have visited the center, you may move to the "Col de Varda" chairlift, which will take you to the homonymous mountain lodge. With a ten-minute ride, you can reach a splendid view of Lake Misurina and the dolomite area that surrounds it.
The Rifugio "Col de Varda" is the starting point of several hikes towards the mountain group of the "Cadini di Misurina" or towards the "Rifugio Città di Carpi."
... you can reach a splendid view of Lake Misurina...
There are a lot of outdoor activities to do, even if your holiday in Misurina will be longer than one day. Amazing hikes, bike rides, or a visit to the neighboring town of "Auronzo di Cadore" or the evocative "Cortina d'Ampezzo." For more information on what to do in Misurina and the surrounding area, you can contact the tourist information office of Misurina or visit the website of the "Tre Cime" Dolomiti Tourist Consortium.
Eat at Misurina
If, after a morning or an afternoon in the open air, you feel hungry, there are several places where you can eat in Misurina. From the "Quinz" Lake Inn to the Edelweiss Pizzeria, the rustic "Malga Misurina," and some others.
We want to speak out in favor of "Malga Misurina." It is a place that embodies the simplicity of the mountains. A mountain hut that truly represents its name. Simple, genuine, local products, served without frills. A place dedicated to those looking for traditional flavors in a rustic setting surrounded by nature.
Considering that it was afternoon, we ended the day in Misurina with a snack at "Malga Popena," a typical restaurant on the road to "Carbonin."
"Malga Popena" is managed by the Agricultural Cooperative Auronzo Val d'Ansiei, which also manages "Malga Maraia," another restaurant in the area. It can be reached with an easy hike; if you want to take this walk, you can see our page about it below:
Both of these restaurants were created with the aim of giving a job to the less fortunate residents of the town of Auronzo and also include some farming fields, where most of the raw materials with which the dishes are created grow. Honestly, we can only advise you to drop by.
Misurina in the winter
Misurina is located at 1,754 meters, or 5,754 feet, above sea level. The high altitude and the natural cold guarantee snow throughout the winter, making Lake Misurina the ideal choice for lovers of winter sports. In Misurina, it is generally possible to ski, with excellent snow conditions, from December to Easter.
Downhill skiing can be practiced on Mount "Col de Varda," where you will find a chair lift to the "Rifugio Col de Varda," from which three Blue Square (intermediate) ski slopes start. If you love more technical ski slopes, the "Pala dei Francesi" is a Black Diamond (Advanced) slope that was inaugurated in 2019. It has been built on the old training field of the French Olympic team. From the "Rifugio Col de Varda," it is also possible to reach the "Rifugio Città di Carpi" and "Malga Maraia," both on foot or on mountaineering skis.
If you are a beginner looking for an easier track to practice on, in the area called "Loita," you will find a skylift and a green circle (beginner) slope.
If you prefer cross-country skiing, near Lake Misurina, it is possible to find two trails: an easy four-kilometer, or two and a half miles, and one more technical one with numerous ups and downs of five kilometers, or three miles. For both trails, the starting and finishing points are located in the area called "Loita," which is located on the left, as soon as you take the road from Misurina to the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo."
If skiing isn't your thing, Misurina offers many other winter activities to enjoy. Among the most suggestive is the climb towards the "Tre Cime" or "Monte Piana" on a snowmobile, followed by the descent with the sled. It is also possible to practice mountaineering, skiing, snowshoeing, and skating on the frozen lake.
In the past, some of the skating competitions of the 1956 Cortina Olympics and some editions of the Cortina Winter Polo Audi Gold Cup were also held on the frozen lake.
Also in this case, for more information on all the activities described, we invite you to visit the website of the "Tre Cime" Dolomiti Tourist Consortium or ask to the tourist information office of Misurina.
Parking in Misurina
Misurina can easily be reached by car from "Cortina d'Ampezzo," "Auronzo di Cadore," and "Dobbiaco" or "Toblach," which is the same town both with its Italian and German names. The road is wide, well signposted, and should not cause any particular problems, apart from the normal inconveniences in case of snow.
Once you arrive in Misurina, you will need to park your car, which will not always be easy. During the peak season, all the available parking spots tend to fill up quickly, so it could be a good idea to reach the lake early in the morning, before the arrival of the majority of the tourists.
In this way you'll be able to spend the morning near the lake, maybe stop for lunch, and possibly come back home before the hikers.
The road of the Passo Tre Croci is, in fact, one of the busiest roads in the Dolomites because of the hike to Lake Sorapis, which attracts hundreds of enthusiasts and curious.
The various parking lots are all in the immediate vicinity of the lake. The main areas are in front of the "Pio XII" institute, in front of the little Despar market, near the "Locanda al Lago," or, in the worst case, at the camper area in the proximity of Genzianella restaurant.
If you can't find a free park, we advise you to turn back rather than go further, in the direction of Lake Antorno. The strong tourism linked to the Three Peaks of Lavaredo will make it very difficult to find a free parking lot there.
Alternatively, you may try along Provincial Road 49 in the direction of Toblach, Dobbiaco in Italian, where you could find some free places thanks to lazy tourists, who rarely go too far from the lake. All the parking lots listed above may require payment. Be careful because you could face a fine.
Lake Antorno
Once in Misurina, we suggest you visit another small and very naturalistic lake, Lake Antorno, a small lake surrounded by pine trees just a few minutes drive from Misurina.
This small water mirror is an area of great interest for the flora and fauna that characterize it, which is typical of the alpine environment of the Dolomites. In about fifteen minutes, it's possible to do a walk around the lake.
If, by chance, your curiosity is attracted by a strange wooden construction positioned near the "Chalet Ristorante Lago Antorno," you have probably been tickled by the fascination of the Igloo bar. In the winter, this little place becomes a place for huge parties. It's been a while since our last visit, but we hope it's still like we remember.
Surely, if the wood of the igloo bar could tell stories, it would tell of friendships, drunkenness, wild dances, and laughter. Unfortunately, last time we were there, it was closed, and we've not gone back to check if it's open again, but it probably is, at least in peak season.
Three Peaks of Lavaredo
Lake Misurina is also very popular due to its proximity to the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, probably the most famous mountains of all the Dolomites. For this reason, Misurina is used by many hikers as a starting point for the "Rifugio Auronzo," the starting point of the hike to the "Tre Cime," the Italian name of the Three Peaks.
To access the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, there are two options. The first is to go up by car, paying a toll. The second is to walk up from Lake Antorno, a fairly demanding hike lasting about two hours. If you are interested in the topic, we invite you to read our article on the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo," which you can see below.
Curiosities
Before concluding, we would like to leave you with some curiosities about Lake Misurina, the origin of its name, and a fanciful legend of its birth.
- Lake Misurina is located at 1,756 meters, or 5,760 feet, above sea level. There are particular climatic characteristics that distinguish this area: high altitude, low air density, almost complete absence of flowers, and richness of ultraviolet radiation. Thanks to these characteristics, Misurina is one of the places where the air is the cleanest in the world.
- The air is so pure that here is one of the two centers for the treatment and rehabilitation of respiratory diseases in the world, the Pio XII Institute. In this center, some respiratory illnesses were treated not only with medicines but also with the purity of the mountain air and with contact with nature.
- If you're a fan of two wheels, there is an amazing bike path on White Road called "Tre Cime Bike." It starts at Lake "Santa Caterina" in Auronzo.
- The name Misurina, apparently, derives from the dialectal phrase "meso ai rin," which literally means "in the midst of the streams."
- There is a legend linked to the birth of the lake, also told in the song "Il Lago di Misurina" by Claudio Baglioni. We'll tell you about it in the next chapter.
The Legend of Misurina
The decidedly imaginative legend about the birth of the lake tells of a very spoiled little girl called Misurina, daughter of King Sorapis. The king's name, not coincidentally, is the same as that of an important mountain group in the area. The king governed the lands between Mount Tofane, Mount Marmarole, Mount Antelao, and the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, and he adored his little girl, trying to satisfy her every whim.
One day, the little girl knew that a fairy possessed a mirror able to read the thoughts of anyone who looked into it. The girl wanted this mirror at all costs and insisted, until her father, exhausted, took her to the fairy's house on Mount Cristallo.
The fairy understood that the little girl was very spoiled, so she didn't want to please her, but after her father's strong insistence, she decided to impose a very harsh condition to give away her mirror so as to make them give up.
The fairy told King Sorapis that she would give him the mirror only if he turned into a mountain, to protect his beautiful garden from the beating sun, which made her flowers wither prematurely. The king grudgingly accepted and, just as he was handing the mirror to his daughter, began to transform, becoming a giant mountain. The little Misurina, who was sitting on her father's lap, realized she was on the edge of a precipice and, seized by vertigo, fell ruinously.
The father, now gigantic, wept the death of his daughter with giant tears that gathered in two streams, which gave birth to the lake Misurina.
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page on what to see at Lake Misurina. Before saying goodbye, we would suggest you read our home page, with all the articles we wrote about Cortina d'Ampezzo.
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