Introduction
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo, known as "Drei Zinnen" in German and "Tre Cime" in Italian, are one of the most iconic views of the Dolomites and are considered by many to be the most beautiful mountains in the world. Let's discover together the 3 Peaks of Lavaredo, with some tips to best deal with even the busiest periods.
Peculiarities
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are three rocky obelisks rising on the border between the provinces of Belluno and Bolzano. The Big Peak stands in the middle; its height is 2,999 meters, or 9,839 feet. The West Peak stands at 2,973 meters, or 9,754 feet, and the Little Peak stands at 2,857 meters, or 9,373 feet.
In 2009, thanks to their extraordinary beauty, the 3 Cime di Lavaredo were included among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. To confirm their charm, they have also been filmed in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story, in the Novi chocolate commercial, as well as appearing in the graphics of Forst beer and in the video game Far Cry Primal.
... the characteristic white color makes these mountains unique in the world...
All three peaks are formed of "Dolomia Principale," a carbonate sedimentary rock with a characteristic white color that makes these mountains unique in the world.
The stratification, clearly visible on the walls, was formed approximately one thousand fifty million years ago. It was between the end of the Paleozoic and the end of the Mesozoic. If you'd like to know more about the geological history of the Dolomites, please read our in-depth article below:
One of the most distinctive features of Dolomia is the phenomenon known as "enrosadira." This is the typical color, between pink and purple, that Dolomites take on when illuminated by the setting sun.
To enjoy this incredible view, without the other mountains casting their shadow on the "3 Cime," you must reach the Three Peaks between the end of May and the beginning of August. To know exactly when the sun will set there are many free tools, such as suntoday.org.
The four mountain lodges in the area
As you may know, on this website, we always suggest stopping to eat at the mountain lodge in the area. It allows you to taste typical dishes, and it's a well-deserved reward after the fatigue of the hike, but in this case, there are a few things to consider.
Because of the large number of people who frequent the Three Peaks area, eating at one of its mountain lodges may be more complicated than expected. There is nothing worse than arriving hungry and being told there is a lot to wait for. The solution we recommend is leaving with a packed snack. If the mountain lodge is full, you can calm your hunger while waiting for a spot to become available.
The area is served by four mountain lodges, all of which are very beautiful and traditional, but let's give a brief summary:
- The first option we want to recommend to you, considering the view it offers, is the "Rifugio Locatelli," which is also the largest of the four. Built in 1882, it is difficult to reach for provisions, so it is a real mountain refuge, not a fancy restaurant at high altitude, as you may have seen in other areas. It is a rustic environment, very popular, and equipped to handle large flows of tourists, albeit with understanding and patience on your part.
- The "Rifugio Lavaredo" is a medium-sized structure where you can see an alternative, but still wonderful, view of the Three Peaks. Here is the same as before; it's a real mountain refuge, not a fancy restaurant. The phone doesn't even have coverage most of the time, and no internet means no card, so it's better to bring cash with you.
- Slightly out of the way, compared to the most traveled routes, there is the "Langalm Hütte," a very charming little structure. It is really cozy, a small pearl, which best conveys the soul of the high mountains. Considering that it is slightly out of the way, there should also be less confusion.
- The fourth alternative is the "Rifugio Auronzo," which is located a few meters from the main car park. Even though it is located near the road, it is still a simple alpine refuge where you can drink or eat something without too many pretensions in front of an unforgettable view. Thanks to its strategic position, this is also very popular.
In our case, unfortunately, we were forced to bring lunch from home as all facilities had closed the previous weekend. If you decide to visit the Three Peaks in October or later, you should make a phone call and check on the actual opening.
If you opt for a packed lunch to avoid the queue, eat in nature, or save money, always remember not to litter and put garbage in your backpack. It's really important.
Winter at the 3 Peaks
In winter, the road to the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo" is not cleared of snow and remains closed to traffic. In order to reach the "Rifugio Auronzo," you have to walk, use the snowshoes, or go up on mountaineering skis. Due to the altitude difference of over 450 meters, or 1,500 feet, and the duration of approximately two hours, this winter hike is not suitable for everyone.
Once you reach the mountain lodge, it is not advisable to go further without preparation. Both the road that leads to the Rifugio Locatelli" and the classic ring walk of the 3 peaks in winter must only be tackled by expert and equipped hikers.
If you prefer to avoid fatigue, you can use the snowmobile service from Lake Antorno, which will cost approximately €35 per person. Whether you decide to go up on foot, with snowshoes, or by snowmobile, you might consider going down by sled. It is a very suggestive route, although it is important to pay attention to snowmobiles in transit.
For more information on all the activities described, please visit the official website of the "Tre Cime" Dolomiti Tourist Consortium, or you can ask, in person, at the tourist information office of Misurina.
Over Tourism
Like all places of great interest, the Three Peaks of Lavaredo suffer from over tourism, reaching peaks of over 13,000 people per day in August. Such a massive tourist flow will not only ruin, a little, the atmosphere of the place; it also brings other problems; during peak season and on weekends, it is rather difficult to find free parking, not to mention the traffic. We don't want to use sensationalist terms, but it's a problem that you must not underestimate.
If you want to minimize inconvenience, we strongly advise you to get up very early in the morning. During peak season and on weekends, make sure to be there early in the morning, at seven thirty, or even earlier; this will allow you to avoid most of the inconveniences.
Just to give you an idea, above you can see the people outside the "Rifugio Lavaredo" at the beginning of October, a very low season, with the mountain lodge closed!
The photographs you may have seen often portray places as pristine; we ourselves have used this trick, but the reality is different. If you could see what is hidden behind the frame of the photo, you would understand that there are more people than you might imagine.
How to get to the Three Peaks
There is only one road to reach the Three Peaks of Lavaredo. If you come from Cortina, you need to take the "Tre Croci" Pass, follow the direction towards "Misurina," then take the road to Lake Antorno. If you come from Toblach, Dobbiaco in Italian, you have to take the "Cimabanche" Pass until "Carbonin," then turn left towards "Misurina," then take the road to Lake Antorno.
From there, you need to reach the tollbooth of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, where you'll be asked to pay a flat rate of about 30 euros per twelve hours.
Finally, you will have to go up the road towards the car park, which is located at the top of the climb, near the "Rifugio Auronzo."
You should be there very early in the morning, especially in peak season, when all the parking lots may be full even before 9 a.m. The toll gate opens at 6 a.m., so you don't have to worry about being too early.
To take the photos for this page, we went up in early October, a very low season, on a cold and not particularly sunny day. We left home at 10 a.m., sure that we would find few people, but we found an almost 20-minute queue, and we barely managed to park. You may wonder what it could be in July or August...
Hikes from the parking
Once you have reached the parking lot of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, we suggest you follow the classic path that goes along Path 101. It will bring you from the "Rifugio Auronzo" to the "Rifugio Lavaredo," and it will also allow you to see an amazing panorama of the town of "Auronzo di Cadore" and its lake. Remember that this is a hike, so it is best to equip yourself with appropriate clothing, water, and at least something sweet to eat. If you are unfamiliar with the mountains, we recommend you read our page with some recommendations on how to approach a hike safely:
Once you reach the "Rifugio Lavaredo," you will have to turn slightly left and climb up the scree, following the beaten road.
Alternatively, there is a straighter, unmarked, and steeper shortcut that cuts through the curves of the trail.
Climb up to the saddle; that is also the border between the "Veneto" and "Alto Adige" regions. From here, you will see an enchanting view of the Sexten Dolomites, while, on your left, the Three Peaks will begin to appear in all their glory.
At this point, you'll have to make one more effort and head to "Rifugio Locatelli." There, you can enjoy the most beautiful and characteristic view of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo. The three towers will stand out in front of you, as in the promotional images.
Once you have taken some photographs and regained some strength, you have to think about how to get back to the starting point. There are two ways; the first, the fastest one, is to walk back the same road, heading towards the "Rifugio Lavaredo."
The second, slightly longer and more demanding, is to follow Path 105. At first it descends quite steeply, then it climbs up towards the plateau of the "Grava Longa," up to the "Langalm Hütte," the last point where you can stop for a drink or eat something. From here, you have to continue towards the parking lot, which is about half an hour away.
If you need a clearer idea of these two hikes, below you can see the trails on Google Maps. The GPX paths have been made using Komoot.
- The first path is the one that goes and returns from the same road; the difficulty is intermediate, and you will need about three hours. The length is a little less than eight kilometers, or five miles. The road is white with a fairly smooth surface, and the height gain is two hundred thirty meters, or seven hundred fifty feet. You can see the path on Google Maps by clicking here, or you can download the GPX file by clicking here.
- The second path is the loop walk around the Three Peaks, passing along "Langalm Hütte." It is a rather demanding hike that will take you around four hours, with a length of about ten kilometers, a little more than six miles. This is also a white road with a fairly smooth surface, and the height gain is a little more than three hundred meters, or one thousand feet. You can see the path on Google Maps by clicking here, or you can download the GPX file by clicking here.
Remember that all trails are very well marked; it's almost impossible to get lost. If you have any doubt, simply follow the flow of people.
Alternatives to the car
If you are in Cortina, there are two alternatives that will allow you to save on the toll, with some compromises.
The first alternative is to walk up the climb, which is not for everyone. From the parking area near Lake Antorno, you will have to walk along Path 101 until the Rifugio Auronzo." The hike has an approximate duration of two hours, with a positive elevation gain of about 450 meters, or 1,050 feet.
If you want an idea of the track, by clicking here, you can see the path that has been generated with komoot.com. Or, instead, you can click here to download the GPX of the hike.
The second option is to use the bus from the bus station in Cortina to the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, which will take you there in about an hour. In this case, it's possible to spend much less, but you have to be careful about departure and return times. You can get more information and purchase your ticket at the ticket office in the station in Cortina.
If you are in Toblach, Dobbiaco in Italian, you can take the hike along Path 102 to get to the Three Peaks along the "Val Fiscalina." The hike starts at the locality called "Bagni di Moso." It is a very demanding walk, with a difference in altitude of 1,000 meters, or 3,300 feet, and a duration of approximately three hours. In this case, as before, by clicking here, you can see the path that has been generated with komoot.com, or you can click here to download the GPX of the hike.
Another option is to take the bus at the Toblach bus station, which will take you to the "Tre Cime di Lavaredo" in about an hour. In this case, it's possible to spend much less, but you have to be careful about departure and return times. It is important to know that the ticket must be booked and paid for in advance online. For more information and to purchase tickets, we invite you to visit the Three Peaks official website.
Curiosities
Before concluding, we would like to leave you with some interesting facts about the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, whose iconic image has been used in various media:
- As mentioned in the introduction, the Three Peaks of Lavaredo have been filmed in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story, in the Novi chocolate commercial, as well as appearing in the graphics of Forst beer and in the video game Far Cry Primal.
- Despite the fact that it appears to be reserved only for experienced mountaineers, the ascent of the Big Peak along the normal route does not present major technical difficulties. The UIAA is an official difficulty scale; it ranks them at 4 out of 10, which makes it manageable with the help of a guide even by good but non-professional climbers.
- On the road from Cortina to "Toblach," there is an observation point to see the Three Peaks from the state highway. You can find it exactly here.
- As evidenced by the clearly visible war trenches near the "Rifugio Locatelli," the Three Peaks and Mount Paterno were the scene of fighting during World War I. A huge beacon was installed by the Italian engineers on the Big Peak, capable of illuminating enemy lines.
- The actual border that crosses the Three Peaks coincides with that between the Holy Roman Empire and the "Serenissima," as was called the Republic of Venice. It has remained unchanged since 1752. Previously, the peaks belonged, from time immemorial, to the municipality of "Auronzo di Cadore."
- Despite seeing many photographs taken from a tent on social media, camping near the three peaks is prohibited by law.
- If you decide to do the loop trail near the parking lot, you will see a lot of stone cairns. Tourists, in fact, use the local stones to leave a sign of their passage.
Once your hike is over, if you still have some strength left, you can take the opportunity to also visit Lake Misurina, one of Italy's largest high-altitude lakes and a great spot to have a piece of cake before heading home. If you would like to get some more information about Lake Misurina, you may read our article below:
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page on the Three Peaks of Lavaredo. 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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