You are planning a visit to Tre Cime di Lavaredo because it has been on your bucket list for a while? You’re right! After all, you cannot travel to the Dolomites without having seen the symbol of the Dolomites itself. In many places where you come in South Tyrol, you will see the iconic 3 peaks depicted in the streets. It soon becomes clear that the Tre Cime is a well-known icon in this region. Read here all the tips you need for a successful visit to this beautiful natural spot!
Tre Cime di Lavaredo: 3 Iconic Peaks
Tre Cime di Lavaredo (or Drei Zinnen in German) are three imposing mountain peaks located in the Sextener Dolomites in Italy’s South Tyrol. What makes these 3 mountain peaks so special is their shape. They appear almost out of nowhere like vertical towers from the mountains. The whole environment (Drei Zinnen Nature Park) around the Tre Cime therefore resembles the scenery of an alien film set. It is a real pearl of the Dolomites and it is not for nothing that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Tre cime consists of 3 iconic peaks:
- Cima Ovest: the middle one in size (2973 m high).
- Cima Grande: the largest of the three. (2999 m high).
- Piccola Cima: the easternmost and also smallest (2856 m high).
In the climbing world, the “Tre Cime” are known for their challenging ascent. Performances were therefore achieved on these rocky peaks that the climbing world considered legendary.
But the region is also known for other sports. Due to many passages of the Giro (tour of Italy), the Tre Cime di Lavaredo is also known in cycling. Eddy Merckx won the stage of the Giro here in 1968. The climb to the Tre Cime is known as very difficult for cycling enthusiasts.
How do I get there?
From the village of Misurina, which is located on the lago di Misurina, you drive up through the mountains to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Just after the exit just outside Misurina you first pass a campsite. Follow the road until you come across “Casello Parcheggio 3 Cime di Lavaredo” a few kilometers further. This is the toll booth where you have to pay entrance before you can enter the “Drei Zinnen nature park”.
Cyclists and pedestrians do not have to pay. So in principle you can park your car in front of the toll booth and continue on foot or by bike. Please note: it is a long climb from here to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Certainly as a hiker you will be on the road for a while and you have quite a few altimeters to choose from to get to the foot of the Tre Cime.
If you want to enter the “Drei Zinnen nature park” by car or camper, you have to pay at the toll house:
- Car/campervan: €30
- Motorcycles: €20
- Camper/mobile home: €45
ATTENTION: These rates are charged per day. The ticket is valid from the time of issue until midnight on the same day. This means that you pay the same if you arrive in the morning than in the afternoon.
Are you staying overnight at the Tre Cime? Then the next day when driving outside (regardless of the time) you will have to pay an extra daily price.
From the bus and train station in Toblach you can also take the shuttle bus to Tre Cime di Lavaredo during the summer months (June-September).
Past the toll booth the real climb up begins. When you arrive at the top you will see the Refugio (Italian for mountain hut) Auronzo on the right.
If you only want to pay 1x toll, it is best to leave early. This way you can combine several walking routes in 1 day.
Spend the night at Tre Cime di Lavaredo
If you are driving a mobile home or camper, you drive straight on to the camping site for campers. You can also spend the night here.
With a campervan or regular car you can drive all the way to the top point (higher than the Refugio Auronzo). This is definitely recommended because you are really at the foot of the Tre Cime, at 2300 meters altitude, with a beautiful view of the surrounding valleys and mountain peaks.
We stayed here overnight in the campervan. In the evening the clouds piled up in the nearby valleys. An incredibly beautiful scene when you see the moon rise above the clouds!
If you drive a camper or mobile home, I would definitely recommend staying here despite the double toll price. Also keep in mind that it can be quite cold and windy at night at this height.
You can also stay overnight in the Refugio Auronzo. The mountain hut has 25 comfortable rooms with a minimum of two beds and a maximum of six sleeping places with a total of 104 sleeping places.
If you do not stay overnight in the “Drei Zinnen nature park”, it is best to stay overnight in Misurina. From here you can start your day trip to the Tre Cime early.
Hiking around the Tre Cime
Several walking routes run around the Tre Cime. This allows you to walk all the way around the Tre Cime. This way you can discover the mysterious 3 peaks from different sides.
From Refugio Auronzo to Refugio A. Locatelli
You start from the refugio Auronzo and take the wide hiking trail against the mountain side towards refugio Lavaredo. Walk up past the Lavaredo refugio. You can choose two different trails along the left or right. Both trails lead to Forcella Lavaredo, a ridge with panoramic views right next to the Tre Cime.
From the ridge you also have a choice of 2 trails to the refugio A. Locatelli. The high route runs against the mountain side of Monte Paterno and is a small path with beautiful views of the Tre Cime. From the ridge you walk up a bit and take the right path.
The left route is a wider path and runs a bit lower than the mountain trail against the wall.
Around the Tre Cime
This route also starts at the refugio Auronzo and runs up to the ridge, after the refugio Lavaredo the same as the above route. After the ridge, however, you choose the zigzag path down. This path leads you across the plateau along the northern side of the Tre Cime. Along here you have a beautiful view of the famous 3 mountain peaks.
Hike towards Malga Langalm, a small mountain hut that sits on the trail. From there you continue around the other side of the Tre Cime. On this western side you have a beautiful panoramic view of the nearby mountain peaks.
Cadini di Misurina
The Sentiero Bonacossa trail also starts from the Rifugio. This route is the start of a Via Ferrata but the part up to Cadini di Misurina is an easy walking route that can be walked without climbing equipment.
After 30 minutes you will come to a fork to continue walking left or right. A little further you come to the panoramic view.
You can easily combine this trail with one of the 2 trails above if you start your day early enough.
