Three fingers of dolomite on a sea of gravel
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are the symbol of the Dolomites. A triptych declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, admired and visited every year by hundreds of people attracted by their beauty, their charm and the ease with which it is possible to reach them. They are the undisputed queens of the Dolomites, with an eternal and infinite charm, immortalized by now in many films. A classic wonder to see at least once!
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are located between Auronzo di Cadore and Misurina, not far away from the chicest town of the Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo, right on the border between the province of Belluno and the holiday region Three Peaks in then Dolomites, which protect and preserve their integrity.
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo: the symbol
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are the symbol mountains of the Dolomites with a characteristic shape: infact they look like three large boulders, similar to the fat fingers that rise towards the sky. The highest, called the Great (Grande) reaches 2,999 m, the second, the West Peak (Cima Ovest) the 2,973 m and the smallest, the Small (Piccola) the 2,857 m.
From a historical point of view these dolomite mountains are very important: already towards the end of the 1800s they began to be frequented and climbed by mountaineers who opened many climbing and vie ferrate that can still be visited today. Furthermore, they were the scene of fierce battles during the First World War and the stage of the Tour of Italy (Giro d’Italia) for several times with departure from Auronzo Hut.
Summer: the Tour of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo and the huts
In summer the Three Peaks of Lavaredo attract many mountain lovers and tourists who have at their disposal hiking and MTB trails of different difficulty. In addition to the passage of the Alpine Path of the Dolomites n.4, it is possible to undertake a splendid ring-trail of about 10 km and over 3 hours, which connects the three huts in the proximity: the Tour of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo.
With departure from Auronzo hut, reachable easily by car through the toll road, continue along the flat road n. 101 which in about 15 minutes leads to the little church of Maria Ausiliatrice and from here in another 15 minutes to Lavaredo hut.
From Lavaredo hut you can continue along the trail located at the base of the Small Tower (Torre Piccola) or on an easier unpaved road that takes you to Forcella Lavaredo in 45 minutes. At the top, the scenery likes a postcard: the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, the Scarperi’s Tower, the Sesto Sasso and Paterno Mount ...
From here, go down the small road to the barrier and then turn to the right into the trail that leads to the Locatelli hut, which can be reached after about an hour and a half walk. From the hut, go down the road on the right and follow the signs for Auronzo hut.
Winter: snowshoeing and ski mountaineering
The magic of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo in winter is a show not to miss. Silence and white, broken by some animal’s prints or or those who wanted to reach them by snowshoeing or ski mountaineering. Wonderful, but a little busy, the trail from Sesto, in Val Fiscalina, while the trail which starts from Auronzo hut partly retraces the summer route up to Forcella Lavaredo and then on to Forcella di Mezzo and along the Val delle Fontane and returns to the starting point.
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo can be reached also by snowmobile with departure from Antorno lake, from where it’s possible to rent also the toboggans to go sledding.
How to reach the Three Peaks of Lavaredo and the toll road
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo can be reached by car from Dobbiaco or Misurina. To get to Misurina, from the Pian di Vedoia exit of the A27 continue on the SS51 towards Auronzo. For those coming from Sesto/Dobbiaco, from the A22 exit at Bressanone, take the SS49 of the Pusteria towards Dobbiaco. From here take the SS51 and in the Carbonin locality follow for Misurina. Once you arrive in Misurina, if you continue by car, you can go directly to the parking of the Auronzo hut. From Misurina continue for about 7 km along the SS48 up to the toll road (€ 30 per car), open from May to October.
Recommended luxury hotels and the distance from the Three Peaks of Lavaredo
Here a list of recommended luxury hotels where you can spend your holidays and reach in short time the Three Peaks of Lavaredo:
Post Hotel - Tradition & Lifestyle – Adults Only – San Candido: 32 km
Alpin Hotel Masl – Valles: 84 km
ADLER Spa Resort Dolomiti – Ortisei: 87 km
My Arbor Plose Wellness Hotel – Adults Only – Bressanone: 96 km
