Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop Trail

The journey requires a lot of patience and the "Three Peaks" are completely overcrowded! But the view and the vistas are more than spectacular! A must-see! You should be sure-footed!

A classic in the Dolomites and South Tyrol: the Three Peaks, which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ⛰️ There are numerous hiking trails and via ferratas of various degrees of difficulty around the landmark in Alta Pusteria in the province of Belluno. The classic circular hike leads mostly over easily accessible paths and does not require any mountain experience, so that it is very popular and highly frequented in the summer months. Even if the crowds can hardly be seen in the photos, make no illusion: this round means hike partly in a row. Busloads of tourists, cyclists and motorcyclists, cars and mobile homes can be found up there. And despite everything, it's absolutely worth it. Because the landscape and views are simply breathtakingly beautiful and there are also opportunities on the way to branch off from the 'human highway'. 🏞️ You can drive up with your own car via a toll road (currently around € 30 fee) and use the parking lot. Tip: Better to take the bus that leaves from Misurina at the foot of the Three Peaks (€ 4 per person). Also recommended because of the incline and narrow passages on the road, which are not easy for the inexperienced. 😌 The starting and end point is the Auronzo hut at 2,320 m. We start on a wide gravel path and have great views over the valley to Auronzo. Shortly afterwards we pass a pretty church and soon reach the Lavaredo hut (2,344 m). Then we have the choice of either turning left and climbing the steep ascent to the path below the Kleiner Zinne or taking the longer and more leisurely path to the Lavaredo Scharte. We decide on the first option, because the path not only looks nicer, but is also significantly emptier (because it is also more strenuous). Baby carriages, for example, don't come up there ... 🤔 The famous sight of the three mountain obelisks opens up at the saddle: the Große Zinne (2,999 m), the Westliche Zinne (2,973 m) and the Kleine Zinne (2,857 m). In the distance we can see the Drei-Zinnen-Hütte, which we will not visit today. We descend a little again and shortly afterwards turn off the main path and the crowds onto a narrow path that runs directly along the north side of the Three Peaks. We can hardly believe it, but we almost have the way to ourselves. The meandering path and the valley around us are full of moraine rubble, which actually seems too much scrambling for most of the others. But that is precisely what makes the path so appealing, and there are also numerous cows at home here, as the ringing of the bells reveals. Only towards the end, shortly before we reach the main path again and thus the Langalm, do we meet more hikers again. The last section leads past a lake that has hardly any water at the time. We say goodbye to the view of the Three Peaks, which we have now almost circled, and hike the rest of the way, which again offers breathtaking views in the other direction. In between, the path becomes narrower and in some places after the rain last night it requires surefootedness and even a head for heights. It is still easy to master and we enjoy the view of Misurina and the lake from above. Before we reach the parking lot at the Auronzo hut again, we meet a small herd of curious cows again. 🐃 Conclusion: Despite the rush very worthwhile, great views, brilliant landscape. Compared to other mountain hikes in the Dolomites, it is certainly easy, but I would still not describe the tour as a walk, as I have read it many times. Towards the end we met not only a desperate father who had to carry his exhausted child, but also a dog owner who was allowed to carry the animal, which probably weighed 40 kg, across all the narrow passages. You should be clear about this beforehand. 😌

Wonderful walk, done with a dog. Lot of rocks around the middle of the trail, but less people than at the beginning. Fantastic views!

Be sure to go anti-clockwise and stick to the route just before the scree slope so as not to be too close and not too far away!

These photos are taken from the photographic excursion that I show in this video: https://youtu.be/q9sx0pu_uck

From the Tourist Information in San Candido we set off at 7:30 a.m. with two trained hiking guides. € 30.00 per person for the large-capacity taxis and you can go up to the Three Peaks in a relaxed manner. The guided tour is free.

Today was quite a contrast to the solitary tour of the previous day ( https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2621021860 )! 🫣 But one must admit, without envy, that the Three Peaks in the Dolomites are quite an impressive sight – and their fame is certainly justified. The trio of Great Cime di Lavaredo, Western Cime di Lavaredo, and Small Cime di Lavaredo is the symbol of the Dolomites, offering climbers an impressive playground of dolomite rock on challenging routes and can also be explored on foot – or, as in this case, circumnavigated. I probably wouldn't have been drawn there on my own given the area's overwhelming popularity, but since my accommodation – the Vitalpina Hotel Magdalenahof in the Gsiesertal Valley ( https://www.hotelmagdalenahof.it ) – had this tour on its itinerary during my stay, I took it as a sign: It's now or never! ☝️😌 With a small, select group of guests, we set off toward the Dolomites with our host, Josef Burger, who also led the tour. After a good hour's drive, we reached the large parking area near the Three Peaks, and it was here that the extent of the area's popularity became tangible. A steady stream of hikers from all over the world made their way along the well-maintained hiking trail to the Lavaredo Refuge, where the short climb to the foot of the peaks began. At the Patern Saddle / Forcella Lavaredo, you were very close to the Kleine Zinne (Pope John Paul II also stood here, as a memorial plaque attests). We followed the main hiking trail for a while, which leads to the impressively situated Three Peaks Hut, but then turned left a good distance before that and continued our circumnavigation on a smaller (and less frequented) hiking trail close to the peaks. The Three Peaks almost become a secondary concern on this tour, as the surrounding mountains are breathtaking from start to finish. At the small Langalm pasture, we rejoin the main hiking trail, which we follow slightly uphill to the Col di Mezzo pass and then back to the parking lot. It's a bit busier now than at the beginning of our tour, but toward the end of the tour, I realize that despite all the people, I somehow managed to enjoy a bit of nature on this tour. Would I do the loop again? Not really. Am I glad I did it? Absolutely. 🙃 If you want to get up close to the Three Peaks and aren't put off by the crowds, you should: - plan your visit during the off-season if possible (it's still busy, but nowhere near as busy as in the summer months) - travel by public transport if possible: from May to October, a shuttle bus runs from Toblach train station to the starting point at the Auronzo Hut - make a reservation in advance: applies to both the shuttle bus and the parking lot - https://www.drei-zinnen.bz/de/ticket - pack your walking poles and crampons if necessary during the off-season (trails can be icy/snowy) - check the hut opening hours (during our visit, all the huts along the trail were already closed / but restrooms were available) - strictly adhere to all local rules (e.g., no drone flights) - bring time and patience 😉

Toll road to the limited parking lot at 2300 hm (30€). At 9 a.m. there, when it was 4 degrees, doubts arose as to whether it really made sense to go up. But at the top it's much warmer and a spectacular circular hike. The parking lot was full about 30 minutes later. During high season there are said to be days when it is already full at 7:30.