Veneto · Belluno
Auronzo di Cadore
A five-kilometer ribbon town along an artificial lake at 864 meters, the gateway to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lake Misurina.
864m
Elevation
157 km / 98 mi
Nearest hub (Venezia)
3,063
Population
May–Oct
Best time to visit
Why come
Auronzo stretches for five kilometers along the Lago di Santa Caterina, an artificial reservoir built in 1930-32 by damming the Ansiei for hydroelectric power. The town sits at 864 meters in the Comelico, the northeastern corner of the Cadore. Its municipal territory includes the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the three battlement peaks that became the symbol of the UNESCO Dolomites, and Lake Misurina at 1,754 meters. The Tre Cime massif is one of the most photographed mountain groups in the world: Cima Grande tops out at 2,999 meters, Cima Ovest at 2,973, Cima Piccola at 2,857. The Rifugio Auronzo sits at the southern base and serves as the trailhead for the classic loop that draws walkers from June through October. The town itself is workmanlike: hotels, a long lakefront, the small Chiesa di San Lucano in the Villapiccola frazione built 1850-56, and a working harbor for the small boats that cross the reservoir.
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Gallery
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Known for
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Three battlement peaks rising to 2,999 meters, the symbol of the UNESCO Dolomites, with the classic loop trail from Rifugio Auronzo.
Lago di Misurina
The largest natural lake in the Cadore at 1,754 meters, ringed by the Cadini, Sorapiss and Cristallo peaks.
Lago di Santa Caterina
Artificial reservoir built 1930-32 on the Ansiei, five kilometers long, the lake the town runs along.
Chiesa di San Lucano
Mid-nineteenth-century church in the Villapiccola frazione, built 1850-56, the parish church of the upper valley.
Cima Cadin di San Lucano
Highest point in the municipal territory at 2,839 meters, the southern bookend of the Cadini di Misurina group.
When to visit
Best months · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
May through October is the season. June, July and August fill the Tre Cime parking with cars from across Europe; the loop trail can hold a thousand walkers on a clear day. September is the most reliable month: stable weather, gold larches, fewer crowds at Rifugio Auronzo and Lavaredo. May and October are quieter but variable; snow can still close the road to Rifugio Auronzo into early June and again from late October. The winter season is real but not Cortina-scale: cross-country skiing on the lakefront, snowshoe trails to Misurina, a small downhill area at Monte Agudo. November and April are the shoulder months when most hotels close.
How to get there
From Venezia, Auronzo di Cadore is roughly 157 km by road. Allow about 135–188 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Venice2h 11m
- Verona3h 32m
- Bologna3h 38m
Elevation 864 m
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