Tre Cime Day Hike
Base Town: Dobbiaco, Transport to Trailhead: Local Bus
The three peaks are among the most iconic images of the Italian Dolomites. Until the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo was built in 1958, laying eyes on these guys involved a strenuous hike from the valley. Today, the stalwart threesome greets thousands of visitors arriving by bus every day in the peak season. Seeking an old-fashioned hiking route to the most popular attraction in the Dolomites, we consulted with Sandra, innkeeper of Parkhotel Bellevue in Dobbiaco.
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Eschewing Tourist Bus #444, we followed Sandra’s advice and hopped off a local bus at the restaurant near Lago di Landro on highway SS51. From our starting point, we could already see Tre Cime on the distant horizon. We headed up a beautifully maintained gravel trail along the Rienz River valley. It was a steady incline to the end of the valley, with views of Monte Piana to our right for the initial mile or so.
At the end of the valley, we had a substantial hill climb to a broad sunny plateau at the foot of Tre Cime. There were just a handful of other hikers sitting amidst the wildflowers, enjoying the solitude. Just beyond the edge of the field, we could see the popular circular path that most visitors take from Rifugio Auronza around Tre Cime… hundreds of walkers marching in a row like little ants. We chatted with a German couple for a bit, then continued upwards to Locatelli Hut, joining the throng.
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We stood in a swift-moving line to order an elderberry seltzer and apple strudel, then found a seat with a view at a large picnic table. After our snack and some scenic photo snaps, we set out on path 101, headed toward Tre Cime for a closer view. Side note: There’s another trail up to Tre Cime from Val Fischalina near the town of Moos; the trail starts at Rifugio Fondovalle (Talschlusshutte) and emerges on the Laghi die Piani, just below Locatelli Hut.
At the fork, we chose the high route leading to a World War I shelter. It’s hard to believe that soldiers fought here; the landscape is too beautiful for barbed wire, machine guns, and dynamite. Yet, throughout the Dolomites are the remnants of the “White War”. The Italians broke an alliance with Germany and Austria to join the Allied Forces, with the understanding that the Triple Entente (Great Britain, France, and Russia) would provide Italy with substantial territorial gains at the cost of Austria-Hungary. Across the northern provinces of the Dolomites, the language, food and culture are German, not Italian. Today, huts and towns have both a German and an Italian name.
At Forcella Lavaredo near the base of Tre Cime, we followed a trail past Rifugio Lavaredo. At Cappella degli Alpini, a small prayer chapel, we forked down to a promontory with a WW I memorial and spectacular views of Cadini di Misurina — just how I pictured JR Tolkien’s Mordor when I read Lord of the Rings! The memorial located here is called Angel of the Fallen, the work of sculptor Ancona Vittorio Monelli, a soldier who was enlisted in the 8th Regiment, Sharpshooters Corps in 1916.
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We backtracked to the main trail and finished our hike at Rifugio Aronzo, where we hopped on a late afternoon return bus to Dobbiaco. The entire hike was a little over 10 miles of non-stop, spectacular views. This was our very first hike in the Dolomites and set an exceptionally high bar — that would be matched and exceeded again and again. Heaven on earth, this gorgeous natural paradise in the Italian Alps.
