The position …and what to do in the surrounding area

Auronzo Refuge – Dolomites

General information

Located in the heart of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Auronzo refuge is located at the end of the panoramic road that leads from Lake Misurina to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The panorama is stunning, ranging from the imposing Croda dei Toni to Lake Auronzo, the Cadini di Misurina, the lake of the same name and the Cristallo group.

In these areas you can find some of the most famous and exciting hiking trails that retrace the theaters of the Great War: from the Paterno tunnels, to the famous “Strada degli Alpini“, up to the Croda Rossa di Sesto. But the Tre Cime di Lavaredo with their North faces are also one of the most beautiful and interesting, as well as famous, climbing theaters. It is a support point along the Alta via delle Dolomiti n.4.

General information - Rifugio Auronzo - Tre Cime di Lavaredo - Dolomiti - ©Alessandro Sogne

Excursions

There are countless possibilities for excursions, crossings and climbing, for every taste and difficulty; you are spoiled for choice.

We recommend the following excursions and activities:

the hike round the Tre Cime di Lavaredo (about 2 hours) not to be missed: through col “Lavaredo” and col “Col di Mezzo” you walk under the faces of these wonderful mountains and if you look up you can often see roped climbers on the most famous climbing routes;
the hike to Drei Zinnen- Locatelli Hut: through col “Lavaredo” (1 hour and a half) or through col “Col di Mezzo” (2 hours) along an easy, spectacular path;
to Fonda Savio Hut: along the equipped route “A. Bonacossa” (2 hours and a half) with the discovery of the magical Cadini di Misurina;
to Pian di Cengia Hut (2 hours and a half or more depending on the route you choose) crossing the places of the Great War with trenches, galleries, barracks, bold military positions which still make you reflect on the hardness and insanity of the war;
the long routes to Zsigmondy- Comici Hut (about 3 hours and a half ) and Carducci Hut ( 4-5 hours ) to get to the Popera Chain, the famous Strada degli Alpini (the Route of the Alpine troops) or the thrilling Gabriella Ledge and the equipped route Roghel;
rock climbs to the Cima Ovest (grades 2 and 3), to the Grande di Lavaredo (2,999 m; 3 hours, grades 2 and 3), to the Piccola (grades 3 and 4) if you wish with the Alpine guides of the association “Tre Cime” of Auronzo di Cadore.

Climbing

This is the reign of grade 6 of the 30s and 40s of the past century (Preuss, Comici, Cassin are just a few names), of the first artificial climbs of the 50s and 60s (the “direttissime”), of the most extreme routes climbed in free climbing in the last decades, like grade 11 of Bellavista on Cima Ovest di Lavaredo or the traverse “free solo” to the Grande di Lavaredo of brothers Huber.

Servizio eBike - Rifugio Auronzo - Tre Cime di Lavaredo - Dolomiti - ©Alessandro Sogne

Bike / e-Bikes

The Auronzo refuge is also a popular destination for cycle tourists who, along the road that reaches the foot of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, can retrace the slopes (peaks of up to 19%) that have been the scene of several Giro d’Italia finishes, starting from 1967 and arriving at 2023.

In recent years, more and more people are reaching the refuge by e-bike. For them, there are charging stations for e-bikes outside the refuge, both owned by the refuge and by the municipal bike sharing service.