Lago di Misurina
At 1,754 metres, Lago di Misurina sits in a natural bowl of larch and spruce, its surface so still on calm mornings that the Dolomite peaks surrounding it appear twice — once in rock, once in water. The loop around the shore takes barely forty minutes at a gentle pace, which is partly why people linger far longer than they planned.
The lake is free to enter and open year-round. In winter it freezes solid enough for ice polo on horseback. In summer the water stays glacially cold — three minutes in and hypothermia becomes a real concern — so the shore, not the lake itself, is where life happens.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who return tend to agree on one thing: come before eight in the morning or after five in the evening in July and August. The midday crowds around the car parks are real. September is the quiet argument — the larches go yellow, the air sharpens, and the Tre Cime road (toll: €40 by car) is still open but no longer gridlocked.
The story behind Lago di Misurina
The name comes from the Cadorino dialect phrase 'meso ai rin' — 'in the midst of the streams' — and a local legend credits the lake's formation to the tears of King Sorapiss, who transformed into the mountain you can see from the shore, weeping for his daughter Misurina. The Liberty-style Grand Hotel opened in the early 1900s and drew European aristocracy through the early twentieth century.
In 1956, the lake hosted speed skating events for the Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics — the last time Olympic speed skating was held on natural ice. A decade later, the Pio XII Institute was established on the shore in the 1950s, built specifically to treat children with asthma; it remains the only centre in Italy dedicated to childhood respiratory care, and it still operates today.
Good to know
Bus 030 from Cortina d'Ampezzo drops you almost at the waterfront. Parking costs €2 per hour in the lakeshore car parks. The Col de Varda chairlift (€17 round trip) departs from the shore. The Tre Cime toll road is typically open June to October, snow permitting.
Summer days run mild, around 20–25°C, but June is the wettest month — nearly 220 mm of rain across nineteen days — so pack a layer and expect afternoon clouds. Winter brings hard freezes (January nights can reach -11°C), road closures requiring snow chains, and a lake surface firm enough to skate on; July delivers the most reliable sunshine, averaging eight hours a day.
Where is Lago di Misurina?
Location
- In Cortina d'Ampezzo
- 46.5833, 12.2583
- Open in Google Maps
Rating
4.7 ★ · 4,918 Google reviews
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What travellers say about Lago di Misurina
This the place is beautiful and peaceful. Early morning the birds singing are fascinating. When the top of the mountain there is on the snows looks fantastic. Fresh air there is. Free lives animals like horses and donkeys with small ringer on his necks looks heart warming.
Cities we Know. Lake Misurina sits at 1,754 meters in the Dolomites and is known for its air quality and the reflection of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo on its surface. Visitors walk the 2.6 km lakeside path, rent pedal boats to move across the water, or take the Col de Varda chairlift for views of the Sorapiss and Marmarole massifs. The lake serves as a gateway to Lake Antorno and the road leading to the Three Peaks, providing access for photographers, hikers, and those visiting the World War I trenches of Monte Piana. #abuelosmochileros_italy #RouteOfDolomites
This place is really beautiful. It took us slightly less than an hour to walk one round the lake. Highly recommended place. If we have a chance to come again, we will definitely spend a night at the hotel here.
The lake is peaceful and incredibly beautiful, with crystal-clear water like a mirror reflecting the clouds in the sky. You can see the clouds directly from the surface of the lake—it is truly stunning. We stayed at a hotel right by the lakeside, which allowed us to come and take photos at any time of the day. The hotel is over 100 years old, yet it has been very well preserved and remains in excellent condition. 30 September 2024
The iconic reflection of the tree on the river is beautiful. A good stop for photos. No need to walk or anything, best for seniors.
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