Tre Cime Di Lavaredo
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The ; ), also called the ; ), are three distinctive
battlement A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals ...
-like peaks, in the
Sexten Dolomites The Sexten Dolomites (; ) is a mountain range and a nature reserve in South Tyrol, Italy. The nature park was renamed in 2010 to Naturpark Drei Zinnen – Parco Naturale Tre Cime. Peaks References External links Civic network of South ...
of northeastern
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. They are one of the best-known mountain groups in the
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
. The three peaks, from east to west, are: *Cima Piccola / Kleine Zinne ("little peak") *Cima Grande / Große Zinne ("big peak") *Cima Ovest / Westliche Zinne ("western peak"). The peaks are composed of well-layered dolomites of the Dolomia Principale (Hauptdolomit) formation,
Carnian The Carnian (less commonly, Karnian) is the lowermost stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Triassic series (stratigraphy), Series (or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Triassic Epoch (reference date), Epoch). It lasted from 237 to 227.3 ...
to
Rhaetian The Rhaetian is the latest age (geology), age of the Triassic period (geology), Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Triassic system (stratigraphy), System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the N ...
in age, as are many other groups in the
Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...
(e.g., the Tofane, the Pelmo or the Cinque Torri). Until 1919 the peaks formed part of the border between Italy and
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. Now they lie on the border between the Italian provinces of
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
and
Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
and still are a part of the linguistic boundary between German-speaking and Italian-speaking majorities. The Cima Grande has an elevation of . It stands between the Cima Piccola, at , and the Cima Ovest, at .


Location and surroundings

The Three Peaks rise on the southern edge of the extensive pinnacle plateau with the Langen Alm (La Grava Longa), an alpine plateau at around 2200 m to 2400 m, which here forms the end of the Rienz Valley (Valle della Rienza). There are three small mountain lakes, the Zinnenseen. This area north of the mountains, from the peaks to the municipality of Toblach in South Tyrol to the Natural Park of the Three Peaks (up to 2010, the Sesto Dolomites Nature Park), has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009. The ridge of the battlements, which runs in a west-east direction, forms the border with the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in the province of
Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
, which also represents the German-Italian language border. To the northeast, this ridge continues to the 2454 m high Paternsattel (Forcella Lavaredo), where it turns north to the mountains Passportenkopf (Croda di Passaporto, 2719 m) and Paternkofel (Monte Paterno, 2744 m). In the west it sits across the Forcella Col di Mezzo (2315 m) transition to the Zinnenkuppe (Col di Mezzo, 2254 m) and on to the 2252 m high Katzenleiterkopf (Croda d'Arghena). To the southwest of the Drei Zinnen, the Forcella Col di Mezzo is followed by the Plano di Longeres plateau above the Valle di Rinbianco, a side valley of the Rienz Valley. Immediately south of the western pinnacle, the Forcella di Longeres saddle (2235 m) separates the Plano di Longeres from the Vallone di Lavaredo, a side valley of the Piave valley. To the south lies the Cadini group.
Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo (; , ; historical ) sometimes abbreviated to simply Cortina, is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomites, Dolomitic) Alps in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the ...
, 17 kilometers southwest, is the largest city in the area. Other larger towns are Toblach 13 kilometers northwest and Innichen 12 kilometers north.


Cabins and access

The most easily accessible support point around Drei Zinnen is ''Rifugio Auronzo'' (Auronzo hut, 2320 m). The cottage, which belongs to the Club Alpino Italiano (the Italian Alpine Club, CAI), is located immediately south of the massif above Forcella di Longeres, and has good road connections to the tourist resort of Misurina (toll road). The cabin can be reached on foot from Lavaredodalen in the southeast. About one kilometer east of Rifugio Auronzo and from there via a wide hiking trail lies the privately run ''Rifugio di Lavaredo'' (2325 m) at the southeast foot of the Kleine Zinne. Northwest of the peaks is the summer-open, privately run farmhouse ''Lange Alm'' (also Lange Alpe) at 2296 m. One hiking trail goes from the Auronzo hut over the Forcella Col di Mezzo, another from the north comes from the Rienztal. CAI's Dreizinnenhütte (Rifugio Locatelli, 2438 m) is located approximately one kilometer northeast of Drei Zinnen. The cabin, which is well known for its view of the north wall, can be reached from Auronzohytta via Paternsattel on a wide hiking trail. Other access options are from Sexten through Fischleinboden from the east, and also from Sexten from the north through the Innerfeldtal and through the Rienztal from Höhlenstein (Landro) in the Höhlensteintal (Valle di Landro). From the southeast, the cabin can be reached from Lange Alm.


Climate, flora and fauna

The
Sexten Dolomites The Sexten Dolomites (; ) is a mountain range and a nature reserve in South Tyrol, Italy. The nature park was renamed in 2010 to Naturpark Drei Zinnen – Parco Naturale Tre Cime. Peaks References External links Civic network of South ...
are surrounded by other mountain ranges on all sides, and this sheltered location in the interior of the Alps provides relatively favorable climatic conditions considering the altitude. Nevertheless, when cold fronts pass the area, rapid weather changes with fog, wind and heavy rainfall can occur, even as snow, even in high summer. In shady gorges and under north walls, the snow can lie until late summer, sometimes all year round, even though there are no glaciers here. Haydn et al.:''Sextener Dolomiten'', s. 8-9 The alpine vegetation zone around Drei Zinnen is dominated by the raibl layer's alpine mats. The plateau around Lange Alm is one of the few areas with grazing land in the nature park. Alpines are strikingly flowery; examples of plants that thrive here are beard bell, edelweiss and Gentiana clusii. The alpine marmot is a numerous mammal; there are also hares Ortner et al.: ''Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten...'' s. 41–46 and
chamois The chamois (; ) (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope native to the mountains in Southern Europe, from the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines, the Dinarides, the Tatra Mountains, Tatra to the Carpa ...
. On the other hand, there are no ibex in the Sexten Dolomites. Erhard (red.): ''Das Steinwild in Südtirol'', s. 39 Of birds there are
Rock ptarmigan The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ ...
, ravens and golden eagles, and also hubriscan often be found hunting at this altitude. Vipers, especially the black variety, can be found at the unusual (for reptiles) altitude of 2600 m. Ortner et al.: ''Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten...'' s. 38 The vegetation on the vast clocks and on the southern flanks of the peaks is characterized by plants that are able to adapt to the constant movements of the stone clock. Examples of these are alpine cod mouth (''Linaria alpina''), French sorrel (''Rumex scutatus''), ''Thlaspi cepaeifolium'', ''Potentilla nitida'' and Alpine poppy (''Papaver alpinum''). In crevices are trickled Saxifraga squarrosa, cruciferous Kernera saxatilis, carnation Minuartia sedoides and the rare Paederota bonarota. In the steep, shady north walls there are hardly any vascular plants; the most conspicuous vegetation is next to moss and low large carpets with blue-green bacteria, which appear especially on moist rock walls in the form of characteristic «ink lines». Ortner et al.: ''Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten...'' s. 47 A mammal that moves all the way into the cliff areas is the snow field mouse (Chionomys nivalis). Wallcreepers (''Tichodroma muraria'') and alpine choughs (''Pyrrhocorax graculus''), two bird species adapted to high mountain habitats, hunt insects here. Ortner et al.: ''Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten...'' s. 37–50


First ascents

The first ascent of the Cima Grande (Große Zinne) was on 21 August 1869 by
Paul Grohmann Paul Grohmann (12 June 1838 – 29 July 1908) was an Austrian mountaineer and writer. Biography Grohmann was a pioneer in exploring technically challenging mountains and is thought to have made more first ascents of Eastern Alps summits than an ...
with guides Franz Innerkofler and Peter Salcher. The Cima Ovest (Westliche Zinne) was first climbed exactly ten years later, on 21 August 1879, by Michel Innerkofler with G. Ploner, a tourist. The Cima Piccola (Kleine Zinne) was first climbed on 25 July 1881 by Michel and Hans Innerkofler. The routes of these three first ascents are still the normal ascent routes; the Cima Piccola's route is the most difficult of the three. A climbing route, the Dibona Kante, on the Cima Grande is named after Angelo Dibona. Emilio Comici was the first to climb the north face of the Cima Grande in 1933 in a party of three, after an ascent time of 3 days and 2 nights. This partly overhanging northern face is considered by climbers to be one of the
great north faces of the Alps The six great north faces of the Alps are a group of vertical faces in the Swiss, French, and Italian Alps known in mountaineering for their difficulty, danger, and great height. The "Trilogy" is the three hardest of these north faces, being th ...
.


Tourism

Tre Cime Natural Park is named after the famous peaks. The visitor centre provides information concerning the trails, natural and man-made landscapes of the
Sexten Dolomites The Sexten Dolomites (; ) is a mountain range and a nature reserve in South Tyrol, Italy. The nature park was renamed in 2010 to Naturpark Drei Zinnen – Parco Naturale Tre Cime. Peaks References External links Civic network of South ...
and it is located at the former Grand Hotel in Dobbiaco. Numerous well-marked routes lead from the surrounding communities to and around the peaks. The most common route is from Paternkofel/Monte Paterno to the alpine hut Auronzo at 2,333 m (7,654 ft), over Paternsattel (Patern Pass) to the Locatelli alpine hut (Dreizinnenhütte) at 2,405 m (7,890 ft), and then to the peaks. There are a number of other routes as well. Nearby communities include Auronzo di Cadore (in the province of
Belluno Belluno (; ; ) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the Capital (political), capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. W ...
, region of
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
), Toblach/Dobbiaco, Sexten/Sesto, and the
Puster Valley The Puster Valley ( ; , ) is one of the largest longitudinal valleys in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in East Tyrol, Austria, and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy. The South Tyrolean municipalities of th ...
(in the province of
Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...
, region of
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol ( ; ; ), often known in English as Trentino-South Tyrol or by its shorter Italian name Trentino-Alto Adige, is an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy, located in the ...
). The area has also staged many finishes in
Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
.


History

Since the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
ran through the Tre Cime peaks, there are a number of fortifications, trenches, tunnels, iron ladders, and commemorative plaques in the area. There was intense fighting throughout the so-called " White War" between 1915 and 1917.


Film and television appearances

Tre Cime has been used as a
filming location A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, instead of or in addition to using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage. In filmmaking, a location is any place where a film crew wi ...
for: * ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...
'' * '' Solo: A Star Wars Story''


Gallery

File:Sonnenuntergang mit Blick auf die Drei Zinnen (cropped).jpg, Sunset on the Tre Cime File:Drei Zinnen Tre Cime di Lavaredo Dolomites.jpg, Aerial view of the Northern face File:Drei Zinnen mit Dreizinnenhütte.jpg, The Locatelli hut with a small chapel File:TreCimeLavaredo4.JPG, View from Monte Paterno File:Salita verso cima Lastron dei Scarperi.jpg, Crodon di San Candido, Tre Cime, Torre di Toblin, side of Lastron dei Scarperi File:Due amici alle Tre Cime di Lavaredo.jpg, Night view at the Locatelli hut


See also

* Italian front (World War I) *
List of highest paved roads in Europe This is a list of the highest paved roads in Europe. It includes roads that are at least long and whose culminating point is at least above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest settlements in Europe and to th ...
*
List of mountain passes This is a list of mountain passes. Africa Egypt * Halfaya Pass (near Libya) Lesotho * Moteng Pass * Mahlasela pass * Sani Pass Morocco * Tizi n'Tichka South Africa * Eastern Cape Passes * Western Cape Passes * Northern Cape Passes * K ...
* Lake Misurina * Silver age of alpinism * White War


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Auronzo di Cadore

CAI Auronzo

The Great War in the Dolomites
(Italian)
360° Panorama view


{{Authority control Dolomites Great north faces of the Alps Mountains of the Alps Mountains of South Tyrol Mountains of Veneto Sexten Dolomites Climbing areas of Italy