Cadini di Misurina: Hike to the Dolomites' Best Viewpoint

Cadini di Misurina is a group of mountains in the Dolomites, in the province of Belluno to be precise. The Cadini group are just north-east of mountaineering mecca Cortina d’Ampezzo and thanks their name to the fact that they’re overlooking Lake Misurina. The highest peak of Cadini di Misurina is Cima Cidan of San Lucano at 2.839 metres. The star of the Cadini show is the viewpoint with the same name, or with the sexier Italian name, breath in, Punto Panoramico dei Cadini di Misurina. And breathe out. Imagine Andrea Bocelli singing it. So yes, Cadini di Misurina viewpoint.

The viewpoint is an absolute rockstar in the world of mountaineering content. It reminds people of the mountains of Mordor from Lord of the Rings. What scrollers on social media don’t realise, is that Cadini di Misurina is fairly accessible. Also, an often overlooked fact, is that it is close to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, or the Drei Zinnen. If you are doing our Tre Cime Trek, you could make it more interesting by adding an out-and-back quickie from Rifugio Auronzo. Or, you could, do it the other way around: You do an overnight trek including the viewpoint, you stay at one of the nicest rifugios in the Dolomites, and you check out the Tre Cime di Lavaredo the next day on your way out. More about that later.

Hello? Have you seen the photos and videos yet? Is that not special enough for you? Jokes aside, the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint got a massive spike in interest due to viral content on Instagram. But, there is more to it than just likes and kudos. The hike, starting at Rifugio Auronzo, is short and spicy and allows for a beautiful day out. Tip: You can make it even more rewarding by combining it with a visit to the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo, another symbol of the Dolomites. The hike to the viewpoint and back is only about 3 kilometers, or 1 to 2 hours. If you want to see more of Mordor, you can keep hiking to Rifugio Fonda Savio and make a super interesting circular hike that as a bonus includes Lake Misurina.

Lake Misurina holds an interesting legend. Misurina was a spirited and sometimes mischievous girl, the daughter of the giant King Sorapis. To fulfil Misurina's desire for a magical mirror, her father sought help from the fairy of Monte Cristallo. The fairy agreed to grant the mirror only if King Sorapis transformed into a mountain. Misurina, eager for the mirror, accepted without hesitation. As soon as she took the mirror, King Sorapis turned into a mountain. Overcome with fear, Misurina fell from the mountain, clutching the mirror. The tears shed by King Sorapis formed Lake Misurina, a poignant reminder of the father's sacrifice and the daughter's impulsive act.

Cadini di Misurina is deep in the Dolomites mountains. You can only get there from late Spring until early autumn. The hiking season in the Dolomites starts late May and ends early October. If you want to combine it with huts, rifugios in Italian, along the way, rather stick to mid-June until mid-September. If you don’t like crowds, then stay away from hiking to the viewpoint in August.

That’s the season. Now what about the time? It's the Dolomites and at Bookatrekking.com we know the attraction of it. Every year, we help thousands of people finding a spot on the busy Alta Via 1, Alta Via 2, and other hikes in the Dolomites. Insiders will know that the early bird catches the worm. If you want to make the most of your time at Cadini di Misurina, arrive early. The toll road to Rifugio Auronzo opens at 7 in the morning. Be there.

The starting point for the easiest hike to Cadini di Misurina is right at Rifugio Auronzo. This is also the starting point for day-trippers who are visiting the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The popularity of both Tre Cime and the viewpoint have led to a restriction on people being able to reach Rifugio Auronzo. The toll booth controlling the stream of traffic is just north of Lake Misurina. Toll is about 30 € per vehicle and the road opens at 07:00 in the morning. Should you be too late, you could consider parking at Lake Misurina and start a hike from there. This will mean a much longer day. Alternatively, you can take the bus. If you have a Südtirol Pass, your bus ticket is usually included.

From Dobiacco/Toblach: From the end of June to early October, bus 444 goes straight to Rifugio Auronzo. Between July 10th and September 10th, tickets have to be booked in advance. This also explains what the busiest weeks are. You can get your tickets here.

From Cortina d’Ampezzo: You can take bus 30 from Cortina d’Ampezzo. Here you can jump on bus 41 to Rifugo Auronzo. Of course, you can also get on a bus to Dobiacco/Toblach first and then take bus 444 from there.