A constellation of stone pinnacles south of Tre Cime, reached by a 40-minute traverse from the Auronzo refuge. The most graphic skyline in the Dolomites.
The Cadini di Misurina is a constellation of stone pinnacles south of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, in the same massif but completely different in character. From the Auronzo refuge, you walk south-east on path 117 for about 40 minutes – Tre Cime stays behind you the whole way, and the trail opens onto a rocky balcony with the Cadini spires fanning out below.
The scale is genuinely hard to convey in a single frame. Wide-angles capture the sweep but lose the depth between the spires; long focal lengths compress them into a denser composition but lose the panorama. The classic shot is taken between 17:00 and sunset when the spires face the western light. The Auronzo toll road costs €30 per car as of 2026 and closes at 21:00, which sets a hard exit time.
Drag to compare · Cadini di Misurina, edited with Alpine 02
Two windows work for photography. June and October. Everything outside May–October is closed, frozen, or visually wrong – skip those months.
The classic vantage point everyone shoots from, plus two within 200 m of it that give entirely different compositions for the price of a short walk.
From Cortina d'Ampezzo: ~30 min east via SR48 to Lago di Misurina, then 12 km up the Auronzo toll road. Toll booth open 06:00-21:00.
Auronzo refuge parking: Included in the €30 toll. ~150 cars. Fills by 09:00 in peak summer.
Capacity: Arrive before sunrise or after 17:00 to find a spot. Toll booth closes 21:00 – plan your exit.
Auronzo toll road: The only access to the refuge. €30 per car in 2026, open daily 06:00–21:00 from late May through mid-October (exact dates weather-dependent). No alternative – the foot trail from Lago di Misurina is 5 km uphill on tarmac.
Trail to the viewpoint: Path 117 from the refuge. ~40 minutes one way, maintained and well-marked, some exposed sections at the balcony itself. No technical climbing, but the drop on the south side at the viewpoint is significant – stay back from the edge.
Toll booth closing: 21:00 sharp. If you shoot the sunset and walk back slowly, time is tight. Aim to be back at the car by 20:30 in late summer.
Every photo on this page was edited with a preset from my Lightroom Alpine pack. Six presets per pack, calibrated for high-contrast alpine light, real RAW files behind every preview. 30-day refund if it's not for you.
Photographer's guides to other spots I've shot, same treatment as this one.
Best in October · 5 min walk
GuideBest in September · 2 hr hike
GuideBest in September · cable car
GuideBest in October · cable car or car
GuideBest in September · 2 hr hike
GuideBest in July · 1 978 steps
GuideBest in August · 2 hr hike
GuideBest in late April · 2 hr hike