From San Cassiano, MacsAdventures scheduled us to hike back up the 2,000 feet we had just descended and then hike approximately two more miles to Lagazuoi. We figured out a better way to Lagazuoi that didn’t require us hiking two of the same miles on such a short overall trek. We grabbed a taxi to the Gondola!
Actually, we did a lot more than that and truly lucked out with the time constraints we faced. Though we made one mistake, discussed below, we enjoyed another spectacular day in the Dolomites.
Cinque Torri
We really wanted to see Cinque Torri (not to be confused with Cinque Terre) in addition to Lagazuoi, both WWI sites in magnificent terrain. We didn’t manage to get to Cinque Torri when we were in Cortina, but we found it is very close to Lagazuoi. So, we planned to see them both in the same day.
Our mistake was we did not provide enough time for Cinque Torri and provided too much time for Lagazoui due to a fellow hikers recommendation who really tried to talk us out of visiting both sites in one day. I will say it is best if you have full day and aren’t limited to a pick up at 4 p.m. like we were.
To be more specific about our journey. We booked the car from San Cassiano to Cinque Torri. We bought roundtrip lift tickets on site and got in line for the first ride up the mountain at 9 a.m. The times change with the season so be sure to check the website.
Cinque Torri is quite a popular site, so there was a queue though it moved relatively quickly. The bathroom line at the top, however, did not move quickly and by the time we were ready to explore we really only had one hour, and it would have been best to have two or three hours for exploring. Even longer, if you want to take one of the many long hikes on the network of trails.
There are several paths that pass around the five rock towers and by the outdoor WWI museum. We did not have time to do them all, especially with the path by the bunkers, trenches, and displays being very narrow and congested. Unfortunately, I got stuck in this mess and wasn’t able to make it to the trails closer to the towering rock formations.
In all, while we had seen the towers from afar, we were glad to see Cinque Torri up close because the landscape is simply majestic! Additionally, it was interesting to see where the Italian Military Brigade headquartered during WWI.
Lagazuoi
From Cinque Torri we planned on waiting for the bus that comes hourly in the morning and then less frequently in the afternoon. Fortunately for us, a taxi was dropping fellow hikers off so we asked for a ride to Lagazuoi, a short drive away. At first, he was reluctant, likely because it was the opposite way from Cortina, but money talks. He charged us an arm and a leg, but it was worth cutting out riding the bus!
He took us to Falzarego Pass where we purchased tickets to the cable car that rises to the Mt. Lagazuoi summit. The pillarless aerial tramway takes 2 minutes and 50 seconds to span 1,150 meters while ascending 630 meters. The cable car operates between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and ascends every 15 minutes. Luckily timed it perfectly.
The summit includes the Lagazuoi Rifugio, WWI tunnels, a WWI hospital in the side of the cliff below the rifugio, and a short hiking path with spectacular views. We had planned on giving ourselves four hours on Lagazuoi and thanks to our taxi ride, we had another hour to spare. In all, I don’t think we needed more than three hours total, so we short changed ourselves a little at Cinque Torri, but then we wouldn’t have lucked out with the taxi!
I went on the hike first which follows the ridgeline for approximately 0.5 km. The 360 degree panoramic views are absolutely stunning. So much so that it probably took me an hour to hike to the cross as I snapped at least fifty photos and many times just stood there while soaking in the scenery.
From the green valleys, to the mountainsides of trees, to granite peaks, to snow capped mountains, the spanned for miles beneath billowy clouds. We could even see Cinque Torri which can also be hiked from Falzarego Pass.
World War I in Lagazuoi
Upon finishing the hike, I checked out some tunnels and machine gun nests from the World War I. From 1915-1917 the Italian Royal Army and the Austro Hungarian Army fought in sub zero temperatures in the alpine terrain.
Given troops could not cross sheer, rock face cliffs without being gunned down by machine guns, the armies resorted to a mine war and tunneled through the mountain to set off explosives beneath each other’s bases!
While the Italians ultimately had to retreat due to defeats elsewhere on the front, they detonated the largest mine and blew off an entire section of a mountain face. It is hard to picture some place so serene now being such a place of death and destruction.
I unfortunately missed the tunnel with the barracks and hospital. I looked multiple times and somehow didn’t see the sign right by the rifugio that point to a path which scaled the cliffside. I’m not the biggest fan of exposure, so I don’t know if I would have done it anyway.
After exploring, I found a table on the patio at the Lagazuoi Rifugio the largest and highest mountain hut the Cortina d”Ampezzo region. Perched at 2,752 meters (9,029 feet), it provides mountain cuisine with outstanding views. The place was absolutely packed and I felt fortunate to save a table for me, Mike, and Paula, though I was unimpressed with my pasta with venison sauce.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon there before we rode the cable car down to get our transport to Alleghe. At the pass there are a few historical markers, restaurant, and tourist shop. There is also a chance to see some WWI fortifications on hikes around the base.
Those that know me, know I typically don’t take the chairlift or cable car to a summit. Generally, I hike. But today, I really enjoyed being able to go to both Cinque Torri and Lagazuoi which we wouldn’t have been able to do if we picked long treks. ETB
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