Laghi di Fusine

Two glacial basins, the upper and lower Fusine lakes, rest at the foot of the Mangart massif near Tarvisio and are linked by an underground water system. Shoreline paths circle both lakes. In winter they are among Italy’s coldest corners and their surfaces freeze.

Why it matters

The Fusine lakes are a defining natural site of the Tarvisiano: two clear sheets of water set in a forested bowl beneath the grey dome of the Mangart and the Ponze ridge, in an amphitheatre of rock walls. The regional natural park established here in 1971 was the first in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The lakes lie at Fusine in Valromana, in the municipality of Tarvisio.

What to notice

The upper and lower lakes are connected by an underground water system, and paths circle each shoreline. Above the basin stands Rifugio Luigi Zacchi, within the Ponze-Veunza-Mangart amphitheatre. The landscape changes through the year, from spring flowers and autumn reflections to winter ice. Nearby, Masso Pirona and the Ponze are climbing areas.

Context and history

The lakes were formed by glaciation in the valley below the Mangart group. Nearby Fusine in Valromana also has an industrial history: a water-powered forge was established there in 1404, and the nineteenth-century Weissenfels works became known for their chains. In 1971 Friuli-Venezia Giulia established its first regional natural park here, protecting the lake basin and the slopes beneath the Mangart.

The refuge above the lakes is Rifugio Luigi Zacchi. The Slovene name for the lakes is Belopeška jezera, reflecting the area’s cross-border cultural landscape.