Lago di Misurina

Lake Misurina lies at 1,754 metres in the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore. Its open water and surrounding Dolomite peaks form the setting of a mountain resort with a distinctive history of tourism, respiratory care and winter sport.

Why it matters

The lake hosted the speed-skating competitions of the 1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics. Racing on natural lake ice connected a major international sporting event with the physical conditions of this high-altitude landscape.

What to notice

The water reflects the surrounding mountain groups, including Sorapiss, while the Cadini and Cristallo help define the wider basin. Buildings around the shore mark the development of Misurina as a resort rather than an isolated mountain lake. The contrast between the low water surface and steep rock walls gives the setting its particular scale.

Context and history

Misurina's mountain air acquired a reputation for respiratory health in the nineteenth century, and the resort later housed a centre specialising in childhood asthma. The Olympic races of January 1956 added a sporting chapter to a place already associated with mountain stays and care.