What to see
The three battlement-like peaks are composed of well-layered Dolomia Principale rock dating to the Carnian and Rhaetian ages. From east to west, they are the Cima Piccola (2,857 meters), Cima Grande, and Cima Ovest (2,973 meters). Below their northern sheer drops stretches the Lange Alm (La Grava Longa) alpine plateau, which contains the three small Zinnenseen mountain lakes. The steep north faces display characteristic "ink lines" formed by blue-green bacteria, while crevices support flora like the Alpine poppy, Linaria alpina, and the rare Paederota bonarota. Fauna includes marmots, chamois, golden eagles, and black vipers at an unusual elevation of 2,600 meters, though ibex are completely absent. The terrain around the peaks and nearby Monte Paterno retains heavy scars from the 1915–1917 "White War", including trenches, tunnels, barracks, and iron ladders. Between the Tre Cime and Monte Paterno sits a memorial crafted from the rotor blades of an Italian Army Bell 206 helicopter that crashed on July 9, 1974, claiming the lives of Captain Pier Maria Medici and officers Renzo Bulfone and Gianfranco Lastri.
Visiting
The Tre Cime Natural Park, managed via a visitor center in Dobbiaco's former Grand Hotel, is intersected by the Grohmann Alta Via No. 4 trail. Expeditions typically start at the CAI-run Rifugio Auronzo (2,320 meters), accessed by a toll road from Misurina or public shuttles operated by Dolomiti Bus and STA. Well-marked paths connect to the Rifugio Lavaredo (2,325 meters), the Lange Alm farmhouse (2,296 meters), and the Dreizinnenhütte (Rifugio Locatelli) at 2,438 meters, famous for its head-on perspective of the north walls. The peaks are a living museum of extreme climbing: highlights include Emilio Comici's 1933 North Face ascent, the 1950s "direttissime" established by the "Scoiattoli di Cortina" and Dieter Hasse, modern free-solo ascents by Alexander Huber, and a 2012 winter traverse by Simon Gietl and Roger Schäli. In 2011, Armin Holzer and Reinhard Kleindl crossed the empty space between the summits on a slackline.
Our editors' tip
To capture the classic lateral profile of the peaks, head to the Valle di Landro (Höhlensteintal) near the old village; movie enthusiasts will recognize this rugged topography, which served as a filming location for "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles."