Lake Auronzo

Level of difficulty 2 |  Gastronomy 2 |  Length 4 km |  Time 60 - 80 minutes

---

Although relatively unknown as a SUP spot, the turquoise-coloured Alpine lake turns out to be a colourful natural spectacle set against a stunning mountain backdrop. With your head constantly tilted back, you quickly forget about paddling as you are gently carried across the water by the wind.

General information

• Dolomiti Gift Card
• Dolomiti Guest Card
• Lake Auronzo tourist information
• Lake Auronzo Wikipedia
• Tour video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Although there are not many of them, bathers and other water sports enthusiasts have priority on the water.

Fishermen may also occasionally be standing on the bank. Therefore, paddle with foresight and take evasive action early enough!

The last 150 metres before the weir are strictly off-limits and marked accordingly. Turn around in good time before the weir!

Dangers and risks

The banks at the river mouth are walled and about one metre high, which is not ideal for climbing down. Directly at the adjacent bridge, it is much easier to walk across the meadow down to the water, but there is a steep drop of up to three metres.

In the delta of the Fiume Ansiei, the riverbed is shallow and gravelly, meaning that only a few channels are navigable downstream. Even if the fins or paddle blades do not hit any rocks, you may still get stuck in the clay soil near the bridge.

Avoid the dam in the east and turn around in good time at the markings at the latest! These are located about 150 m before the dam wall.

Strong winds can occur, which can make paddling back dramatically more difficult. Wind check is required in advance!

The reservoir is not always full, with high/maximum water levels occurring mainly in summer. Even then, it can be very shallow in some places along the southern shore, so you should keep a safe distance from the mainland.

If you want to paddle down the last few metres of the Ansiei River, be careful not to hit the rocky bottom and get thrown off your board.

Directions

Lake Auronzo is easily accessible by car, train and bus. It can be reached by car from all directions via well-maintained national roads (SS51, SS52, SR48). Regardless of which direction you are coming from, you should not drive too fast between the mountains and you should drive with caution, as the many bends in combination with some steep sections of road place a heavy strain on the brakes.

From the south (e.g. Venice), take the SS52; from the north (e.g. Bressanone or Dobbiaco), take the SS51 via Misurina; from the east, take the SS52. If travelling by public transport, take the train to Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore and then the bus (line 31) to the Auronzo Piazza Vigo stop.

During peak season, buses run regularly to this location, with DolomitiBus lines 31 and 50 stopping in Auronzo di Cadore. With the Guest Card you can even use public transport at extremely low prices (e.g. 3 days for €14.20/as of 2025). From the Auronzo Piazza Vigo bus stop in the town centre, it is only about a nine-minute walk to the lake.

National and international bus, train and flight connections can be found via the comparison portals Omio, Busbud as well as RailEurope. Those arriving by plane have several options, as the nearest airports are in Venice, Treviso, Bolzano and Innsbruck.

Parking

Many parking spaces in Auronzo di Cadore are free of charge. While parking in the town is limited to one hour, you can park for up to two hours free of charge at the lake. Please make sure to display your parking disc clearly and be prepared to search for a while until a space becomes available. There are two car parks directly by the lake, one before the bridge on the north bank, and the other after the bridge on the south bank.

If you park further up in town you have to walk for several minutes to get to the lake.

Swimming

Lake Auronzo is located at an altitude of around 830 metres and is characterised by its emerald green water and good infrastructure. On the southern shore, there are sunbathing lawns, a bathing area with direct access to the water and a boat rental station. On the northern shore, there are bars, a beach volleyball court and brick-built access points to the lake.

The water access at the Ponte di Villapiccola Bridge and the children's playground at the northern end is also very popular. The gravel banks of the estuary delta are an attraction as well, but offer little shade. Away from these areas, access to the water is difficult, especially on the overgrown north bank and the steep south-east bank. In midsummer, the water temperature is between 18 and 22°C, ideal for a refreshing dip.

Other larger bathing lakes in the area include Lake Misurina and Lago di Cadore, which offer similar conditions.

From the boat hire, paddle along the shore and around the lake.

Length

4 km

Time

60 - 80 minutes

Start and landing

At the boat hire near the bridge on the south shore of the lake.

SUP rental

None

Solo paddling beneath mountain ranges

The journey couldn't be more picturesque, with all the winding roads between the imposing mountains of the Belluno Dolomites. I am abruptly torn from my romantic state of relaxation behind the steering wheel as soon as I approach the free parking spaces at the mouth of the Ansiei River in the west of the lake in the town of Auronzo di Cadore. Here, my alpine bliss comes to an abrupt end, as free parking spaces are few and far between and impatient tourists quickly fall back into their everyday cortisol rush.

Nevertheless, I quickly find a narrow parking lot and easily carry my SUP across the bridge (Ponte Transaqua) to the southern shore, from where I plan to set sail. The area around the playground, pedal boat rental and bar offers ideal conditions for accessing the water at a fairly shallow depth. If you are impatient and want to start your SUP tour immediately after the bridge, you will have to carry your board down the rather steep, grassy bank for about three meters.

You could also hit the water at the slipway by the northern end of the bridge, but driftwood tends to accumulate here and sometimes blocks the way. If you are patient and willing to walk a few hundred meters further, you can carry your SUP a little way up the river mouth and start off with momentum through the estuary delta, gliding out onto the lake from there.

It shimmers in the most incredible colors and in every possible combination from white and azure blue to turquoise. Something like this is usually associated with the sea, which makes the resinous forest air seem all the more bizarre, giving the Auronzo atmosphere a very individual touch. I'm surprised that the lake is virtually empty and I only encounter one other stand-up paddler. Well, alpinism predominates in the Dolomites, which is why this lake will certainly remain an insider tip for paddlers for a long time to come.

Along the well-maintained walking path, which runs entirely in the shade, children will find large dinosaur models, while paddlers can glide almost seamlessly onto the picnic lawn with their SUPs when the water level is at its highest. On the other hand, most of the south bank sections are walled, and the water surface drops quite steeply into the reservoir, which is up to 49 m deep and was completed in 1932.

Today, a light east wind with a perceived force of 1-2 Bf is blowing against me and stirring up the water a little. Nevertheless, I quickly reach the bridge over the middle of the lake (Ponte di Villapiccola), where I have a wide view of the rock massifs of Monte Tudaio (2140 m) and Cima del Purgatorio (2247 m). This reminds me once again how diverse this country is, because Italy has something to offer not only for mountaineers but also for paddlers, with areas of every conceivable character. Where else can you find rugged, sometimes inhospitable mountains, but also playful lagoon landscapes, tropical sea sections, and fertile lowlands in one country?

Lake Auronzo, also known as Lake Santa Caterina, perfectly embodies these somewhat contradictory habitats and stands out like an emerald between the rocky massifs. The 55-metre-high dam forms the unnatural end of this lake, and I turn at the markings about 150 metres before the concrete structure. I paddle back along the north shore, where I first notice the dome and campanile of the San Lucano Church.

There is a small playground for children near the bridge, and it is easy to access the water here. I paddle past it and work my way back along the overgrown and largely inaccessible north bank, with a view of the small town towards the river mouth. Even the Three Peaks are reflected in the water in front of me, as this Dolomite mecca for mountaineers is only 14 km west of the lake.

A single stand-up paddler catches my eye here, and swimmers are also a rare sight. Apart from a few people splashing around on the banks, the water surface seems to remain largely empty. Lake Auronzo is a popular destination, especially for walkers and mountaineers, as the signposted circular trail also branches off to hiking routes to Mt. Colle di Villagrande (1,673 metres) and other peaks.

My last turn before landing back at the Ponte Transaqua Bridge is the river's estuary. I paddle upstream through the crystal-clear water for as long as I can until I have to dismount. Then I carry my SUP further upstream over the rocks to enjoy a little more of the flowing water.

You shouldn't necessarily go barefoot, as although it is possible, it is difficult. At the end of this tour, I let myself be pushed about 200 metres by the fast-flowing river until I reach the bridge, while I enjoy the magnificent view over the lake one last time. This is just another way to end an active day in the mountains.