367. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three distinctive battlement-like peaks, in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy. They are probably one of the best-known mountain groups in the Alps. The three peaks, from east to west, are:

• Cima Piccola/Kleine Zinne ("little peak")
• Cima Grande/Große Zinne ("big peak")
• Cima Ovest/Westliche Zinne ("western peak").

The peaks are composed of well-layered dolostones of the Dolomia Principale (Hauptdolomit) formation, Carnian to Rhaetian in age, as are many other groups in the Dolomites (e.g., the Tofane, the Pelmo or the Cinque Torri). Until 1919 the peaks formed part of the border between Italy and Austria. Now they lie on the border between the Italian provinces of Bolzano and Belluno and still are a part of the linguistic boundary between German-speaking and Italian-speaking majorities. The Cima Grande has an elevation of 2,999 metres. It stands between the Cima Piccola, at 2,857 metres, and the Cima Ovest, at 2,973 metres.

IT-190222