Rifugio Nuvolau

The oldest hut in the Dolomites, perched in an elevated position above the Cinque Torri.

Rifugio Nuvolau is the oldest mountain hut in the Ampezzano Dolomites: it was inaugurated on 11 August 1883 under the German name Sachsendankhütte, "the Saxon thanksgiving hut". It sits like an eagle's nest on the summit of the mountain of the same name, at 2,575 metres, above the celebrated Cinque Torri group. From this isolated peak the view is circular and among the most complete in the Cortina area, with summits stretching in every direction. The silhouette of the hut on its rocky summit is one of the most recognisable images in the Dolomites, and since 1906 its management has been linked to the history of Cortina's mountaineers.

It is reached on foot by an excursion starting from the Cinque Torri area or from Passo Giau, along scenic trails that cross some of the finest landscapes around Cortina before the final climb to the summit. The kitchen is the simple, genuine fare of a traditional hut. With barely twenty beds it is a very small hut and therefore highly sought after: staying overnight here means experiencing a true summit bivouac, suspended between dawn and dusk, with an intimate atmosphere that its modest size makes all the more special.

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