Lakes · north of the valley
Olbe lakes
Olbe, in the Sappada dialect: the high pasture
The Laghi d'Olbe are 3 small lakes of glacial origin on the plateau above the village, below the crest of Monte Righile. From the valley floor it is about three hours of ascent on a hiking path. From up there, in just over half an hour, the Passo del Mulo opens the view of Peralba, which cannot be seen from the hamlets.
- Altitude
- 2,156 mSource 1PromoTurismoFVG, “I laghi d'Olbe a Sappada”, and Regione del Veneto, regional technical map (spot heights): the two sources agree · 7 October 2026
- Where
- Olbe plateau, Peralba–Rinaldo ridge
- Starting points
- Mühlbach · Bach
The three lakes
Olbe, in the Sappada dialect, is the high mountain pasture. On the plateau the glaciers left three hollows: the westernmost is almost a pond, the central one is small and tucked away, the easternmost is wide and deep, with a chapel on its shore and the pale towers of the Righile mirrored in it. The Alpine Club (CAI) relates that after Caporetto a mountain howitzer was thrown into the largest lake: the dives of the Seventies recovered war material, not the howitzer.
The climb
There are two ways up from the village. The first goes by Rifugio Monte Ferro and continues on path 141: it is the more varied. The second follows the Sappada 2000 ski run on path 135, and the CAI recommends it for the descent. In both cases it is a full-day hike, not a stroll: length and ascent are in the table.
Then there is the approach from Val Sesis, on path 138 from the Baita Rododendro, which the tourist board rates easy.
And the chairlift?
Many descriptions say that the lakes are an hour from the top of the Sappada 2000 lifts. That is true when the lifts are running. In the 2026 summer calendar of PromoTurismoFVG there was only one chairlift for Sappada, that of Monte Siera, and a notice at the end of June gave the Sappada 2000 one as closed for works. Until the reopening is confirmed, the honest reckoning is the one on foot from the village.
In winter the lakes are the destination of the snowshoe route indicated by the lift operator, which starts from the top station: that too depends on the lift.
Beyond the lakes
From the lakes path 135 climbs to the Passo del Mulo, which the CAI calls the highest of the passes in the Sappada area: to the north Peralba, Chiadenis and Avanza, to the south the lakes, the Clap, Siera, Creta Forata. On wartime path 138 you reach instead, in an hour, the summit of Monte Lastroni.
Computed on the terrain model
Where you set off from
The lakes lie on a plateau, behind the buttresses that face the village: they are not in view from the houses, and the visibility calculation concerns the summits. Below are the hamlets from which the paths start.
Paths, with the figures from the route sheets
Getting there
On foot from the village: from Borgata Bach or from Granvilla by Rifugio Monte Ferro and path 141, or up the Sappada 2000 ski run on path 135. The tourist board also indicates the climb from Borgata Mühlbach, in three hours.
| Section | Waymark | Length | Ascent | Time, ascent only | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Rifugio Monte Ferro to the Olbe lakesFrom the village, add the climb to the hut. | 141 | 3.3 km | 635 m | 2 h – 2 h 30 min | E |
| From the village to the lakes, up the Sappada 2000 ski runThe Alpine Club recommends it for the descent. | 135 | 4.6 km | 937 m | 3 h | E |
| From the Olbe lakes to the Passo del Mulo | 135 | 1.1 km | 189 m | 30 min – 45 min | E |
| From the Olbe lakes to the summit of LastroniWartime path. | 138 | — | — | 60 min | E |
Source of the figures: PromoTurismoFVG, schede degli itinerari firmate dal CAI Sappada/Plodn; CAI Sezione di Sappada, pagine dei gruppi (Chiadenis, Olbe, Terze, Siera, Clap; copie d'archivio del 13/08/2012) · 6 October 2026
T tourist path · E hiking · EE experienced hikers · EEA experienced hikers with equipment (Italian Alpine Club scale). The words ‘easy’, ‘moderate’ and ‘difficult’ are those of the local tourist board, where no Alpine Club sheet exists. A dash means the source does not give the figure.
The route sheets, the Italian Alpine Club warns, ‘cannot be regarded as a substitute for the presence of a professional mountain guide’. This page even less so: it helps you choose, not set off.
Frequently asked questions
Can you reach the Olbe lakes by chairlift?
It depends on the year. With the Sappada 2000 lifts open, it is about an hour's walk from the top. In summer 2026 they were not in the calendar: you climbed on foot from the village.
Is it a walk suitable for children?
From the village it is long: about three hours of ascent on a hiking path. With children used to walking it can be done; otherwise Rifugio Monte Ferro, under an hour from Borgata Bach, is a more suitable goal.
Sources
- PromoTurismoFVG, “I laghi d'Olbe a Sappada”
- PromoTurismoFVG, “Laghi d'Olbe dal Rifugio Monte Ferro” (CAI Sappada route sheet)
- PromoTurismoFVG, “Laghi d'Olbe per la pista da sci e il sentiero 135” (CAI Sappada route sheet)
- PromoTurismoFVG, “Passo del Mulo dai laghi d'Olbe” (CAI Sappada route sheet)
- CAI Sezione di Sappada, “Olbe” (archived copy, 2012)
- PromoTurismoFVG, summer opening calendar for Sappada and Forni Avoltri
- Consorzio Sappada Dolomiti Turismo, “Escursioni da non perdere”
- PromoTurismoFVG, schede degli itinerari firmate dal CAI Sappada/Plodn
- CAI Sezione di Sappada, pagine dei gruppi (Chiadenis, Olbe, Terze, Siera, Clap; copie d'archivio del 13/08/2012)
- PromoTurismoFVG, “I laghi d'Olbe a Sappada”
Facts checked against the sources on 7 October 2026