Masarè: Lake Alleghe, History and Trails

Masarè connects Lake Alleghe with a landscape whose formation dates back to a momentous event in 1771. The town is therefore suited to travellers who want to combine experiencing nature, local history and specific trails. Depending on their focus, visitors can relate walks along the lakeshore, hikes to a waterfall, cycling tours and cultural-historical sites to one another.

Landscape between the lake and the landslide

Masarè was founded after the formation of Lake Alleghe, when the landslide on Monte Piz blocked the course of the Torrente Cordevole in 1771. The town lies largely on the deposits left by this landslide. From Masarè, the scar of the major landslide that created the lake is also visible. This geological history is therefore not merely a historical reference, but part of the townscape that can be directly experienced.

Masarè overlooks the far end of the lake. Those who want to experience Lake Alleghe on foot can walk along the shore in Masarè, away from the traffic on the main road. This distinction is essential for getting your bearings locally: here, the lake can be viewed not only as a landscape backdrop, but also experienced via a lakeside path.

Hiking and cycling

Hiking trails lead from Masarè to the Cascata di Ru de Col Aut. The waterfall consists of two successive cascades, making it a clearly defined hiking destination. The connection between the town, trail and waterfall adds another type of landscape to a stay by the lake, without requiring a separate excursion destination.

Two different routes should also be distinguished for cycling. The Sottoguda–Masarè cycle path runs partly on unpaved and partly on paved surfaces. It has a medium difficulty level and offers several variants. In addition, the mountain-bike tour between Sottoguda and Masarè is 30 kilometres long. This allows you to distinguish between a route with different surfaces and variants and a mountain-bike tour explicitly defined by its length.

Local history and cultural sites

One of the notable buildings in Masarè is Villa Paganini Ruspoli, dating from the 19th century. The Parco 11 gennaio 1771 provides another historical point of reference. The park commemorates the landslide on Monte Piz that created Lake Alleghe. Its name directly refers to the year of the event, establishing a connection between the history of the landscape and the town today.

The “Alleghe tra arte e natura” route leads to Masarè and runs along Via dei Pini to Parco 11 gennaio 1771.

Other places for comparison

If you would like to compare Masarè with other destinations in the same higher-level selection area, these include Perarolo di Cadore, Lorenzago Di Cadore, Valle Di Cadore, Villanova, Campagna, Rivamonte Agordino, Puos Dʼalpago and Santa Giustina.

For the higher-level travel overview: Belluno.