Lorenzago di Cadore
Lorenzago di Cadore è un paese di villeggiatura montana nel cuore del Cadore, in provincia di Belluno, conosciuto soprattutto per...
تم التحديث في 12 يوليو 2026
الحكاية
حكاية Lorenzago di Cadore
A sunny basin in the heart of the Cadore
Lorenzago di Cadore sits in an open, sunny basin of the Cadore, the Belluno Dolomite region that includes some of the best-known valleys of the eastern Dolomites. The village is surrounded by conifer woods, alpine meadows and mid-altitude mountains, in a landscape less spectacular than the vertical walls of other Dolomite areas, but for that very reason gentler and more welcoming, suited to extended rest more than extreme mountaineering. Not far away lies the Passo della Mauria, which connects the Cadore to the Carnia area of Friuli, making Lorenzago also a natural crossing point between the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Pope John Paul II's holidays
The element that made Lorenzago di Cadore known well beyond local borders is its connection with Pope John Paul II, who chose this village as his summer holiday destination for seven years, between 1984 and 1996. The Pontiff stayed at the Castello di Mirabello, owned by the Treviso diocesan seminary since 1960, and at the papal summer residence built nearby, along the road leading to the castle's tennis courts. His days in Lorenzago were marked by walks through the surrounding woods, moments of prayer and rest, in a direct relationship with the local community that still remembers those years fondly today. The bond with the Polish pontiff has become part of the village's identity, celebrated also through an open-air sanctuary dedicated to him.
The Sentiero del Papa and the open-air sanctuary
Among the most significant stops linked to this memory is the Sentiero del Papa, a hiking route that retraces some of the places John Paul II used to visit during his holidays in Lorenzago, and the open-air Santuario di San Giovanni Paolo II, created by the municipality to preserve and showcase this special bond. Walking these routes offers a different experience from a simple nature hike: it combines the Dolomite landscape with a piece of recent Catholic Church history, in an intimate and respectful setting, without the crowds that characterise other, better-known pilgrimage sites.
Woods, holiday life and village life
Beyond its connection with the pontiff, Lorenzago di Cadore retains its identity as a traditional mountain holiday village, with an economy tied to summer tourism from families and regular holidaymakers, as well as to the management of the surrounding woodland. It isn't a destination of great international renown like some better-known resorts of the Cadore or the Cortina area, and this should be stated clearly: its accommodation offer is that of a small mountain village, suited to those seeking tranquillity more than a lively social scene. It's precisely this intimate scale, together with the historic bond with John Paul II, that makes Lorenzago a distinctive place within the Belluno Dolomites.
Toward the Passo della Mauria and Carnia
Its proximity to the Passo della Mauria also makes Lorenzago di Cadore a good starting point for excursions toward the Carnia area of Friuli, a Dolomite and Prealpine area with natural and cultural characteristics different from the Veneto Cadore but equally interesting. The road climbing to the pass crosses woods and alpine pastures, offering broad views over the surrounding mountains, and is a route appreciated by both motorists and cyclists wanting to combine two neighbouring Dolomite regions, each with its own identity, in a single trip.
Experiences not to miss
- Walking the Sentiero del Papa in the footsteps of John Paul II
- Visiting the open-air sanctuary dedicated to Saint John Paul II
- A walk through the woods and meadows of Lorenzago's basin
- A hike toward the Passo della Mauria, the border with Friuli's Carnia
- Discovering the Castello di Mirabello and its recent history
للمشاهدة
مناطق الجذب في Lorenzago di Cadore
مسارات · Trovido Route
