Lake Predil and the Raibl mine
The only lake in the area warm enough to swim in, and beneath the mountain that watches over it lie kilometres of tunnels first dug by the Romans.
- From the houseabout 15 km · 20 minutes by car
- When to goThe lake in summer, for swimming.
- Where it isCave del Predil, 15 km south of Tarvisio on the SS54
- The lakeA glacial basin with a small island, safe for swimming
Lake Predil is a deep blue glacial basin with a small island in the middle, closed in by rock walls. There is one difference from the Fusine Lakes, and it matters: here you can swim. It is the only stretch of water in the area where the August temperature is bearable.
But the reason this place deserves a whole day is underground. At Cave del Predil there is a lead and zinc mine known since Roman times, worked until 1990 and now a geo-mining park. You go down inside on an electric train and visit on foot.
Bring a jacket, even if you set off in a T-shirt. Six degrees with the damp of the rock feels colder than six degrees in the open air, and the visit lasts an hour. It is the mistake everybody makes.
Inside it is a constant 6 degrees, all year. In August it is the strangest sensation of the holiday: you leave the heat, board a little train, and a minute later you are cold inside a mountain, in a place where men worked for two thousand years.
Above the mine, in the same village, there are two more museums: one on the mining tradition and the «Alpi Giulie» Military History Museum, which tells the story of the war fought on these mountains.
Ticket prices are not published anywhere, not even on the museums’ own website. Telephone: 0428 876536 or 389 1040370, or write to info@museitarvisio.it. From October to May the mine opens only on Saturdays and Sundays, at fixed times.
Lake Predil and the mine in pictures
Frequently asked questions
Can you swim in Lake Predil?
Yes. It is the only lake in the Tarvisio area where the water reaches a bearable temperature for swimming in summer. The Fusine Lakes, by contrast, stay icy all year.
How much does it cost to visit the Cave del Predil mine?
The price is not published on the museums’ website. To find out and to book you have to telephone 0428 876536 or 389 1040370, or write to info@museitarvisio.it.
What should you wear to visit the Raibl mine?
Inside it is a constant 6 degrees all year and the visit lasts about an hour. You need a jacket and closed shoes, even if it is August outside.
We run a holiday flat in Tarvisio, in a well-served, strategic spot in the heart of the village. We know these places because we go to them: the distances, the car parks and the opening times above were all checked at source, one by one.
See the flat