The Lago Verde Hike – a Green Lake in the Mont Blanc Massif, Italy

Lago Verde is a small but beautiful Morainic lake you can only hike to in the Courmayeur area. Also Called Lac Vert, it is located on the Italian Side of Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco), in Val Veny.

The lake takes its name from the color of its waters—Verde, which means green in Italian.

Lago Verde

This beautiful lake is surrounded by some of the Mont Blanc massif’s most striking and dramatic peaks. The contrast between the peaceful-looking lake surrounded by trees and the sharp, pointy, and dramatic peaks behind it is rather unique.

The hike to Lago Verde is also quite short and easy. You can easily do it as a sunset hike, which is what I did. Watching those dramatic peaks catch the last light of the day is a mesmerizing experience.

The impressive Aiguille Noire de Peuterey catches the day’s last light.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Lago Verde Hike & Map

As mentioned above, the hike to Lago Verde is short and quite easy. Also, the trail is well-marked except for the last bit, but it’s still easy to follow. Do bring a headlamp if you plan to do this hike for Sunset.

Also, as of 2024 part of the trail was destroyed due to flooding in the area. This means you need to walk on the paved road for a bit, as shown in the map below. I Suppose the original trail will be prepared at some point, but the deviation does not really add much in terms of distance/effort.

Here is the map of the hike. You can also download the GPX file for free from the activity linked below:

How to get to Lago Verde and Parking

You can reach the trailhead both by car and public transport.

• Driving Directions: From Italy, you’d have to drive the A25 Highway to Courmayeur first. Then, from Courmayeur, head toward La Visaille/Val Veny and follow the “P” signs. If you are coming from France, you’d have to drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to get to Courmayeur, and from Switzerland, you’d have to cross the Great St Bernard, either the pass (late spring to early autumn only) or the Tunnel.
• Parking: Paid parking is available at the trailhead. you can also pay with Easypark – or cash. If you are camping or staying at one of the area’s hotels, you can hike directly from there.
• Public Transport: It is possible to reach Val Veny using public transport in summer only. In 2023 and 2024 transport was free. More details here (in Italian) and the schedule can be found here.

The wide, paid parking area at the end of the road in Val Veny.

The Lago Verde Hiking Trail

The trail starts at the Parking area between the Dora di Veny River and Bosco del Miage. The original trail follows the river upstream closely, but it was damaged in 2024 and currently still has to be repaired. This means you initially have to walk back to the Via di Val Veny (the paved road) until you reach the Lago Verde info board.

The info board by the trail to Lago Verde.

The board is located right after a small bridge. Here you can take the dirt trail to your right and follow it downhill. The lowest point of this hike is when you have to cross the river. There’s a narrow pedestrian bridge across it, so no need to wade it.

From, here onwards, there’s a lot of walking on stones/boulders. Also, the trail will gain elevation again from here to the lake. It’s never very steep, but do pay attention to the yellow trailmarks. In this part of the trail you’ll also have some nice views of the Mont Blanc Massif through the trees of the forest.

Follow the yellow trail marks through the forest.

The last part of the trail to Lago Verde is mostly on a ridge at the edge of the forest. Now it’s just a short walk to the lake. You will find yourself right in front of it.

To get to the best viewpoint you can either walk down to the lake and climb back up on the opposite side, or walk around the ridge.

Lago Verde Viewpoint. You can see the trail on the right.

The Lago Verde Photos and Photography Tips

As mentioned in the intro, this is a great location for sunset, but also for the golden hour. Those jagged, pointy mountain peaks lit by the warm late afternoon light make a great chromatic contrast with the waters of the lake.

What I didn’t like so much is how limited the compositions are. You are essentially standing on a steep morainic deposit, and there isn’t much room to move around. Anyway, I hope someone will prove me wrong with some creative effort :)! This pretty much limits composition to either portrait or landscape mode. Personally, I think portrait mode works best, it fills the frame better.

Lago Verde

What I liked, on the other hand, was the amazing views of all the peaks towering above the lake. It’s a view to behold in itself, all those glaciers, waterfalls, and jagged peaks. I wish I had my 70-200mm lens with me too, but forgot it in the car. Next time I guess, and a good excuse to visit again.

Aguille noir lit by the last light of the day. 70mm (full frame) shot.

In terms of lenses, I found anything between 14 to 24mm (full frame) to work best to shoot the lake. Mostly around 18 or 24mm, on the longer end. So you do need to go wide to fit it in the frame.

Where to stay

There are several campsites in the area, but they are typically open only in summer and until the end of September. There also are a few hotels and guesthouses down the road, but the best place to stay for a night or even a few days of hikes in the area is Courmayeur.

Do note you cannot camp with a van or camper in the parking area.

Additional Resources

• You may want to combine this hike with a visit to another beautiful lake in the area, the Lago del Miage.
• Here’s the main page on Hiking in Italy, if you want to discover more scenic hikes and photo spots.