Lac de Melu — Attraction in Corte

The hike to Lac de Melu and Capitellu is a long one, but totally worth it If you’re prepared for a leisurely 9ish hour return hike with stops (2hours less if you skip the upper lake). For both lakes you cover around 20kms distance and 1100 meters of elevation gain.

We did the hike on the last day of August 2025. You need to get a ticket for the bus to Restonica valley, which takes you to the collapsed bridge and last stop A Frassetta, where the hike starts.

Follow the yellow markings and enjoy the surroundings. Make sure you pack adequate sun and wind protection as it gets exposed the higher up you go. Bring enough water to get you to lake Melu - there you will find a drinking water source behind the guardians refuge at the other end of lake.

The bus gets packed on the way back in peak season, so make sure you catch your bus.

And don’t rush it as most do! Allow yourself enough time to enjoy the beautiful pools around Bergeries de Grotelle on...

Great little hike. I think there is a debate over how "easy" it is; some parts are just a walk in the woods, other parts were more like light climbing than hiking.

If you're a seasoned hiker it should be very easy. If you're generally fit it's completely doable but you'll work up a sweat and there will be some difficult footing. If you're unsure of your fitness or have any trouble walking / balancing, you should only attempt the first part of the hike before it gets steep (you'll know it when you see it).

If you make it up though, it's very nice and there is lots to see along the way, including surprise appearances by various alpine farm animals on the trails.

Oh, and make sure you're a confident driver -- the road into the base camp is mostly a single lane with many blind switchback turns, few guard rails and a steep drop. It can get dangerous (or at least very complicated) in some places when there is heavy...

As mentioned in several recent reviews, the trek to Lac de Melu is significantly longer these days because of the damaged access road. Its a nice hike in any case, though the last part up to the lake did not deliver us the "wow" moment we had hoped for. The views around the lake are nice, but not nicer than before you start the steep climb up for the last hour or so. I wouldnt unconditionally recommend it for this reason. As for the time needed, we had been told it`s an 8 hour return trip. We took 2:55h up (with a 10min break along the way) and a similar amount...