Lake Braies

Mobility: From the 1st of July to September 15, 2026, between 9 am and 4 pm, Braies is accessible only by public transport, on foot, by bicycle, or with an online reservation or a valid transit permit. Parking spaces at Lake Braies can be booked and paid for online in advance.

The shuttle buses (lines 439 and 442) require an online reservation. Once the shuttle is fully booked, access via this service is no longer possible: prags.bz/en.

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The origin of Lake Braies (Pragser Wildsee) is referable to a reservoir dam, consequence of a mudflow. It is situated at almost 1,500 metres a.s.l. in the municipal area of Braies, a whole valley. At the head of the valley first the hamlet of San Vito Braies comes into sight, and then the lake itself. In the mythological world, Lake Braies has got an important role to play. According to legends, at the south end of the lake, where Mt. Croda del Becco (2,810 m a.s.l.) is situated, there was the gate to the Kingdom of Fanes. That gate could be reached only with a boat ride. This is also why the Ladin name of the Croda del Becco is "Sass dla Porta", which means "Gate Mountain".

During a rowing boat trip - the boats can be rented in the summer months from mid-June on at the wooden boat house - you may enjoy the beauty of the fairytale-like scenery. But only savages will dare to jump into the really cool waters. The emerald green lake has become famous in the last years by the Italian television series "Un passo dal cielo" (One step from heaven) and is nowadays a centre of tourism. To direct traffic and to protect nature in the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, a traffic concept with a limited number of visitors has been introduced. Lake Braies is a wonderful starting point for numerous hiking tours and for the 4 km long walk round Lake Braies. In winter, several of the cross-country ski tracks in the Val Pusteria are located in the Valle di Braies valley.

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Altitude: 1,469 m a.s.l.
Surface: 31 hectares
Depth: max. 36 m
Category: mountain lake

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