Lake Braies

The origin of Lake Braies - "Pragser Wildsee" in German, "Lago di Braies" in Italian - is referable to a reservoir dam, consequence of a mudflow. It is situated at almost 1,500 m a.s.l. in the beautiful Valle di Braies, a side valley of the Val Pusteria valley. 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 Fanes Reign. 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". Lake Braies is starting point for numerous hiking tours as well as for the Dolomite High Route no. 1. The surrounding mountains offer a splendid view on the "Pearl among Dolomite lakes", considered to be the most beautiful South Tyrolean lake.

If you prefer pleasant walks, you can walk round Lake Braies (4 km). During a romantic rowing boat trip you can enjoy the beauty of the fairytale-like scenery - but only savages will dare to jump into the 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.

In order to protect nature in the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park and due to traffic jams, a traffic concept and a limited number of visitors has been introduced. Every year from July to September, the Braies Valley is accessible from 9.30 am to 4 pm only by means of public transport, by foot, by bike, or with a parking lot reservation or valid permission to use that road. The shuttle service to Lake Braies (no. 439 and 442) can be booked online - when there are no seats left, the access to the valley and the lake by bus is not possible. Boat rental from the end of May.

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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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