San Vito Braies

As one of the most beautiful mountain lakes, it is famous not only in South Tyrol but worldwide: You can visit the renowned Lake Braies right here, at the head of the Valle di Braies, where the white pebble beaches on the shore merge into the scree slopes below the Braies Dolomites and then into the rugged rock faces. Through binoculars, you can spot sometimes even chamois and marmots on the mountain slopes, while the famous wooden boats glide across the water.

Here, "in the valley" means an altitude of over 1,400 metres. Slightly before it are the houses and farms of San Vito (St. Veit), which you can also reach on a hike through the woods or by bike. The village, one of the three hamlets of Braies, is dominated by its small church: In the right light, it creates a wonderful photo opportunity with the peaks in the background.

This parish church, dedicated to St. Vitus, dates back to the 14th century. On the outside, it features a sundial, and the names of the deceased parish priests are engraved on a marble plaque. Here, in the mountain cemetery of San Vito with a view of the north face of the Croda del Becco, you can find the tomb of the Dolomites pioneer Viktor Wolf von Glanvell (1871-1905). In winter, San Vito cannot be described as sun-drenched, as the mountains cast long shadows.

The path to Lake Braies then becomes a winter hiking trail, and the lake itself transforms into a quiet, mysterious place. The high plateau of the Prato Piazza, further out of the valley, are also suitable for hiking and cross-country skiing on its high-altitude trails. In San Vito, there are two cross-country ski tracks: a one-kilometre circular trail and the longer Untergasse-San Vito route.