prags st veit
prags st veit

San Vito Braies

Lake Braies and the peaceful village of San Vito with its chapel form the head of the Valle di Braies valley

It is known as one of the most beautiful mountain lakes not only in South Tyrol, but worldwide: You can visit Lake Braies (Pragser Wildsee or Lago di Braies) right here, at the head of the Braies Valley, where the white pebble beaches on the shore merge into the scree slopes below the Braies Dolomites and then into the rugged rock faces. With a telescope, chamois and marmots can be seen on the mountain slopes, while down in the valley, the famous wooden boats float on the lake. Whereby "in the valley" here means an altitude of more than 1,400 m a.s.l.

2.5 km before it, and so also accessible in a hike through the woods or by bike, are the houses and farms of San Vito (St. Veit). The small village, one of the three districts of the municipality of Braies, is dominated by its small church. It provides a wonderful photo motif with the peaks in the background in the right light. This St. Vitus Parish Church dates back to the 14th century and features a sundial on the outside and a marble plaque with the names of the deceased parish priests. At the mountain cemetery of San Vito, with view on the north face of Mt. Croda del Becco, there is the gravestone of the Dolomite pioneer Viktor Wolf von Glanvell (1871-1905).

In winter, San Vito cannot be called sun-kissed, the mountains cast long shadows over the snow-covered village. Then the path to the lake becomes a winter hiking trail and the lake itself a magical quiet spot. Also suitable for winter hikes are the plateaus of the Prato Piazza, where high-altitude cross-country ski tracks run through the mountain meadows. In San Vito itself there are two cross-country ski tracks: an easy one and the longer route between Untergasse and San Vito.

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