Walking round Lake Braies

What it is

Lake Braies (Pragser Wildsee) is a mountain lake at 1,496 metres, in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies nature park, at the foot of the Croda del Becco, at 2,810 metres. It formed when a landslide from the Sasso del Signore blocked the course of the Braies river. It is about 1.2 km long and 300 to 400 metres wide, reaches 36 metres deep and its water does not exceed about 14 °C. It is also the starting point of the Alta Via 1, the classic Dolomites route to Belluno. Since it appeared in the series Un passo dal cielo, in 2011, it has been one of the most visited places in the region.

The walk round the lake

• Distance: about 3.5 km.
• Time: an hour and a half, unhurried.
• Ascent: almost none.
• Where it starts: on the north shore, next to the lake hotel, a few steps from the car parks.

It is best done anticlockwise, starting along the west shore. That shore is flat and wide. The east shore is narrower, with steps and some stretches of rock: if you have a pushchair, go back the way you came. At the far end of the lake, at the southern tip, you have the view of the Croda del Becco reflected in the water.

Traffic regulation and booking

From 1 July to 15 September, between 9:00 and 16:00, the Braies valley can only be entered by public transport, on foot, by bike or with an online reservation or transit permit. Parking reservations open on the valley's tourist website in early June. You can arrive before 9:00 without a reservation, but a space is not guaranteed: in high season there are very few before that hour. Outside that period there are no restrictions and no need to book. You have it summarised at Lake Braies parking.

Car parks

The valley's tourist association publishes these indicative prices, which change by season and time:

• P4, 100 metres from the lake: up to €30 for 24 hours or €15 for three hours.
• P3, 300 metres: up to €18 a day or €14 for three hours.
• P2, 800 metres: up to €10 a day or €7 for three hours.
• P1, 5.5 km: €7, summer only and with a shuttle to the lake.

Motorhomes pay €45 for 24 hours at P4.

By bus

Line 442 links Dobbiaco and Villabassa with the lake, and in high season it is reinforced by the 439 from Monguelfo station. Outside the regulation you pay the normal fare to the driver, in cash. During the regulation, the bus also needs a booking with online payment, and when places are full you cannot get on.

When to go

First thing or at the end of the afternoon: the lake is calm, there are fewer people and the light is better. In winter it freezes and since 2012 curling has been played on the ice; do not walk on the ice on your own.

With children and dogs

The walk is easy for children of any age, as long as you watch the east shore, which is narrower. Dogs can do the walk on a lead.

Combine it with

From Dobbiaco, bus 444 goes up to the Rifugio Auronzo for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop. To sleep nearby, the Caravan Park Sexten is in the Sesto valley.