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The Ultimate Lago di Braies Travel Guide

Italy - Lago Di Braies

 

As she plunged into the water
Crystal clear and deep
She realised that all her secrets
The fish would surely keep
Below the water’s surface
Her eyes open wide

In this underwater world
Her thoughts she wouldn’t have to hide
As she danced under the water
Her precious heart released its sheathe
In this palace below a sheet of glass
She could finally breathe…

By H.C.

 

Welcome to the Kingdom of the Fanes

 

For a place that looks like a fairytale with its crystal clear, blue-green waters and a stunning backdrop of the Croda del Becco, it’s only fitting that it comes with its own mythological legend right?  In fact the whole of the Dolomites is home to hundreds of stories and legends, but Lago Di Braies or Pragser Wildsee, is home to one of the most well known legends in the area: The Kingdom of the Fanes.

Lago Di Braies is one of the largest lakes in the Dolomites region and a UNESCO Heritage Site.  Considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, it’s not hard to imagine elves, faes, dwarves or an ancient kingdom once residing here.

Read on for your ultimate guide and find out why you should add the ‘Pearl of the Dolomite Lakes’ to your Italian travel itinerary! 

Italy - Lago Di Braies

The Legend of Lago Di Braies

 

Long ago, the area that is now the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature park, was home to a peaceful Kingdom in which its people were allied with marmots (a large native squirrel-type animal).  The Queen of the Fanes decided to marry a foreign king, who, craving power, took control of the kingdom.

Eager to expand his kingdom, the king turned his daughter, Dolasilla, into a powerful warrior.  In return for helping the dwarves, Dolasilla was gifted with invincible armour and unfailing arrows.  They warn her however, that the armour’s powers would disappear if she were to ever marry. After many conquests and expanding her kingdom, Dolasilla meets Ey de Net, an enemy warrior and the two fall in love. They decide to marry.

Fearing the end of his kingdom, the king opposes the marriage and betrays Dolasilla by selling her and his people to the enemy kingdom, in return for the entrance to the legendary land of plenty “Aurona”.  The king flees, but Dolasilla fights to save her people and is killed in battle.  The traitorous king is turned into stone and the surviving Fanes find shelter with the marmots living inside the mountains surrounding Lago Di Braies.  They continue to wait there until the silver trumpets sound, marking the rebirth of their Kingdom.

 

Italy - Lago Di Braies - Summer

 

Things to do

PLEASE NOTE: Lago di Braies is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, please do not litter or destroy nature.  Take all waste with you!

How to Use This Map: The map below is an interactive map you can use to find your preferred location.  To use the map, click the icon in the top left hand corner to slide open the navigation bar.  Here you can click on each location to navigate to it.

 

1. Go Hiking

If you’re an early riser like me and found yourself at Lago di Braies around 6am, then a morning hike might be just the idea for you – especially since a lot of the main activities don’t open until 10am.  The area is pretty much empty at this time so it’s the best time to skip the crowds and enjoy the scenic beauty in peace and quiet and…all to yourself!  The best kind of experience right?

The most easiest and well known hike is the route around the lake, which is suitable for adults and children over 7.  It is recommended to walk the route clockwise, finishing at the chapel for a slightly easier experience. The route takes you beneath a mountain, up and down a large amount of stairs and it does get quite high at times.  There is a wooden railing along some parts of the track as well.

Time to complete: 1.5 – 2 hours

Along the way, you will see paths diverging off – that’s because there are actually several hikes you can do from Lago Di Braies and a total of 34 hikes in the Braies valley all of varying difficulty. See below for a list of hikes and routes taken from the travel brochures I accumulated on my trip.

Italy - Lago Di Braies - Hiking Trails
Route Difficulty: Easy | Medium | Hard

Italy - Lago Di Braies - Hiking Trails

Italy - Lago Di Braies
During my walk around the lake!

 

2. Go Climbing

Another activity open at all hours is rock climbing.  Around Lago Di Braies, there are two main climbs, one is a fixed rope route and the other one is a climbing crag.

Fixed Rope Route (Via Ferrata) (8)
  • Difficulty: ★★
  • Walking Time: 6 hours
  • Level End Point: 2542m
  • Starting Point: Lago Di Braies
  • Descent Details:  Hike tail 61 to the Forcella di Braies/ Pragser Furkel gap and then continue onwards back to Lago Di Braies.
  • Description: This is a short, non difficult fixed rope route.  The route is in an isolated area with long rising and falling sections.  Good orientation skills required.
Climbing Crag (h)
  • Orientation: SW
  • Starting Point: Lago Di Braies Car Park
  • Approach time to the Climbing Crags: 30min walk
  • Family friendly
Italy - Lago Di Braies - Climbing Trails
Climbing tails near Lago Di Braies. (8) Via Ferratta trail and (H) Climbing Crag

 

3. Have a Picnic

With limited restaurants in the area and such a gorgeous setting, a day out in Lago Di Braies is the perfect excuse for a picnic!!  As you walk around the lake, you’ll notice a few picnic tables and sandbanks perfect for setting up a picnic and enjoying the sunshine!

 

4. Rent a boat and row in the lake

According to legend, the only way to reach the Fanes underground realm was to sail across Lago Di Braies by boat to the base of the Croda del Becco.

In fact, up until 100 years ago, the only way to reach the lake’s Southern shores was by boat.  Today, you can hire a traditional wooden row boat and relive the magical legends of the lake yourself.  If hiking isn’t your thing, then this is a fantastic way to experience the beauty of the area.

Boats are available to hire from June to September from 10am – 5pm every day.  They cost €15.00 for 1/2 an hour and €25.00 for 1 hour.

Italy - Lago Di Braies

 

5. Swimming & Fishing

These are two activities I did not know you could do at Lago Di Braies, but according to the official site you can!  Chill out in the sunshine and take your chances with a bit of fishing or, if you’re game enough, take a dive in the icy cold alpine water…I’d rather stick to the hiking and photography please.

 

6. Take Instagram worthy photos

This place is picture perfect for Instagram photos.  No matter which angle, sunshine or clouds, your photos will look stunning.  In fact I can only think of one thing that is likely to ruin your photos. People. A lot of them.  That’s right, Lago Di Braies gets extremely crowded and is a popular destination for numerous tour buses, tourists and locals.

The crowds are said to start from 9:30am, and knowing this I set out to arrive early.  I got to Lago Di Braies just after 6am which was made easy because I was literally staying in a hotel that was around 5 mins drive down the road (details below).  Arriving before 7am also meant cheap parking at only 2 euro!

Surprisingly, there were still a few people in the area at this time, mostly photographers, but also those looking to enjoy an early morning walk.  It was by no means crowded and I had the opportunity to take my time with photos and really enjoy it.

The only downside with arriving so early was that the Boat House was closed, so I missed out on taking some iconic photos of the boat house steps that lead down into the water and some shots from inside a boat.  However if you’re able to spend a day here, arriving early leaves enough time to capture photos, hike around the lake without the crowds and be back in time to catch a boat ride when they open at 10am!

Italy - Lago Di BraiesItaly - Lago Di Braies

5. Visit Lago Di Braies Chapel

There’s something so beautiful about Swiss style churches – and yes I know that we are in Italy, but the churches here are of the same style as in Switzerland.  This chapel was built in the first years of the 20th century and consecrated in 1904 to Our Lady of Sorrows.  It now belongs to Hotel Lago Di Braies and has important ties to World War II, but I’ll let you discover those for yourself ;)

Please note that the church is only able to be visited in Summer.

Italy - Lago Di Braies Chapel

 

When to Visit

 

Lago Di Braies is stunning all year round, but some seasons have a few more perks than others.  Visiting in summer gives you access to the traditional row boats and the chapel, both you cannot experience outside of the summer months.

I visited on June 12th and was happy to see some snow still left on the Croda del Becco.  I definitely think a touch of snow adds to the magic of the place!

 

Winter

 

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FYI – In the middle of winter, the lake is often frozen over and covered in snow.  Therefore you won’t be able to see the lake, the area will look completely white.

Summer

 

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Autumn

 

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Spring/Early Summer

 

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How to get there

 

Lago Di Braies is located in the Braies valley in the South Tyrolean Dolomites in Italy.

Getting to the Dolomites Region – Closest Airports

There is no direct flight to the Dolomites region, so the closest airports in Italy are Verona, Venice Marco Polo and Venice Treviso.  In Austria, the closest airports are Innsbruck, Salzburg and Klaenfurt with Munich being the closest in Germany.  From here you can easily drive, catch public transport or take a guided tour to Lago Di Braies.

Closest Airports to the Dolomites/Lago Di Braies
Closest Airports to the Dolomites/Lago Di Braies

 

Hire a Car

My preferred option when travelling not only because it’s comfortable, but it gives you a whole heap of freedom, it’s reliable and most importantly, it saves time.  Having a car also means you can beat the crowds! If you’re travelling in peak season, you could get away without having a car because public transport is frequent and reliable, but if you’re visiting outside of peak season, I definitely recommend hiring a car.

Driving in this beautiful region was an absolutely wonderful experience. It is so stunning.  I hired a car from Venice Marco Polo Airport and the drive was simple.  There are tolls on this route and working out how to pay for them on the fly was slightly difficult, but I was able to figure it out in the end.

I used GoogleMaps to navigate and simply typed in “Lago Di Braies” as the destination, or you could use the map I’ve created earlier in this post and navigate to one of the parking areas instead.

Here’s how long the drive takes from various destinations:

  • From Venice: Just under a 3 hour drive taking the A27 and SS51
  • From Verona: 3 hour drive
  • From Innsbruck: 2 hours drive
  • From Brunico: 35 minutes drive taking the SS49

 

Public Transport

From Venice Airport, there is a direct “FlixBus” to Dobbiaco, where the central bus station in the Dolomites is located.  Here you can catch a local bus 442 (purple line on map below) directly to Lago Di Braies. The total journey will take around 4.5 hours.

The 442 also passes Dobbiaco and Villabassa Stations, so if you’re coming by train, you can transfer from either to get to Lago Di Braies.  Villabassa Station may be a quicker alternative if travelling by train from the Brunico direction (Verona, Innsbruck or Munich airports).

Bus 442 roughly comes every 30mins in peak season and costs 3 euro per person.  Children under 6 ride free and furry friends are welcome. This site in general is great for finding your way around the Dolomites region by bus: http://www.sii.bz.it/en and also has some phone numbers you can contact if you have any problems.

Download 442 Timetable

If you have downloaded the timetable, here’s what the following symbols mean:

(1) Services running from 24.6 to 16.9 only

(7) Service not running on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays from 3.4

(S) Service running on school days only

(X) Service running on weekends only

(C) Services running from 24.12 to 2.4 only

(Half coloured square) Services run on weekdays except Saturday.

 

Shuttle Service

If you prefer, there is also a shuttle service from Monguelfo train station directly to the lake. This costs 3 euro pp, children under 6 ride free and furry friends are welcome.

Dolomites Bus Network Map
Dolomites Bus Network Map. You can see bus 442 to Lago Di Braies is coloured in purple.
Dolomite Train Timetable
Dolomite Train Timetable

 

LAGO DI BRAIES ACCOMODATION

 

I stayed at Albergo Steinerhof which I enjoyed.  The inn also has it’s own restaurant where you can buy lunch or dinner. Best of all, Albergo Steinerhof is located only 5 mins drive from Lago Di Braies.  My stay included free breakfast which I thought was impressive (image below).  There was a selection of colds meats, cheese, bread, croissants, jams and other spreads, cereals and fruits. There was also free wifi.

The lady who runs the hotel is lovely.  Although she doesn’t speak English, she tries her best to understand and communicate with you.

Italy - Lago Di Braies - Hotel Albergo Steinerhof
Photo from booking.com

Italy - Lago Di Braies - Hotel Albergo Steinerhof

 

GENERAL INFO

PRICE

  • Free entry to the Lago Di Braies
  • Paid carpark –  Before 7am 2 euros, 7-5pm 6-8 euro, after 5pm 4 euro.  Parking is located very close to the lake, refer to image below for a visual reference.  The map earlier in this post provides a location reference to the parking.

OPENING HOURS

  • Open all year round

FACILITIES

  • Dogs and pets are allowed, but you must pick up after them.
  • Toilet facilities are available at the southern most part of the lake and inside Hotel Lago Di Braies.
  • Food at the site is limited, with the closest being available from Hotel Lago Di Braies.  It is recommended to bring your own food, or you can find a restaurant in a nearby town.
  • Lago Di Braies is stroller and disabled friendly when accessed via the carpark.  Hiking around the lake is not possible with strollers or people with limited walking ability as there are many steps and steep areas.
Hotel Lago Di Braies and Parking
Hotel Lago Di Braies, shot from one of the parking areas. You can see a parking sign to the right of this photo.
What’s the most beautiful lake you’ve visited?

If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below!

 

Comments (36)

Omg this place is so magical! Absolutely beautiful!

-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge

Couldn’t agree more! Absolutely spectacular!

Omg this place looks absolutely incredible! This is such a helpful and detailed post, thank you so much for putting this together I’ll definitely bookmark it xx

http://www.anacelinelabod.com

I’m so glad to hear that Ana! We always love to help and inspire others with our travel guides, so your kind words mean a lot to us!!

Wow, this place looks absolutely amazing! I would love to go hiking here! It definitely reminds me of Canada and Lake Louise, the most beautiful lake I’ve ever been. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous location!

http://roadesque.com

Yes! Lake Louise is definitely on my list of lakes to see! So is Canada in general! Glad you found this post useful!!

What a stunning place to visit! This post is such a helpful guide too, must have taken forever to put together! :)

Hope that you are having a great week so far! It’s been hot and dusty here, so very summery! Thankfully the crazy winds have died down :)

Away From The Blue Blog | Handbag Gift Guide

Travel posts really do take the longest to put together! So much harder than our other posts ahaha, but I really love writing about travel.
Haha yes, we had crazy storms and flooding, but everything is better now!

Wow it is a beautiful place!! Your guide is so helpful and thorough!

http://www.rdsobsessions.com

Glad to hear it Rach! Thank you for the compliments!

Such a wonderful place! The photos are stunning!

Gemma x
http://www.jacquardflower.uk

It’s really beautiful indeed!

One can see that you’ve put a lot of work into this post. Wonderful post, very well detailed. Thank you for this guide. This place is magical.

https://www.missymayification.co.uk

Thank you! Yes it’s sometimes hard to find all this info online, so I wanted to share as much as I could!!
Definitely a magical place! The Dolomites in general blew me away with its beauty!

I´m in love with this place!Thanks for sharing:-)

https://www.lostindaydreams.com/

I hope you get to visit it one day too!!

Wow, this place is magical. You always find the best locations. You should be a tour guide. Thank you for sharing.

Xx
Nikki
http://www.nikkilivinglife.com

Thank you Nikki! If I could, I’d totally be living in a real life fairytale, so I guess that’s where the inspiration comes to find these places!

OMG!!!! This is the POST!! Thanks for all the info
XX

https://www.elblogdebarbaracrespo.com/2018/11/explore-tshirt/

Haha THANK YOU!!!

I absolutely love everything about this. The details you incorporate are really helpful and the pictures are beautiful as well.

Thanks Mariann!! As a photography enthusiast, I loved shooting here, every single angle was beautiful!

What an absolutely stunning location. This is such a fabulous guide. I would love to visit Lago Di Braies some day. It looks like something out of a fairytale!

Thank you so much Kasie, I hope the guide helps you when you are able to visit one day!!

Wow, this place is absolutely gorgeous and love your guidance! It’s added to my bucket list! Xx Susanne – http://bagatyou.com

That’s so great to hear!! Thanks so much for your lovely compliments – you won’t regret a visit here!!

Wow this place is so magical.
Thank you for sharing these perfect impressions with us.

Need cute cat content?
And some christmas vibes, take a look at my Youtube Video HERE

Definitely a beautiful place to behold!

Ugh I really want to go there next year! It’s such a whimsical place. Have a lovely Sunday. xx

Andreea,
http://couturezilla.com/

Oh really hoping you get the chance! You will fall in love with this area!

Truly so magical. I haven’t seen anything like it.
I would love to go there hiking!

http://www.fashionradi.com

Thank you so much, definitely a magical region in Italy in general. Everywhere is beautiful and it is AMAZING for hiking!

What a beautiful place. Your pictures describe the beauty of this landscape…

Thank you Darlene, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post and the pictures!

[…] my last post about this region, I brought you Lago di Braies.  Also a beautiful site, I have to honestly say that Alpe di Siusi was the highlight of my entire […]

[…] Discover the pristine beauty of Lago di Braies. […]

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