If you are traveling in the Dolomites in South Tyrol, you can’t miss Lago di Braies. Especially in recent years and thanks to Instagram, Lago di Braies has become an absolute hotspot. With the beautiful backdrop of shimmering green water, imposing mountains and the old wooden boats, it’s no wonder. Whether a visit to the lake is really worth it, as well as all tips on how to get there, parking, a hike and the boat trips can be found in our blog post.
Where is Lago di Braies Dolomites located?
In the midst of the Fannes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park, at an altitude of about 1,500 meters, lies the shining Lake di Braies in the South Tyrolean municipality of Braies in the Braies Dolomites. It is considered the most beautiful lake in the Dolomites… although we must say that there are so many others that are at least as beautiful as, for example, the Lago di Carezza.
The closest towns to Lago di Braies are Brunico and Dobbiaco. Already the approach leads, as in most cases in South Tyrol, through breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, so that one would prefer to stop at every corner.
Lago di Braies – How To Get There?
You can reach Lake di Braies via the SS49 from the direction of Toblach or also Welsberg-Taisten within 20 minutes. In the low season it is possible to reach the lake by car without any problems. In the high season (July to mid-September) the entrance to the Pragser valley is limited, so you should think about an alternative journey.
Arrival by Bus
Especially from Dobbiaco you can reach the Lake di Braies within 30 minutes by bus (line 442). In the high season there is an additional bus from Welsberg (line 439). Since the entrance to the Braies Valley is limited in the high season, arriving by bus is a good alternative.
Parking at Lago di Braies
Lago di Braies is very well developed for tourism and has adapted to the mass of tourists over the years, so there are a lot of parking lots. Parking at Lago di Braies is therefore no problem. Nevertheless, you have to plan exactly when to visit Lago di Braies. In the high season, there is a traffic regulation that restricts the entry of cars.
In 2022, the following entry restriction applies: The Braies Valley is accessible from 10.07 – 10.09.2022 from 09:30 to 16:00 only by public transport, by foot, by bicycle or upon presentation of a parking reservation or a valid transit permit. In general you should visit Lago di Braies in the high season best early in the morning or in the late afternoon to be able to enjoy your visit without many others.
How Much is Parking at Lago di Braies?
On the front parking lot you pay 6 Euro for a time of 3 hours. Each additional hour costs 80 cents.
Hotel Recommendation with a View of Lake di Braies
If you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lago do Braies a little longer you can book yourself into the hotel with a direct view of the lake and the mountains towering behind it. The Hotel Lago di Braies* has existed for over 120 years and impresses with its charm and rustic décor. The in-house restaurant is also really good and should be visited during an overnight stay.
Spend the night at Lago di Braies*
Lago di Braies Hike
Around Lago di Braies leads a total of 3.6 km long and well developed circular trail. The hike at Lake di Braies takes about 1-2 hours, depending on how many breaks and photo stops you make. We would really recommend the hike, because here you have a whole different view of the lake. In addition, the many tourists are distributed and you have more peace to enjoy the view of the green shimmering water and the imposing rocks.
But beware: When we were at Lago di Braies at the end of May, a part of the circular hiking trail was closed, so we first walked a small part clockwise, then back and along the trail on the other side for a bit. Personally, we found the path on the left side more beautiful than on the right side, so we thought it was a shame that we couldn’t walk the entire path.
Renting a Boat
The most popular activity at Lago di Braies, besides the circular hike around the lake, is a boat tour. Thanks to Instagram, this activity has become increasingly popular in recent years and many people take the boat tour for this very reason… for the perfect photo.
Right at the entrance to the lake you will find the boat shack where you can rent the beautiful brown wooden boats. Since the boat trips have become more and more popular in recent years and the number of tourists has increased, the prices are also very touristy.
For half an hour in a wooden boat you pay 18 Euro, for a whole hour 28 Euro. So the boat trip is not really a bargain. We therefore preferred to just walk around the lake a bit.
Is it allowed to swim in Lago di Braies?
Yes, you are allowed to swim in Lago di Braies. When we were there at the end of May, the first brave ones dared to go into the water. Also our dog Aaro jumped directly into the cool water. But for us it was a little too cldl. Even in summer, the water only reaches a temperature of about 14 degrees.
Our Experiences
We thought back and forth in advance whether we really wanted to visit the lake, as we are not fans of tourist crowded sights. Since we were traveling in South Tyrol at the end of May and in addition wanted to go to the lake in the late afternoon we hoped that it would not be too “bad”…. and we were really positively surprised.
There was really little going on. At the entrance to the lake were some tourists, but not really many. Also on the hike we met only now and then other tourists and could enjoy the great view in peace and take photos. Also our dog Aaro we could again and again jump in the water, so that he also had a lot of fun during our visit.