Italy
Lago di Braies
Emerald water so still the Dolomite cliffs reflect in double, wooden boats drifting like toys.
The water is the colour of liquid jade, so still that the Croda del Becco mountain appears twice — once in rock, once in reflection. Wooden rowing boats drift at the shore, their hulls bumping gently. Lago di Braies sits at the end of a valley in the Dolomites, ringed by spruce forest so dense the light turns green.
Lago di Braies is a glacial lake at 1,496 metres altitude in the Prags Dolomites of Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. The lake stretches roughly 1.2 kilometres in length and reaches depths of 36 metres, its turquoise-green colour created by mineral sediments from the surrounding dolomite. A well-maintained path circles the entire lake in roughly an hour, making it accessible to walkers of all abilities. The Croda del Becco peak at 2,810 metres rises directly above the southern shore, and the lake marks the starting point for the Alta Via 1, one of the Dolomites' most celebrated long-distance hiking routes. In winter, the lake freezes solid enough to walk across, and the surrounding valley is popular for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Couple
The rowing boats, the reflections, the enclosing forest — Lago di Braies is one of those rare places that feels like it was composed specifically for two people to remember.
Family
The lakeside path is flat, circular, and manageable for young children. Rowing boats are easy to handle, and the lakeside hotel serves the kind of warm dumplings that restore energy after a morning walk.
- Wooden rowing boats are hired from the jetty — the 3.5km lakeside trail stays close to the waterline throughout its 90-minute circuit.
- The lake is fed by underground springs from the Dolomite rock, which accounts for the intensity of the colour — no meltwater turbidity.
- The Hotel Pragser Wildsee, the only accommodation on the lake, was rebuilt after WWII in its original 1890s style — all rooms face the water.
- The lake sits at 1,496 metres — the surrounding forest is protected, and the path is suitable for older children visiting by car from Dobbiaco.
Canederli dumplings in broth, dense and satisfying after a morning walk around the lake.
Strudel with fresh-picked berries and cream, eaten on the lakeside terrace.
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