We have visited the Lake of Braies and give you our first-hand hints on this website – just as we experienced the Pragsertal and the imposing Dolomites. Before you read this article, read the most important nitce: There ist limited access to the Lakes Braies during the summer season! The best way to avoid this limitation? Spend your vacation here. All guests sleeing in hotels or holiday appartments can easily go to the lake. They have no limitation or restrictions. It was very worthwhile for us, to stay a few days. The beautiful valley in the Dolomites enchants with lots of great corners next to the lake. We visited them from the holiday apartment below the Pragser Wildsee. The modern luxury apartment was a dream. This is how you can find it for your holiday in South Tyrol:
–> Pragser Wildsee holiday apartment
–> Pragser Wildsee farm holiday
–> holiday apartment with sauna
Read this website meticulously before your trip to Lake Braies. This is how you get the best insider hints first-hand. Do not miss it. If you are staying with Birgit and Gerhard in the luxury holiday apartment on the farm, please say hello from me, the travel blogger Markus Schmidt. This way you are sure to get the best available holiday home at a good price.
I wish a lot of nice experiences in these beautiful mountains in South Tyrol!
THE TRAVELBLOGGER
Markus Schmidt
Pragser Wildsee, Lago di Braies or Lake Braies
Pragser Wildsee, Lago di Braies oder Lake of Braies? Every description is right. The Pragser Wildsee is located in Italy and is called Lago di Braies in italian. In german it is the Pragser Wildsee, but it´s still the same lake! The famos lake is part of the Dolomites: At the very end of the Pragsertal you will find the lake at 1494 meters above sea level. It was formed naturally by a landslide. With a maximum water depth of 36 meters, it is not only the deepest lake in the Dolomites, but also one of the most beautiful lakes in South Tyrol. On sunny days, the crystal-clear water shimmers in turquoise. It looks wildly romantic, towered over by the gray peaks of the Dolomites. The steep wall of the Großer Seekofel stands out most impressively at the north end. It is 2810 meters high and thus towers over the water surface by around 1300 meters.
Known from TV & Facebook
It is a picturesque place in Italy – if there weren’t thousands of people at this natural wonder. On sunny days, it is not unusually 10,000 people are visting the lake in the Pragser Tal – per day. On peak days, 17,000 visitors were counted. Incidentally, the run on the Pragser Wildsee started in the same way as at the Grüner See in Austria – with a famous actor who shot a film on this lake. In the case of Prags, it was Terence Hill. The Italian-born actor with US citizenship directed the series Un passo dal cielo. The series was first broadcasted in Italy. Afterwards it was also in german TV with the title Die Bergpolizei – very close to heaven. The most impressive location of the TV series was the Pragser Wilsee. The fantastic pictures of the lake then attracted first additional visitors. The Italian audience was enthusiastic. Incidentally, the series was successfully in Germany. When the Dolomites were declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, global awareness of the Dolomites increased. It didn’t stop at the small Pragsertal either. Not to forget the millions of postings in the social media of the visitors. More and more visitors came to Lago di Braies.
Summer at Lago di Braies
During our holidays in South Tyrol we visited the well-known lake in the Dolomites. But we were not there for a few hours. We spent a few days on vacation in the Pragsertal. Therefore we can tell you our experiences about the current situation. For the approximately 650 inhabitants of the Pragsertal, the increase in awareness and the associated tourism is both a curse and a blessing simultaneously. On the one hand, many residents in the valley live from tourism. On the other hand, the disruption caused by the traffic flow is immense. The queue of cars became so large that the municipality developed a traffic management concept and regulated the access to the Pragser Wildsee. This regulation still applies and is adjusted from year to year. Keep this in mind when planning your trip here – otherwise you may have to turn back at the entrance to the valley! You need a ticket to drive in the valley to Lago die Braies. Whithout ticket for your car, no way in. Here is the information about it:
–> how to get to Lake Braies
You should not miss this hike!
We did the circular hike around the Pragser Wildsee and were really impressed by the beauty of nature. We have already experienced many fantastic mountain lakes and many lakes in the Alps are worthwhile. The Dolomitensee in Braies is certainly one of the most beautiful lakes we have ever visited. Why? The color of the lake in combination with the filigree peaks of the Dolomites is touching. Then there is the technically easy circular hike around the lake, wonderful! The lake is similar to the turquoise green of the Walchensee , but I find the many cars along the shore road disturbing. The Seebensee also has a similarly great color, but you can’t hike around here in such a great way. The best way to do the lake hike is to go around the Eibsee compare, whereby the Dolomites are simply the Dolomites – incomparably impressive. Take a look at our description of the circular hike and you’ll understand what I mean:
-> the beautiful Hike around Lake of Braies
Tour to Pragser Wildsee with children?
Yes, a trip to the Pragser Wildsee with children is highly recommended! We were at the Pragser Wildsee with children ourselves. It is a very family-friendly destination. For those who just want to take a trip into the beautiful nature, the enchanting lake is great. Pay special attention to the cool marble runs! There are metre-long tracks made of wood, on which children from the age of 3 can have fun. Even older children (and us parents too) had a lot of fun with it. We didn’t know about it before our trip. By chance we discovered this great and special playground in the forest. pay attention. You will find him right next to the chapel by the lake. So much for the excursion program, for lazy families. If you want to move more, you should definitely do the hike around the lake. That goes well with children.
Useful information for your Lake Braies trip
- the water level of the mountain lake changes from month to month. As a rule, the water level reaches its highest level in April and May, when the water from the snowmelt has filled the lake after a snowy winter. As a rule, there is rather little water in the Pragser Wildsee in August. Large parts of the shore are then a gravel desert. If you want to take the famous picture with the full lake, a trip in spring is advisable
- the mountains around the Pragser Wildsee are very high. These cast a lot of shadows on the lake. In particular, the Dolomites on the east bank shade a lot of the sun. When we were at the Pragser Wildsee in August, the entire shore path on the east was still in the shade in the morning. This makes hiking cold and the shadow is bad for good pictures. You have the least shade in June.
- Many larches grow around the Pragser Wildsee. The larch trees are known for their dreamlike coloring . The larch coloring usually begins at the beginning of October and can last into November. First, these conifers are yellow and then orange. We find the larch coloring most beautiful when the larches are orange and the sun is shining in from the side. This is best experienced on the south bank, at the end of October/beginning of November.
- in winter, the Pragser Wildsee regularly freezes over. Depending on how snowy December is, you can skate on natural ice after cold days without snowfall ! You should try that. But you need a bit of luck that either someone has cleared a piece of ice from the snow in front of you or that the black ice ensures a smooth ice surface. If you come here in winter, be sure to pack your skates. If you don’t have any luck with ice skating, a winter walk over the ice is worthwhile .
Facts & Figures Lake of Braies
- Altitude: 1,496 meters above sea level
- Water surface: approx. 31 ha (varies depending on the season)
- Water depth: maximum 17 meters
- Length: maximum 1.2 km
- Width: maximum 400 m
- Shoreline: around 3.5 km
- since 2009 UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites
The Braies Valley
The Pragsertal is one of the most visited valleys in the South Tyrolean Dolomites because of the Pragser Wildsee. The lake is at the end of the valley. On the way there, a side valley branches off that leads you to the fairytale Prato Piazza. A toll road leads all the way to the top. However, it is only accessible by car at certain times. We went hiking here and gave up the car. It was a great hike up and around Prato Piazza. You can read the description plus pictures here in our article about the Pragsertal .
The most frequently asked questions & answers
The water of Lake Braies is actually crystal clear. It is the cleanest water from the mountains. The water dissolves lime from the Dolomites. As soon as the sun shines in the water at the right angle, the smallest limescale particles reflect the rays and conjure up this turquoise-green colour. You can also observe this phenomenon at some other famous mountain lakes that have calcareous water.
The lake is fed by the surface water of the surrounding mountains. Most of the water comes into the lake via the Grünwaldtal. The other mountain streams in the south also bring water from the mountains. Smaller tributaries are located around the lake. The drain is also interesting – where does the water go? There is no surface drain visible in the form of a creek. The solution to the riddle: There is an underground drain in the northern part . Here the water seeps away and only emerges again below in the Pragsertal as the Pragser Bach.
The length of time depends on your program at the Pragser Wildsee. There are visitors who are just 15 minutes here just to quickly walk from the parking lot to the lake and take the well-known photo. Other visitors stay for an hour looking at the first part of the trail on the west bank. We personally recommend that you plan a stay of 3 to 4 hours . During this time you can complete the circular hike around the Pragser Wildsee and you will have numerous opportunities for good photos. However, if you want to hike to the well-known Seekofel, you need a full day.
During the summer months, wooden boats can be rented at the Lake Braies. The season starts in May and ends at the end of October. Many visitors dream of a rowing boat trip. However, renting the boats is very expensive. I have summarized all the details here in the article about the Pragser Wildsee boat rental.
Yes, it is allowed to swim in this mountain lake. However, you should not be sensitive to cold! Due to the altitude of around 1500 meters, the water never gets really warm. The Pragser Wildsee water temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius all year round . That’s really cold! If you want to swim in a warm bathing lake in South Tyrol, you should rather go to Lake Monticolo. But the bathing experience at the Pragser Wildsee is great as soon as you have overcome yourself.
No. There is no entrance fee to visit the lake. However, the parking fees are so expensive that it is a kind of entrance fee.
No, this is not possible. Both are highlights of the Dolomites, but a few kilometers apart without any visual contact. The image of the Drei Zinnen, which rise out of the lake above the Pragser Wildsee, is a photomontage. It was installed in the opening credits of the series The Mountain Police – Very Close to the Sky . The picture does not correspond to reality. Where the Three Peaks can be seen in the photo montage is actually the Great Seekofel.
Yes, that is possible. The well-known lake in the Dolomites is accessible all year long. In winter, all those who can’t get enough cold come: the ice bathers . Proper holes are sawn into the ice, where you can briefly dive into the ice-cold water. All other visitors hike along the wintry lake. We recommend that you take snow spikes with you. So you don’t slip on the ice. There is no path across the lake cleared and strewn.
Yes and no. Yes, because it really is a beautifully situated lake in the Alps. No, because the natural idyll is marred by the large number of visitors. If you’re nearby, it’s worth a visit. We would not recommend going here for a day, especially in the high season in summer. April, May and June are probably the best times to visit without the huge crowds.
Besides the Lake Braies you should visit these extraordinary bridges: Take a look at the Devil´s Bridge, the Bastei bridge and the Geierlay Suspension Bridge. Great nature you find in the Leutasch Gorge. Do you also know the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Schiefer Turm von Pisa.
In our opinion, the Pragsertal is far too good to just drive here quickly for 1-2 hours to stay. We stayed in Braies for a few days and loved the scenery. There are many more fantastic places around the Pragser Wildsee. If you love nature, you should see it in the Braies Dolomites. In addition, a holiday lasting several days on the Pragser Wildsee excursion is relaxing: You can choose the best day weather-wise and do not have to drive on the booked day based on your parking space reservation if the weather is not so good. A short second visit in the evening or morning is also easily possible.
A note on our own behalf
Dear fellow bloggers, journalists and everyone else who reads this information in order to use it in any form. This entire website is protected by copyright. We have compiled all this information and facts about the Pragser Wildsee and the Pragsertal in extensive on-site research. Before we published them here, they were nowhere else to be found on the internet. Therefore, we can very quickly identify any plagiarism and „copycats“ as a source. Copying the text is illegal anyway. However, if you use individual data from this website, it is journalistic honor to link this website.
Remember Lake Braies hints
Good ideas and pictures? Then make a note of our South Tyrol hints for your Lake Braies holiday in the Dolomites. Send the link to this website via email or WhatsApp, save a pin on Pinterest – or share the post with your friends who you would like to have this experience with you. Just click on the corresponding symbol under the pictures!
