The municipality of the famous Lake Braies, among scattered farmsteads, the Fanes-Senes-Braies park and the loop around the lake.
A short history
Braies, Prags in German, sits at 1,383 metres in a side valley of the Upper Pusteria that closes at the foot of the Croda del Becco. It is not a single village but a municipality of hamlets and scattered farmsteads, with old communities of farmers and herders settled along the valley.
Its worldwide fame is born from Lake Braies, the most celebrated alpine lake in the Dolomites. At the start of the twentieth century a large hotel was built there, and since then its green waters and wooden boats have become an iconic image of these mountains. Above the lake watch the Croda del Becco and the peaks of the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park.
Today the municipality lives on this draw, with a flow of visitors that in recent years has been regulated to protect the lake and the valley. Beyond the postcard remain the farmsteads, the pastures and the trails of a landscape still tied to the real mountains.
What to see
- Lake Braies with its wooden boats, the alpine lake that is a symbol of the Dolomites.
- The Lake Braies loop, the walk that makes the full circuit at the foot of the Croda del Becco.
- The Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, the protected area of peaks, plateaus and mountain huts that surrounds the valley.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Braies?
Lake Braies with its wooden boats is the main draw. Also worth it are the loop around the lake and exploring the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, between the Croda del Becco and the surrounding plateaus.
How do you get to Lake Braies?
You climb from the Val Pusteria at Villabassa and Monguelfo along the Braies valley road. In the busiest periods car access is regulated, with shuttles and booking to reach the lake.