Lago di Braies (also known as Pragser Wildsee in German) is the Italian Dolomites’ crown jewel. For those living under a rock who haven’t heard of it, Lake Braies is a crystal blue lake beneath an amphitheatre of rock. It is a breathtaking location that comes with a specific price tag.
Tips on visiting Lago di Braies / Pragser Wildsee
Due to the ease of access (and a massive social media presence), Lago di Braies is one of the most popular spots in the Italian Dolomites.
Due to over-tourism, restrictions have been introduced in recent years to improve the traffic on the access road to Lake Braies. Before I get to the nit and grit of it all, let’s begin by getting acquainted with the Pragser Wildsee.
1. Where is Lake Braies located?
Pragser Wildsee lies within the boundaries of the Fannes-Senes-Braies Nature Park and is located near the Val Pusteria region (Puster Valley) in the Northern part of the Italian Dolomites. The driving distances from the nearby towns and closest cities are:
- Dobiacco: 16km / 20 mins
- Cortina D’Ampezzo: 46 km / 1 h
- Bolzano: 101 km / 1 h 45 mins
- Venice: 205 km / 3 h
- Innsbruck (Austria): 134 km / 2 h 20 mins
- Munich (Germany): 289 km / 3 h 50 mins
TIP: Lago di Braies also marks the start of the popular 142-kilometre-long traverse Alta Via 1, which I hiked a few years ago with my dad.
2. Where to stay near Pragser Wildsee?
I highly recommend picking a base for a few days in one of the towns in the Pusteria Valley: Villabassa, Dobiacco, San Candido, or Sesto. There are many things to do around here and many excellent accommodation options. If you would like to support my site, use the links below to make a booking.
3. When is it possible to visit Lago di Braies?
You can visit the lake year-round, but depending on your objective, some months are better than others, for example:
- If you are a photographer and want to see the best colours, aim to go in the second half of October
- If you would like to hike in the area, go between mid-June and October
- If you just want to see the lake, you can go anytime between May and November. Outside those months, the lake is frozen and covered with snow.
4. How to get to Lago di Braies?
By car
You can typically drive to the lake. However, during the peak summer months, there are some restrictions, which I discuss below. Make sure to plan your visit accordingly.
TIP: If you are coming from abroad and need to rent a car, I highly recommend Discover Cars. It’s a search engine for car rentals that offers great customer service and competitive market prices.
Parking at Lake Braies
Four car parks are along the road and close to Lago di Braies.
- P1 Parcheggio Lago di Braies – located 6 km from the lake. This is where you can leave your car to catch the bus to the lake.
- P2 Parcheggio Lago di Braies is located a 15-minute walk from the lake. A small Kiosk selling burgers is right next to the car park. The cost is only 6 Euro per day, which makes it the closest, most economical parking lot near Lake Braies.
- P3 Parcheggio Lago di Braies – located right behind P4 and only a 5-minute walk from the lake. Electric car charging stations are available here.
- P4 Parcheggio Lago di Braies – The closest but also the most expensive of the car parks. This car park can be prebooked during the high season.
TIP: If travelling in the high season when the road restrictions are in place, you can pre-book the P4 and be exempt from them. More info here.
By bus
Bus no. 442 operates regularly between the town of Dobbiaco and Lake Braies. The journey takes approximately 40 minutes and includes 15 stops. Check for a bus stop near you on the Sued Tirol Mobil website—type in St. Veit (Prags), Pragser Wildsee as your destination.
TIP: You can also travel by bus to Lake Braies from Cortina D’Ampezzo. The journey takes around 90 minutes and requires one change in Dobbiaco.
5. Seasonal driving restrictions to Lake Braies
Each year during the peak season (usually between mid-July and mid-September), the road leading to Lake Braies remains closed to private vehicles between 9 AM and 4 PM to minimize traffic jams.
If you travel within those dates, arrive early or late in the afternoon or use public transport instead. The exact dates are published on the official website of the Braies Valley Tourism Association.
TIP: These restrictions exclude hotel guests staying at the Lake Braies Hotel or those who have pre-booked a parking spot on the P4 parking lot.
6. Hiking trails that start at Lago di Braies
Most people who visit Lake Braies only go as far as the boat jetty, located only 100 meters from the parking lot. Still, if you want to escape the crowds, Lago di Braies is the perfect location to get introduced to hiking trails of the Dolomites.
Lago di Braies Circuit
- Distance: 4km / 2.5 mi
- Walking time: 1-2 h
- Elevation gain: 50 m / 165 feet
- When to go: May – November
- Hiking difficulty: easy
- Trail colour: yellow
The circuit around the lake can be done either clockwise or anticlockwise. I recommend going clockwise. There is not much explaining to do about the route.
Just follow the path along the shoreline and enjoy the views! No maps, navigation skills, or even hiking boots are needed. This is as easy as it gets in the world of hiking!
Seekofel (Croda del Becco) Summit via Rifugio Biella
- Distance: 18 km / 11.2 mi
- Walking time: 7-8 hours round-trip
- Elevation gain: ca. 1400 m (ca. 4600 ft)
- When to go: Mid-June – Mid-October
- Hiking difficulty: Challenging
- Trail colour: blue
A challenging trail to the Croda Del Becco summit, the mountain that reflects in Lake Braies. This is a full-day excursion that requires good stamina. You can break it down by staying in Rifugio Biella overnight.
The first part of the trail to Rifugio Biella is also the first stage of the previously mentioned Alta Via 1.
Lago di Braies – Malga Rossalm – Ponticello
- Distance: ca. 12 km / 7.5 mi
- Walking time: 5 hours
- Elevation gain: ca. 800 m (ca. 2600 ft)
- When to go: Mid-June to Mid-September
- Hiking difficulty: Moderate
- Trail colour: red
This one-way hike is perfect for escaping the crowds at Lake Braies and exploring the stunning Fannes-Senes-Braies Nature Park. The trail first leads uphill away from the lake on the same path as the hike to Seekofel summit before branching off towards Malga Rossalm.
Malga Rossalm is a high-alpine restaurant, a perfect spot to grab lunch before descending to Ponticello. From here, you can easily catch a bus to the P1, Villabassa, or Dobiacco.
7. Facilities near Lake Braies
Don’t let the serene pictures of the lake fool you. The area around Lake Braies is (sadly) entirely developed. There is a massive hotel on its shoreline, a little chapel nearby, and the famous jetty with rowboats tied to it.
You can also expect small restaurants, plenty of parking spaces, and even a souvenir shop. The car parks have paid toilets.
8. Frequently asked questions about Lago di Braies
Is Lago di Braies worth visiting?
The lake and its surroundings are breathtaking. However, the allure of the place is somewhat tarnished by its popularity. In the morning, arguments between groups of photographers fighting for a spot are common, and people breaking into the boathouse to pose on the jetty before it opens are hilarious and sometimes annoying. See it; don’t expect to be there alone, that’s all I am saying.
Is it possible to swim in Lake Braies?
Swimming in the lake is strictly prohibited. It’s a part of a nature reserve.
Are drones allowed at Lago di Braies?
Drones are not permitted in the nature parks in the Italian Dolomites, and Lago di Braies is no exception. Sadly, even fines don’t fend off tourists with drones. You can often see them being flown above the lake by people who feel above the law.
How do you rent the rowboats at Lago di Braies?
Boat rentals operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Rowboats can be rented for 30 or 60 minutes, and prices have skyrocketed in recent years, reaching a whopping 50 Euro/30 minutes for a private boat. Prebooking a boat is only possible if you want to use it for photo production or something similar, and the prices are even higher.
Other things to see and do nearby
- Dürrenstein Summit
- Monte Specie
- Croda Fiscalina Circuit
- Alta Via 4
- Tre Cime Circuit
- Rotwand (Croda Rossa) hike
More travel and hiking resources in the Dolomites
- Photography spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Regions in the Italian Dolomites
- Itineraries for the Italian Dolomites
- Via ferratas in the Italian Dolomites
- Day hikes in the Italian Dolomites
- Hut-to-hut treks in the Italian Dolomites
Support my website!
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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Hello Marta!
Thank you for the very informative write up. I am traveling to the Dolomites in the 1st week of October when there aren’t any restrictions. Do I need to reserve parking for Lake Braies? Is pricing different online vs at the parking lot directly?
Thank you.
Hi Rohit. No at the start of October you don’t need any reservation for the parking. You can pay the parking fee when you arrive there.
Hi Marta,
I plan on visiting Lago di Bries in August. If I understand correctly the road closure during the peak season doesn’t apply to the parking spot P1? So if I want to park my car there and then hike to the lake, I don’t need a transit ticket to the lake?
Correct. You do need to book the P1 parking though.
Hi Marta,
Thank you so much for this helpful guide! My friend and I are going in July and we are trying to pre-book the 442 bus from Dobbiaco to Lake Braies as seems to be advised but the Sued Tirol Mobile website keeps saying “Server not available” when we click “Buy” on a selected date&time. Do you happen to know why or how to circumvent this problem? I’m accessing the website via computer browser in the U.S if that is helpful information.
Thanks!
Hi Angela. Thanks for visiting and sorry for the late reply. I was away for a few days. Bus 442 is a local public bus so you can’t prebook a seat on it. You just pay as you go. They travel at regular intervals throughout the day so you just go to the bus stop and catch the bus. You can purchase your ticket with the app on the same day. I hope that helps!
Hello. I am planning to visit the Lago di Braies on 13th February. I see that there are no restrictions for the road. Are there any activities to do at the Lake other thab hiking considering that its peak winter in mid February?
Thanks
Hi Chinmay. Yes, there are no restrictions during the winter time. I just got back from that area a few days ago. It was my first visit during the winter.
There are A LOT of cross country skiing trail in the area. Visit the Dolomiti Nordic Ski website to see them. You can also drive to Ponticello, which is very close to Lake Braies, then take the bus up to the Platzwiese high alpine plateau and do a small hike around there. (for example from Rifugio PLatzwiese to Rifugio Vallandro and back. It is possible to do it in the winter. There are cross country ski trails up there too. I hope that helps!
Hi Marta,
We are planning our visit mid of November. We have 10 year old boy with us, so was wondering if there is anything interesting for the kids in area expect hiking and boat rental.
Thank you
Hi Nikolina. November is a very quiet season and most businesses are taking a break before the winter season kicks off. All gondolas and chairlifts are shut. I am also childfree so I am not really the person to ask. I know there are lots of playgrounds, but not sure if that will be exciting for a 10 year old. 🙂 I hope you have a great time nevertheless.
Thanks for the information! I saw from your guide the parking at P2 and P3 Parcheggio Lago di Braies, are walking distance to the lake.
Will I be able to visit the lake without a hike? I’m planning to catch the view but am afraid I have no time to hike it.
Thank you!
Hi Alex, Yes, but currently there are no restrictions and pre-booking parking isn’t necessary. I was just there 3 weeks ago, arrived at 9AM and there were still a lot of parking spaces on P1.
This does help! May I ask what would you recommend in this case? If there is any other trail we could consider?
Hi Pranav. Not too far from Lake Braies you have the trail to Strudelkopf, Durrenstein (I did that one in mid October). The buses to Platzwiese where both hikes start run until Nov. 3rd. I was just there and checked.
Dear Marta, thank you for this helpful blog! My wife and I are planning to visit the Dolomites next month from 19th to 21st October. The plan is to do 3 day hikes across the 3 days (weather shows no rains then, keeping my fingers crossed). For the first day, we are planning to visit Lago di Braies and hopefully do the Malga Rossalm – Ponticello hike. But I see you’ve mentioned its good to consider this trek from Mid June to Mid September. Is it not recommended during mid October? And if not, would you suggest we try the Seekofel trek? While its our first time, we are both physically active and are looking forward to this 🙂
Hi Pranav. Thanks for visiting. I can tell you right away that it is pretty pointless checking the forecast now for the second half of October. It’s best to view it 24-48 hours in advance to be sure.
The trek from Lago Di Braies to Malga Rossalm and down to Ponticello should be fine in October (again depending on the weather) but the Malga will already be closed so no lunch possibility. There may also not be any buses running from Ponticello anymore. Seekofel is harder and higher so there may already be snow up there.
I hope that helps!
Hi, can a private bus reach the parking spots?
Thank you
Hi Mario, regular buses do on a daily bases. I have also seen some really big campervans there. I am not exactly sure what do you mean by private bus. You just have to follow up on the restrictions regarding parking. I cannot give you a straight answer because I am not 100% sure.
Is there away to get drone permit? we plan to get there at 6am to get shot around May next year is that a good idea?
Hi Stella. I would think that there is for a proper film/docu production. Best way to check for info is this site.
Hi Marta, I’m a bit confused about the P3 and P4 parking lot. I get that both are close to each other, but operated by different operators. I also get that we will get full privilege if we buy day ticket for P4 on the road closure period. However, due to the road closure, if I book the slot at P3 for 25 July 2024, do I also get the permit to enter the road between 9AM-4PM? If not, how if I arrive earlier (lets say at 8 AM), can I enter the road and drive to P3?
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Hi Jan. According to the official tourism site, a parking lot reservation gives you the permit to enter the road during the times when the road is closed to all the rest of vehicles. From July 10 to September 10, 2024, before 9:30Am and after 4PM no permit is require to drive on the road. I can only repeat to you what the official tourism website says. I hope that helps!
Hi Marta,
This is very interesting! Thanks!
The trail Lago di Braies – Malga Rossalm – Ponticello, I had a question about this trail.
I am staying at the hotel next to the bus stop at Ponticello.
I am doing the AV1, and was wondering how is the trail from Ponticello to go to Refugio Biella?
I was told that it wasn’t a good tail to take.
Thank you for your reply 🙂
Nook
Hi Nook. Thanks for stopping by. From Ponticello to Malga Rossalm it is mostly a gravel road, but it is very scenic, after Malga Rossalm you enter high alpine meadows. It is very quiet here. Then you can join the trail to Rifugio Biella. I did enjoy this hike and views wise it’s very similar to the original Av1 route. Do Consider doing the extension to Seekofel summit. I hope that helps.
Oh thanks🙂
I know you did it on the other way Malga to Pnticello. Is it well indicated?
Is it very steep going up?
Thank you very much,
Nook
Hi Nook. Yes it is and the trail is less steep than going the regular way from Lago Di Braies to Biella. It is mostly a gravel road, which a 4×4 vehicle can use.
😃 GREAT!
Thanks for your help very appreciated!
Nook
No worries! Happy (and safe) hiking!
Hi there 🙂 We are hiking AV1, spending the night before in Cortina. I understand we can travel by bus to the start of the hike at Lago de braies. I’ve seen some information that says to book the bus to the lake ahead of time – is this really necessary? Seems like overkill to me but I don’t want to be left stranded in Cortina. Thanks!!
Hi Sarah. There are both public buses and commercial buses travelling there. The seats on public buses are normally first come first served. It is a busy destination though. Very busy in fact. If you are going in July or August then pre-booking might not be a terrible idea. Sorry I can’t give you a straight answer but I simply am not 100% sure and can’t tell you how busy it will get on a particular day.
I am wondering how your bus experience went. I am trying to purchase bus tickets and I am curious if the transfer at dobbiaco required walking between the two buses? Appreciate any advice
Hi there, loved reading this. Thank you! We plan to visit The Dolomites and Lake Braies in early May. Do you think it will be open then? Have you visited the Dolomites at this time of year?
Hi Clair,
yes it will be open. There might be ice on the lake still though or it will be just thawing. Yes I have been to the Dolomites in early May. Enjoy your trip!
I’m hiking part of the Alta via 1. I’m hoping to do 5 or 6 huts. I have the first 4 booked. My question to you is what do I do with the rest of my luggage while hiking? Are there companies that might transport it to where I end the hike? Or are there places to store luggage? I’d love any advice that you can give. Thank you, Pixie
Hi Pixie. There is luggage storage in Cortina. You could go there first to drop off your luggage. From cortina you can bus to Lake Braies. When you exit after day 5 (Probably on Passo Giau) you can catch bus back to Cortina. I hope that helps!
Hello, thanks for your info. With the car parks, can you drive in anytime for sunrise or are there boom gates or anything, is the ticketed price for certain times only? I’m planning early sunrise, walk around the lake, maybe rent a boat (try to be first in line) then leave right before it’s crazy busy. Are there ticket machines or a person? Thanks so much
Hi Suzie. There were boom gates at the parking lot, but more and more places introduce parking machines. If you get there very early your should be able to get a spot somewhere. Most people start arriving 8-9AM
I’m now on Lago de Braies. To rent a boat has doubled its price. It’s 50 euro per 30 minutes. And the queue is long! People are just crazy about taking pictures.
Hi Annika. One of the times I visited LAgo di Braies there was a pair of instagrammers who must have taken a thousand photos (most of them the same frame) in a boat, in a white dress and a mandatory fedora hat. They didn’t care about anyone else being there trying to photograph the lake without them in the frame. They never paddled further than 10 meters from the boat terminal. No enjoyment of the lake and canoe whatsoever. It was all done for a staged photoshoot. Yes there are people like that and I try not to pay attention to it too much, but places like Lago di Braies certainly attracts many photo-crazed crowd. That’s why I often tell people not to feel bad about skipping it.
Hi Marta, What is the best time to shoot Lake Braies. Sunset or Sunrise?
Hi Menno, I personally think sunrise and the golden hour after sunrise is the best. That’s when the sun rays are coming across the mountains. A lot of the photos in this post were taken during the golden hour after sunrise. Thanks for the coffee! 🙂
Thanks for the informative updates and wonderful pictures. I am travelling in mid Oct . Does it snow at Dolomites and will it be still crowded at Lago di braies. Are cable access to Seceda possible at that time.
13-17 th Oct
Hi Sarita. Thanks for stopping by. I am currently based close to the Dolomites and over the past few days, we had the first snowfall above 2000 meters. I hardly doubt this snow will stay but just giving you a heads up.
Yes, you can have snow in the Dolomites in mid-October, but you can also still expect late summer-like weather during the daytime. I have recently published the perfect fall itinerary for the Dolomites. Most of the photos in that article were taken between mid-October and the end of October.