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Travel guide
Lago di Braies
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to June, and September to October
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Welcome
Lago di Braies, in a few days
An emerald lake at nearly 1,500 metres, a wooden boathouse and a 1,300-metre rock wall closing off the far end: the whole place fits in one picture, and that is the problem. Come before 9 am or after 4 pm, when the valley stops being a car park and becomes the start of the Alta Via 1 again.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The loop around the lake free · about 1 h 30A 3.6 km loop of about an hour: easy on the west shore, then boardwalks, roots and uneven steps on the east, so no pushchairs.
- Afternoon · The frozen lake in winter free · about 1 hFrom January to March the lake freezes over: no boats, no booking, no crowds, just snow-laden firs and the ice-bound wall to the south.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Erika€120 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Rowing boats from the boathouse · about 45 minAbout thirty varnished wooden boats hired by the hour from late May to early November, privately or on a shared basis.
- Afternoon · The lakeside chapel free · a few minutesA small wood and stone chapel a few metres from the north shore, built in the late 19th century with the hotel and the boathouse.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Edelweiss€150 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Croda del Becco free · a full dayThe 2,810-metre peak above the lake: about 500 metres of climbing from Rifugio Biella, grassy then rocky, with some hands-on sections but no real climbing.
- Afternoon · Rifugio Biella free · a full dayThe hike that leaves the crowds behind: path 1 climbs about 830 metres south of the lake to the hut at 2,327 m.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Rose€150 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Prato Piazza and Picco di Vallandro free · half a dayTwenty minutes by car, an open alpine plateau at 2,000 m with free-roaming horses below the 2,839-metre Picco di Vallandro.
- Afternoon · Val di Braies and Ferrara free · about 30 minFerrara, or Schmieden in German, is the last village before the final 4 km to the lake and the control point for summer access restrictions.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Goldene Rose€150 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Neapolitan pizza: soft dough, wood fire, and best eaten in Naples.
- Regional pasta: carbonara in Rome, ragu in Bologna, and never the same twice.
- Gelato: artisan ice cream. Walk past the tubs piled high and glowing.
- Aperitivo: a spritz and small plates at the end of the afternoon.
- Espresso: standing at the bar, and no cappuccino after a meal.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Restaurants with photo menus and a man outside waving you in, especially near the monuments.
- Check the bill for coperto and service before you add anything.
- Cappuccino after midday marks you out. An espresso works at any hour.
- Shoulders and knees covered in churches, and that includes the big ones.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| Yes | Sì |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Mi scusi |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
| I don't understand | Non capisco |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Dove sono i bagni? |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore |
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| Cheers! | Salute! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €123 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to June, and September to October
PlugC/F/L · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingCover charge often included, rounding up is enough
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Make sure tetanus, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/lago-di-braies
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.