The famous Lago di Braies in the Dolomites is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. The recognizable Dolomites mountains and its reflection on the water make this place so special! I have been dreaming to visit this lake for years and I was not disappointed at all. It was even more beautiful in person!
We stayed in the Dolomites for 3 days but obviously it was not enough. We only had the time to visit two lakes: the famous Lago di Braies and the unreal Lago di Sorapis. You can read our full post about the Lago di Sorapis here. These two lakes are absolutely incredible and totally different from each other. If you are planning to visit the Dolomites, you should definitely add these lakes to your itinerary! Also, we have visited Cortina d’Ampezza, as we were staying there. If you like adventures, hiking, mountains, and lakes, believe me, you will love the Dolomites!
The beautiful Lago di Braies is probably the more famous lake of the Dolomites and we can easily understand why! This place is pure bliss. When we arrived in front of this beautiful lake, we were totally in awe. Golden mountains, reflections in the water and boats. It was a true fairytale.
If you are wondering where to stay? How to get to the Lago di Braies? What budget you have to plan and what is the best time to go there? Here are the answers!
What is the best time of the year to visit the Lago di Braies?
There’s no real best time to visit the Dolomites. Indeed, the region delights all year. To avoid the crowds, visit in May, June or September when it’s cool and settled. The Dolomites feature year-round beauty – whether it is the pristine winter snows primed for skiing, spring with valleys full of wildflowers, summer when all of the hiking trails and climbing routes are open, or fall when the larch trees turn golden yellow and you have the trails to yourself. So when is the best time to visit the Dolomites you ask? The depends entirely on you!
Where to stay in the Dolomites?
The Dolomites are huge, more than 15 000m2, so there are many beautiful hotels and refuges to stay. It is depending on which places you want to visit. Personally, we wanted to visit the Lago di Braies and the Lago di Sorapis. So it was perfect for us to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo. We were only 15 minutes from the Lago di Sorapis and 50 minutes from the Lago di Braies. Honestly, the ratio quality-price is not so good in the Dolomites. The hotels are quite expensive and not always worth it. We managed to find a good hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo for 120€ per night.
Booking.com
How to get there?
You can directly park your car in one of the 2 partings just in front of the lake. The access to this lake is totally free. But you need to know that the parking is quite expensive: 6€ for one hour.
There is no hike to reach this lake, contrary to the Lago di Sorapis (2 hours hike). But you can totally walk around the lake and admire this place under other angles!
What is the best time of the day to visit the Lago di Braies?
Like all the famous places, you need to get there early if you want to avoid the crowd. But for this place, you need to know that even if you get there early, you won’t be the first! We went there around 7:00 am and it was already full of photographers, around 30 persons taking photos of the lake. Also, Drone photos are totally forbidden. You also need to know that the boat renting is closed until 9:00 am. If you want you to rent a boat, it will costs you 18€ for 30 minutes. I heard that you can make a reservation and have this place to yourself before 9:00 if you pay 150€.
You are planning to visit the Lago di Braies?
To conclude, the Lago di Braies is a must to see! You need to go there at least once, I promise you will love this lake! You should also visit Lago di Sorapis, Santa Magdalena and Alpe di Siusi! Don’t forget to read our full blog post about our Italy road trip itinerary here! 😉
