Dolomites 
T1
A family-friendly 1¼-hour, 4-kilometre circular walk. The circular route follows wide, gravelly paths and presents no technical difficulties. On the eastern side of Lake Prags, there is a 100-metre climb to negotiate on paths that are in places quite steep and stepped. In this section, the lake circular walk is not suitable for pushchairs.
Take the Munich–Innsbruck–Brenner motorway to the Brixen exit. After the exit, follow the signs towards Bruneck into the Puster Valley and drive via Bruneck towards Innichen. After Welsberg, turn right towards Pragser Wildsee/Pragser Tal. Drive via Prags and St. Veit to the pay-and-display car park at Pragser Wildsee and park there. During the peak season, access during the day is very expensive (40 euros, as of 2025). In this case, it is better to use the shuttle bus. You can find the latest information on accessibility on the Prags Tourist Board website.
Take the train from Munich Central Station via Innsbruck to Franzenfeste and from Franzenfeste on via Bruneck to Niederdorf. From Niederdorf, take bus route 442 to the Pragser Wildsee (for timetable information).
46.70114999, 12.08523989
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Lake Prags in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park is the largest natural mountain lake in the South Tyrolean Dolomites. The lake, which is 1.2 kilometres long and up to 400 metres wide, is framed by an imposing mountain backdrop. On the southern shore rises the 2,810-metre-high Seekofel, which, together with Lake Prags, forms the quintessential photo opportunity. The TV series “Un passo dal cielo” starring Terence Hill was filmed against this magnificent backdrop between 2010 and 2016. It is therefore hardly surprising that the lake attracts large numbers of visitors thanks to its fame, location and beauty.
Those wishing to enjoy the fascinating landscape in peace should visit the lake very early in the morning during the high season or take an evening stroll. The approximately 4-kilometre-long lakeside path, which circles the lake, is ideal for exploring it. Whilst the path along the western shore is fairly flat, the eastern side features a few inclines. There, a well-maintained path secured with handrails leads up many steps to a small viewing platform overlooking the lake. From mid-June to the end of September, you can hire one of the historic rowing boats at the jetty near the hotel between 10:00 and 17:00 and enjoy the mountain scenery from the water.
From the pay-and-display car park at Lake Prags, we walk to the Hotel Lago di Braies. In front of the hotel building, which opened in 1899, we come across the signpost for the lake circuit. We turn right and will walk around the lake in an anti-clockwise direction. This allows us to warm up on the flatter western shore and save the inclines of the eastern shore for the return journey. In a left-hand bend, we pass the hotel and walk past the small chapel. After the chapel, we have the option of walking straight down to the shore. Here, on the benches by the water’s edge, we can capture the famous photo opportunity and take a picture of Lake Prags with the imposing backdrop of the Seekofel in the background.
Back on the lakeside path, we continue southwards. The path leads us through a sparse forest with gentle ups and downs. To the east of the Seekofel, we look out into a wide cirque. The Dolomites High Trail No. 1 leads through this cirque up to the Nabigen Loch and from there on to the Seekofel Hut. But for the lake circuit today, we don’t have to laboriously climb up a cirque; we simply have to tackle a few steps on the eastern shore. We continue walking southwards and come to a junction just before the south-western end of the lake. From here, you could take a 30-minute detour to the Grünwaldalm (1,580 m), which is open for business, by keeping to the right along Trail No. 19. The Grünwaldalm is usually open from May to October.
To stay on the lakeside trail, we keep to the left and follow the Dolomites High Trail No. 1 (signposted “Seekofelhütte, Seekofel, Rossalm, Seeweg”). We pass gravel banks near the shore with a rest area and reach the southern side of Lake Prags. There we walk through sparse woodland and come to a junction at the south-eastern end of the lake. Here we leave the Dolomites High Trail No. 1 and turn left. We walk northwards along the eastern shore. The paved gravel path leads us to a rock face and joins a flight of steps there. We ascend the stepped path in two hairpin bends and, after a few minutes, reach a small viewing platform with seating.
From the viewing platform, the steps lead us back downhill, staying close to the rock face, and then uphill again in a counter-slope. After this final ascent, the steps lead us down again and we reach a sparse stretch of woodland. A small wooden bridge takes us over a stream and we come to another rest area with a wooden table and benches. From here, there is a lovely view across to the chapel and the Hotel Lago di Braies. For the return journey to the hotel, we follow the forest path further north and reach the northernmost reaches of Lake Prags. We cross this by keeping to the left over a wooden bridge and then, in a long right-hand bend, reach the jetty and finally back to the hotel.
No places for refreshments along the way. On the north side of the lake, near the starting point, there is a bar with a kiosk and seating both indoors and outdoors. The Hotel Lago di Braies has a restaurant.
| Elevation | Time | Total | Destination | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1498 m | - 1498 m | + 0:30 | 0:30 | Südufer |
| 1498 m | - 1498 m | + 0:45 | 1:15 | Parkplatz |
