Lake Braies and Lake Dobbiaco

Our holiday in Trentino began with a visit to Lake Braies, which was truly a pleasant surprise; in fact we had never seen anything so amazingly beautiful. After parking the car in the car park near the Pragser Wildsee hotel facing the lake (3 euros), we began our trek, which involved a pleasant walk, really very easy and within everyone's reach; we took just under 2 hours with many stops for photos, playing and a snack. The path is equipped with little tables and benches, so you can enjoy pleasant picnics with a privileged view over the Fanes-Sennes-Braies nature park. Braies is also famous for its thermal springs (good for the nervous system); the story goes that a wounded deer healed after bathing in the waters of the main spring, which has been called the deer's spring ever since.

Another splendid excursion to do in the Val Pusteria is the one to Lake Dobbiaco, which lies exactly on the border of 2 nature parks, that of the Sexten Dolomites and that of Fanes, Sennes and Braies. Around the lake some restaurants and a campsite have sprung up, and a nature trail has been laid out with various information boards on the local flora and fauna (which, we recall, is one of the few wetlands in Trentino), and a viewing platform. The route is really very easy and can comfortably be done with small children and pushchairs. Along its shores there are benches and tables for picnics; I'd recommend starting or ending the visit to the lake with a trip to the Dobbiaco visitor centre, behind which the magical forest world has been set up, a structure with games and information about the woods.

In front there's a lovely playground as well as a large car park and the train station and a rent-a-bike