Lake Dobbiaco

Clear water over a rocky beach, forest coming down to the edge, Dolomite walls standing above the far shore. What holds people is the path that runs the full way round, turning the mountains to a new angle as it goes. Lake Dobbiaco is easier to reach than Lago di Braies and less crowded with it — one visitor who came in July found people on the path and the lake tranquil all the same.

• No swimming. The lake is not for bathing — pedal boats are the way onto the water.
• Parking costs money. The car park at the lake charges a fee; the free one nearby is reserved for customers of the business it belongs to.
• Bring water. There is no drinking water point near the lake.
• Toilets stand about 250 m from the water and are free to use.
• Peak season brings company on the shore path, and the lake stays calm regardless.

You can drive to within a couple of hundred metres of the water, and the walk from the car park to the shore is the whole of the approach. The bus stop lies a similar distance out. Coming on foot from Dobbiaco works too: one visitor walked it from a hotel in the village in about 45 minutes, photo stops included. The path round the lake begins at the shore.

Better: early morning. Avoid: peak season, if you want the shore to yourself.

Crowding is the variable here, not the water. One visitor who came in July found people on the path and the lake tranquil all the same, and left wishing he had been there alone at sunrise.