After years of shooting here, a handful of places keep drawing us back — each with its own light, mood and effort. Here are the ones we love most, and how to choose between them.
Emerald water, the old boathouse and peaks rising straight from the shore. Braies is iconic — and at dawn, before the boats, wonderfully quiet.
For sheer drama, nothing beats the jagged ridgelines. Some are a short cable-car ride away, others a proper hike — we match the spot to how far you want to walk.
Away from the icons, quieter water rewards a walk. Lago di Sorapis glows an unreal milky turquoise a couple of hours from Passo Tre Croci; Lago di Federa mirrors the Croda da Lago inside a ring of larches; little Lago di Limides catches the Tofane just off Passo Falzarego; and roadside Lago d'Antorno frames the Cadini spires with no effort at all. These are the spots we send couples who want Braies' beauty without Braies' crowds — and they photograph beautifully in any weather, as this day near the Tre Cime shows.
For big scenery you can almost drive to, the high passes are hard to beat. Passo Giau is a meadow amphitheatre ringed by peaks; Cinque Torri — five tower-like rocks reached by a short chairlift from Bai de Dones — give an intimate stage with a First-World-War history; and the Averau and Nuvolau refuges above them serve dinner with a 360° view. These roadside and lift-served spots are perfect when you'd rather save your legs for dancing — and glorious for both sunrise and sunset.
Access decides your morning. Braies limits summer traffic to the lake from roughly 10:00 to 16:00, so we go before it; the Tre Cime toll road (about €30–45 per car) drives you almost to the base; Seceda, Lagazuoi and Faloria are cable cars; Sorapis and Federa are hikes with no vehicle access. We plan the route, the tickets and the timing around all of it — the full logistics live in how to plan your elopement.
We match the place to your fitness, the season and the mood you want — lakeside calm, ridge-top drama or a quiet meadow.
