Finally hot summer days, lots of sunshine, and warm temperatures. What else do you need? Cool relaxation!

So cool, so refreshing: our 4 top tips

The best feeling ever? Dipping your burning feet in cool water after a long hike or bike ride in the Dolomites or other mountains on a hot summer’s day. Where? In the cold water of a mountain lake in beautiful nature and under the sun. “Oh, that feels good!”, is what every South Tyrol’s fan sitting on the shore is saying. Do you want to try it? Here are our 4 best tips for Val Pusteria/Pustertal.



Small, but unique: Lake Issengo/Issinger Weiher

It’s a bathing paradise for families, but also one of the last pond biotopes in South Tyrol! This means that it’s particularly biodiverse and rich in species. Lake Issengo/Issinger Weiher is a true oasis of relaxation and at the same time offers wonderful bathing fun: On hot summer days a plunge into the cool water at around 1,000 metres is exactly what you need! In the summer months, the green sunbathing lawn is dotted with colourful sun umbrellas of all kinds, while children and adults splash around in the blue-green water. You’ll also find a volleyball field, a restaurant with pizza, and also a high rope course. Simply perfect for a lake day with the whole family!

Crystal-clear and dark-blue: Lake Anterselva/Antholzer See

Lake Anterselva/Antholzer See is a dark-blue jewel in the middle of a dark green coniferous forest. A magical place, which is also South Tyrol’s third largest lake! Thanks to its location at 1,642 metres above sea level, the water here is pleasantly refreshing even in high summer. All around the lake, there’s also a nature trail where you can learn all kinds of interesting facts about local rocks, flora, and fauna. Plan about 1.5 hours for the walk around the lake to explore all the stations in detail.

Pure mountain bliss: Lake Dobbiaco/Toblacher See

Lake Dobbiaco/Toblacher See is relatively small, but it impresses with its fantastic location between two nature parks: Dolomiti di Sesto/Sextner Dolomiten Nature Park and Fanes-Senes-Braies/Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park. All around the lake you’ll find information boards with interesting facts about the local flora and fauna, as well as the geomorphology of the area. The circular trail is also suitable for families and prams. It should take you approx. 2 hours.

Insider tip: Lake Chiusetta/Klaussee

If you love to hike and wish to be rewarded with a cool-down experience, try Lake Chiusetta/Klaussee. It’s a beautiful, crystal-clear mountain lake, slightly hidden in a hollow, at 2,162 metres. A true natural jewel, in which the charming mountain world is reflected, for example Mt Lovello/Große Löffler and Mt Sasso Nero/Schwarzenstein. We recommend you to start the hike in Steinhaus im Ahrntal. From the mountain station of the Klausberg cable car, you can reach Lake Chiusetta/Klaussee in around 1.5 hours.