Εύκολες πεζοπορίες και περίπατοι στην Ιταλία

The temple is a highlight, but that doesn't mean it needs five identical highlight entries.

Definitely worth seeing if you're in the area. Ideally, go at off-peak times when there are no tourist buses.

Beautiful view of the temple. Plan a photo stop! 🤩

The hotel at Lake Braies, officially known as the Hotel Lago di Braies, is a historic Art Nouveau building located in an exclusive and idyllic location directly on the lake's shore. It lies in the heart of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park and has been owned by the same family for generations. The hotel opened in 1899, commissioned by tourist Eduard Hellenstainer. In April 1945, the hotel was the scene of a historic event: high-ranking SS hostages were housed here after their liberation. Documents relating to this incident are collected in the hotel's contemporary history archive.

The lake's water shimmers in impressive turquoise-green hues. With a surface area of approximately 44 hectares, it is the third-largest natural lake in South Tyrol. It has a maximum depth of 38 meters. It probably formed at the end of the last Ice Age by a natural landslide or rockslide that blocked the valley and dammed the water. Due to its altitude and low water temperature (below 17°C year-round), it is not a bathing lake, but a typical cold mountain lake. A lovely path, partly on wooden boardwalks, leads us around the lake.

A vast field with stacked stone towers. The lake in the distance. A beautiful scene.

The Temple of Heracles (or Hercules) is the oldest in the Valley of the Temples and was dedicated to the god Heracles/Hercules, whom the inhabitants of ancient Akragas held in particularly high esteem. It was destroyed by an earthquake; today, only eight of its columns remain.

The Temple of Concordia (Temple of Concord), whose name derives from a Latin inscription found nearby, also dates back to the 5th century BC. Today, it is probably the best-preserved of all Greek temples. It was converted into a Christian basilica in the 6th century.