Lake Toblach lies south of the village of the same name, right on the border between the Sesto Dolomites Nature Park and the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park, at the entrance to the Landro Valley, which connects the Upper Puster Valley with Cortina. The walk follows the old railway line and includes a nature trail. Visitors are provided with detailed information about the flora, fauna and geomorphology of the area.

Reachability

From the A22 Brenner motorway, take the Brixen-Nord exit and follow the Pustertal main road to Dobbiaco, where you can park near the station (reserved parking spaces for people with disabilities).

Description

From the station in Dobbiaco (1,210 m), we head west to the first junction and follow signpost no. 29 towards Lake Dobbiaco until we reach an underpass, where we turn left onto Landrostraße and the cycle path, which follows the old railway line to Cortina. The route is flat at the start and is lit in the evening. The walk takes us through extensive meadows, past a small housing estate and on to the Nordic Arena. Following a small tarmac road, we eventually reach a wooded area and a wooden bridge. Here we can decide whether to stay on the cycle path we have been following or cross the bridge and, after the small hamlet of Säge (1,220 m), continue along a gently ascending footpath with a natural surface to the eastern shore of Lake Toblach (1,258 m) (maximum gradient 10%). An interesting nature trail has been created around the lake. Eleven stations invite young and old alike to discover nature.

As one of the few remaining wetlands in our country, Lake Dobbiaco is particularly well known among birdwatchers. The path winds its way up and down, with gradients of 8–11% (with the exception of a short section with a gradient of 15%) and across several wooden footbridges, leading to the mouth of the River Rienz. Alternative walking suggestion: Starting from Lake Toblach, you can continue along the cycle path towards Cortina. Running parallel to the nearby Alemagna Road, the cycle path leads to the Austro-Hungarian war cemetery at Monte Piana. From here, we walk back to Lake Toblach and return to our starting point via the cycle path.