A Day of Mountains, Lakes, and the First Glimpse of the City ⛰️🚗🌊— Nature’s Farewell and Venice’s First Hello

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📍Today's Route

Hotel breakfast 🍳
→ Lake Braies (walk & boat ride)
→ Hans Pizzeria Restaurant
→ Tre Cime di Lavaredo
→ Lake Misurina
→ Auronzo di Cadore
→ Head to Venice
→ Check-in at A&O Hotel Venice Mestre 🛏️

 

The morning started off slow with breakfast at the hotel.
After days of hiking and moving through the Dolomites,
a warm croissant and a hot cup of coffee felt like heaven ☕🥐

 

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🌲 Lake Braies – This Was a Fairytale, Not Real Life

Lago di Braies totally lived up to the hype.
The greenish-blue water, the mountains in the back,
the soft morning mist hanging over it all—absolutely magical 😳

Walking along the trail by the lakeside felt surreal.
I kept saying, “How is this place real…?” the whole time.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/TVLvWUhwF694BDTf6

 

 

 

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🛶 Rowing on the Lake – Peaceful and Still

Of course, we had to rent a boat too.
Gliding over the quiet water in a little wooden boat—
it was the kind of silence that actually heals you 💚

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🍕 Hans Pizzeria Restaurant – Simple but Satisfying Lunch

After heading down from the lake, we stopped at
Hans Pizzeria Restaurant for lunch.
It was a cozy, no-frills kind of place with pizza and pasta,
and honestly, that hit the spot 😋

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YS2NRrndCVfTbwnM8

 

 

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⛰️ Tre Cime di Lavaredo – Those Famous Peaks Up Close

Next stop was the iconic Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
Seeing those three jagged peaks rise up in person—
just wow.

I didn’t have time to do the full trail loop,
but even catching them from a few viewpoints was powerful enough.
It felt like I was walking through a movie scene 🎬

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6bFWoKdTYxgCstmH8

 

 

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🌊 Lake Misurina – Shimmering in the Light

We made a short stop at Lake Misurina on the way out.
It was more lively than Braies,
but the lake itself still had a quiet charm.

With the late afternoon sun reflecting on the surface,
everything looked golden ✨

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/kRfKQviuYToyTmcj7

 

 

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🌿 Auronzo di Cadore – Hidden Gem of a Lake

Just before heading into Venice,
we made an unplanned stop at Auronzo di Cadore.
And honestly? It was the surprise favorite of the day.

Crystal-clear green water,
calm as glass, and barely a soul in sight.
It felt like a secret, peaceful corner of the Dolomites.
A perfect last lake stop before city lights took over.

 

 

 

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🛣️ Goodbye Mountains → Hello Venice

With the sun dipping lower, we finally drove down into Venice.
After spending days surrounded by nature,
the twinkle of city lights and the buzz of people felt like stepping into a different world.

 

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🏨 A&O Hotel Venice Mestre – Finally a Flat Floor & a Big Room

We checked into A&O Hotel Venice Mestre late in the evening.
Simple, clean, and with space to finally open our suitcases all the way 🧳
It felt good to land somewhere solid after days of mountain roads.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qAgXcvHgqAHeqLM78

 

 

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🌙 One Last Breath of Nature Before the City

Today really felt like a transition day.
As if the mountains and lakes were giving me one final, beautiful goodbye
before I stepped into the city part of the trip.

Days like this remind me why I travel 🫶