☀️ SonnySideUP: Stillness at Lake Dobbiaco

#summervacay There’s a kind of silence you only find in the mountains—one that doesn’t just quiet the world, but quiets you. I found it at Lake Dobbiaco, nestled between the dramatic folds of the Dolomites, where sky and water meet in a mirror held steady by the trees. It was a summer morning, cool but bright. The kind that makes you breathe just a little deeper, as if your lungs know something sacred is close by. The trail around the lake is only 2.5 km—an easy loop by any standard—but I took my time. Not out of fatigue, but reverence. Each step carried its own rhythm. Birds moved through the reeds. The water, impossibly clear, reflected every whisper of cloud overhead. There’s a point where the path curves just enough for the lake to stretch out before you fully, like it’s opening its arms. That was the moment I stopped. Not to take a photo, but to simply be still. I’ve realized something lately—peace doesn’t always come from escape. It often finds you when you slow down long enough to feel your own heartbeat in sync with the world around you. Lake Dobbiaco gave me that moment. Later, I watched a couple paddle a rowboat across the water, barely making a sound. I could hear the oar blades slicing gently, each ripple like a signature on the surface. No rush, no noise—just movement, slow and sure. As I left, I passed one of the WWII bunkers along the lake’s edge—moss-covered and silent, a strange echo of time’s passing. Even that felt part of the story. That beauty and burden often share the same space. And somehow, that makes both feel more real. ⸻ 📍Where I stayed: Nearby in Dobbiaco town. Quiet, charming, and close enough to walk or bike to the lake. 🥾What I’d recommend: Do the loop trail early in the morning. Bring nothing but water, curiosity, and a notebook. 🌿What I felt: Humbled. Still. Grateful. ⸻ If you’re ever in the Dolomites during summer, don’t just visit Lake Dobbiaco—listen to it.