Lago di Carezza

The lake is small, a few hundred metres across, fed by underground springs and lying in spruce forest at about fifteen hundred metres with the Latemar range behind it, which it reflects when the water is still. Colours shift with depth, light and season, and the Ladin legend explains this with a wizard who tried to catch a water nymph by building a rainbow over the lake, then smashed it into the water in frustration. Water level varies noticeably through the year, dropping in late summer and rising with meltwater. A fenced path runs around it, with entry to the shore prohibited to protect the banks.

What you actually see

• The reflection - the Latemar mirrored when the water is still.
• The colour shifts - tones changing with depth, light and season.
• The rainbow legend - a Ladin story explaining the colours.
• The shore path - a fenced circuit through spruce forest.

When to go

May to October; morning gives the stillest water and best reflection. Levels drop in late summer. Winter can freeze the surface and the pass road is snowbound.

Honest expectations

The lake is small and the visit short, essentially a walk round the fence. Access to the water is prohibited. Parking is paid and fills quickly in summer.

Nearby

The Latemar rises behind; Bolzano lies west.