Lago Di Carezza: Visit The Rainbow Lake Of The Dolomites

Lago di Carezza – Karersee in German, Lake Carezza in English, and Lec de Ergobando (Rainbow Lake) in the local Ladin language – is one of the most beautiful in the Dolomites, and as a bonus, it’s easily reachable.

It’s known as the Rainbow Lake because of the colours of the water and the legend of the lake that I’ve recounted further on in the article.

We’ve visited Karersee twice – once in the summer and once in the winter. And as beautiful as the lake looks covered in snow, a better time to visit it is in the summer when you can enjoy the different tones of the emerald waters.

As for where lake Carezza is located, what you should know about visiting it, and what else to do in the area – read on!

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Lago di Carezza – general info

Crystal-clear turquoise lake surrounded by lush evergreen trees with majestic mountains in the backdrop under a clear blue sky. Pink flowers frame the foreground, adding vibrant color to the picturesque landscape.

Location | Lake Carezza is located between the towns of Nova Levante and Carezza in Val d’Ega, South Tyrol. The closest large city is Bolzano, an approximately half-hour’s drive from the lake.

Altitude | 1520m above sea level.

Depth | It’s a small alpine lake – only 140m wide and 300m long. At its deepest, the depth of the water can reach 22m, and in the autumn, it can get as shallow as only 6m. Karersee is fed by springs and melting snow, that’s why the water level fluctuates so much.

Mountains | The mountains behind lake Carezza – and the ones you often see reflected in its waters, are Latemar.

Interesting info | Lago di Carezza is one of the few lakes in the Dolomites where you are not allowed to swim. In fact, there is a fence around the whole lake prohibiting people from going closer to the lake. It’s to protect the nature – lake Carezza is a protected natural monument. So please, be respectful.

Another interesting thing is the legend of how the lake got the name “Rainbow lake”.

Important information! The tunnel that connects the parking lot and bus stop to the lake gets closed after 19:00. When we visited Lago di Carezza in winter, it was impossible to access it in other ways – there was a barrier next to the road blocking the trails.

A man in a blue shirt and black shorts stands on a wooden platform overlooking a clear lake surrounded by dense green forest. Majestic, snow-capped mountains tower in the background beneath a cloudy sky. Interpretive signs are visible on the railing. — Michal on the viewing platform

There’s a viewing platform just at the exit from the tunnel which offers breathtaking views of the lake and the Latemar range. But if you’d like to get that view with the Latemar reflected in the lake, walk a couple of minutes anti-clockwise on the trail.

Getting to Lago di Carezza

Getting to Carezza lake is very easy. There’s a parking lot right there, as well as a bus stop. Many people even choose to hike from the nearby – or not so nearby – villages!

By car

A gravel parking lot surrounded by trees. Several cars are parked, and a person is pushing a red stroller near a white SUV. A red and white no-entry sign is in the foreground, and a blue and white one-way sign is in the background. — Parking lot. Pay attention to the bridge in the background as well.

It’s very easy to get to Lago di Carezza by car. The lake is located right next to the SS241 local mountain road between Nova Levante and Carezza towns. And there is a huge (paid) parking area right there, too.

The only complication, of course, is the mountain road – it’s narrow and winding. But the good thing is the road is well kept – even in the winter when we had to drive there during a huge snow storm, the road was cleaned regularly.

In the winter, make sure that you have snow chains in your car. The police will not let you go up the mountain if there’s snow and your car doesn’t have snow chains.

By bus

A green and gray bus is on a mountain road with snow and pine trees around. A small building with a mural is on the left. Mountains and a partly cloudy blue sky are in the background. Road signs indicate directions and parking information. — The bus stop is right by the lake.

It’s easy to reach lake Carezza by bus – there’s a bus stop right next to it. There are multiple busses running in the area – just use Google maps or Suedtirol Mobil websites to check when and which one runs from your location to the lake.

Sudtirol/Alto Adige region – the South Tyrol region of Northern Italy – has a card called Südtirol Guest Pass that lets you use the public transport in the region for free! And you can get this pass for free, too – just ask your hotel to provide you with one.

On foot

A trailhead in a lush forest with tall evergreen trees and a gravel path. Several wooden signposts give direction to nearby destinations, including hiking trails leading to the stunning Lake Carezza. There is also a green metal gate at the base of the trail and a wooden fence alongside the path.

You can hike to lake Carezza if you so decide. There are multiple hiking trails in the area.

For example, there is a trail from Obereggen via the path “Templeweg” which is 13.2km roundtrip and takes approximately 3h30min to hike.

A closer one that many choose to do to avoid paying for the parking is the Carezza village. It’s not any official path and the distance depends on where you park, but it should take approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

From the other town – Nova Levante – it’s approximately 10km roundtrip and takes some 3h to hike.

Best time to visit

A serene lake carezza with calm, reflective waters is surrounded by dense, tall pine trees. In the background, jagged gray mountains partially covered with patches of snow rise into a cloudy sky, creating a peaceful and picturesque landscape. — Sahara sand, wind, and rain – but we still managed to see a bit of the reflection

The best time to visit Karersee is in the summer months, as that’s when the water level is the best for the most beautiful views.

As for the time of day, it’s better to go in the early morning or late afternoon. That’s when you can hope to catch the perfect reflection of Latemar in the water.

Summer

A group of people walking along a dirt path beside a scenic lake, surrounded by lush, green trees and hills. A wooden fence runs parallel to the path on the left side, overlooking the lake. The sky is slightly overcast, and the area appears serene and natural. — Although it might get a bit crowded

Summer is definitely the better time to visit. Even with the Sahara sand colouring the sky in orange hues and rain disrupting the reflection of the mountains in the water, it looked so much better than in snow.

Winter

A snowy landscape featuring a frozen Lago di Carezza, surrounded by snow-covered rocks and pine trees. In the background, a rugged, snow-dusted mountain range is partially illuminated by sunlight breaking through scattered clouds in a blue sky.

When we went in February, it was quite a winter paradise, that’s for sure. It was also quite interesting to go around the lake – the trail was extremely slippery, so at points we had to slide down the hills on our butts.

Facilities by lake Carezza

A concrete and wooden stairway leading down to an underground area marked with signs reading "SEE / al LAGO" and depictions of a restroom. Illuminated by vertical fluorescent lights, the structure features modern architecture with a clean, minimalist design reminiscent of the beauty surrounding Lake Carezza. — Entrance to the tunnel towards the lake.

I’ve mentioned the parking lot already. It’s big and has reserved spots for people with disabilities, too.

There are also two bistros next to the parking lot, so you can get food if necessary.

A souvenir and sport’s clothing shop is right there, too. We got quite a cute bracelet for Emma in it on our last visit.

And of course, there are toilets available in the tunnel. And they are free of charge!

What to pack with you

A serene mountain lake, known as Lake Carezza, is surrounded by dense evergreen trees. The water in the lake is clear with a greenish-blue hue. In the background, rugged mountain peaks are partially obscured by a cloudy and overcast sky. — You can kind of see the rain drops on the lake.

There’s nothing special you need to take with you to lake Carezza.

Wear layers, as it’s the mountains and one moment it can be hot and the other – get rainy and quite cold.

Always take enough water with you when going somewhere – it’s very important to keep hydrated at all times. We generally take some snacks with us, too.

On our last visit, there was quite a rainshower and I wished I had some waterproof clothing or raincoat with me. Oh well.

Things to do in the area

Lago di Carezza is a nice place to visit for sure, but it doesn’t take long to walk around the lake and enjoy the views.

There is not a lot of stuff to do in the area, but there are some interesting and unique activities.

The Hanging Bridge

A person walks across a metal suspension bridge surrounded by snow-covered terrain and pine trees near Lake Carezza. Mountains with a light dusting of snow are visible in the background under an overcast sky.

The one I told you to pay attention to in the parking lot picture, haha.

This is very easily accessed – actually, it’s just next to the parking lot. When you arrive in the parking, turn so that the lake is behind you and walk to the far end of the lot – that’s where the bridge is.

It’s over a bit of a river, and the views from the bridge are quite nice. If you continue on, there’s a hiking trail from which you can see Catinaccio.

“Musical wood”

A corridor with concrete walls displaying text. The right wall is adorned with wooden beams of varying heights and colors, reminiscent of the vibrant hues found around Lake Carezza. A wooden handrail runs along the left side, adding a natural touch to the modern architectural design.

In the tunnel that connects the parking lot to the lake, you can find logs hanging by a wall. If you move them, they create different sounds.

They are made from the Latemar spruce – the one that Stradivari used for his famous and pretty much perfect violins.

Hiking

As I mentioned before already, there are many hiking trails in the area around lake Carezza. These are some interesting ones.

The loop around lake Carezza

A scenic dirt trail winds through a lush, green forest with tall trees and dense foliage. A wooden fence lines the path on one side, while moss-covered rocks and large boulders are scattered around. The sky is overcast, adding a serene and peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of Lake Carezza's tranquility.

Just like pretty much all the other lakes in the Dolomites, you can hike around lake Carezza itself. It’s a very easy and very short trail. It’s approximately a kilometer long and it takes just 20 minutes to walk around. You can enjoy the lake from different angles – the water colour changes a bit depending on where you are.

Sentiero Labirinto

Key details:

Length: 10.1km
Level: moderte
Elevation gain: 482m
Time: 3h30m

A loop hike to the foot of the Latemar Mountain range. And as the name suggests, there are rocky labyrinths on the way. The views are magnificent, though. Reviews suggest to walk clockwise so that you go up the rocks in the labyrinths instead of down.

Lago di Carezza – Rifugio Oberholz

Key details:

Length: 19.2km
Level: hard
Elevation gain: 956m
Time: 7h

A challenging route from Lago di Carezza to Obereggen. The first kilometers are through the forest, but the rest offer spectacular views all around. It’s a circular route, but you can just go to Rifugio Oberholz or Obereggen and take a bus back to Carezza.

Winter activities

kristine on snowboard in carezza in the dolomites with sun-covered mountains in the background

As with the rest of the Dolomites, there are quite a few ski and snowboarding trails around Karersee lake. We ourselves did a ski holiday in Carezza village. We stayed in Hotel Alpenrose (definitely recommend!) and used the slope just by the hotel.

As an added bonus, there’s a very long and very interesting tobogganing slope – we definitely suggest doing it!

Where to stay

view pf a pool with floor-to-ceiling windows during sunset — Pool at hotel Alpenrose.

The best places to stay near lake Carezza are Nova Levante or Carezza village itself if you’d like to be somewhere close by.

As I mentioned, we stayed in Hotel Alpenrose in Carezza. It’s a nice hotel with tasty food and good rooms.

Book hotel Alpenrose right here!

Or search for other options in Carezza.

Some interesting extra information:

A serene Lake Carezza is surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees. The calm water reflects the overcast sky and surrounding forest. The grassy hills in the background are dotted with dense trees, creating a peaceful, natural landscape.

Besides the very useful things that I’ve already mentioned, there are other interesting things about Lake Carezza. That is, the legend of the lake and the reason why so many trees around it are down.

The legend of Lago di Carezza

A serene lake with clear emerald-green water, known as Lake Carezza or Lago di Carezza, is surrounded by lush green pine trees and dense forest. The view is framed by overhanging tree branches, revealing the tranquility of the natural landscape. In the background, the faint outline of mountains can be seen.

According to the legend of lago di Carezza, there used to be a mermaid living in the lake. The wizard Masaré once walked by the lake, heard the mermaid sing, and fell in love with her. The wizard asked a witch called Lanwerda to help him seduce the mermaid. The witch advised the wizard to dress up as a jewel seller and conjure a rainbow made of gems from Mt Catinaccio to Mt Latemar. The mermaid apparently loved jewels.

The wizard, though, messed it up and forgot to dress up. The mermaid admired the rainbow and the gems, but then noticed the wizard and hid deep in lake Carezza. Since then, she was never seen again.

Masaré the wizard got very angry, smashed the rainbow and threw the gems in the lake. That’s why the lake shimmers in the colours of the rainbow. And why it’s called Lec de ergobando – Rainbow Lake – in the local Ladin language.

The storm that destroyed a lot

A sign details the impact of storm Vaia, highlighting fallen trees and logging efforts in the background. The sign includes text in multiple languages with an image of a deforested area. A smaller wooden sign nearby indicates directions to Paolina Hütte and Karer Pass. — A poster with information about storm Vaia

On the night from 29th to 30th of October 2018 a storm called VAIA tore through the Alps causing devastating damages. Some of those damages were timber that was lost – in South Tyrol alone, an estimated 1.5 million cubic metres of timber, which is twice the annual yield of the province, was affected.

The damage was ecological, as the nature was affected in incredible ways. Because of the lost woods, the risk of mudslides and avalanches increased dramatically. Of course, it was also economic damages – the spruce wood is used to make some of the best musical instruments in the world, and unbelievable amounts of it were damaged to the point of being unusable.

So if you go to lago di Carezza and wonder why so many of the trees are cut down – it was the storm.

Last thoughts

A serene mountain lake surrounded by lush green trees and vegetation, with rocky mountain peaks in the background. The water is calm, reflecting the natural greenery around it. The sky is overcast, giving the scene a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere reminiscent of Lago di Carezza. — Catinaccio range visible in the background.

Lago di Carezza is definitely one of the most beautiful lakes in the Dolomites. It’s right up there with lago di Braies and Lago di Dobbiaco for me!

If you have a chance to visit it, I recommend you do. Spend a bit of time enjoying the waters, maybe even have a picnic!

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to answer them here in the comments. Otherwise, you can drop me an email, or join the Facebook group!

Lago di Carezza: Visit The Rainbow Lake of the Dolomites

Lago di Carezza – general info