Lake Carezza (Lago di Carezza)

Lake Carezza, the Lago di Carezza or Karersee, is a small but spellbinding alpine lake set among spruce forest at around 1,500 metres on the road from Bolzano toward the Costalunga Pass, beneath the pale spires of the Latemar massif. Though modest in size, it is one of the most photographed lakes in the Dolomites, famed for the way its clear, spring-fed water shifts through emerald, turquoise, and deep blue as the light and water level change, earning it the local name of the Rainbow Lake. A local legend tells of a sorcerer who, spurned by a water nymph, scattered a rainbow across the lake in his fury, and the colours are said to be its lingering trace. On a still morning the Latemar's serrated peaks are reflected almost perfectly in the surface, a composition that has become an emblem of the region. A short, easy path runs along part of the shore from a viewing platform reached by tunnel beneath the road, and the whole circuit takes well under an hour, making it an ideal stop for those touring the Great Dolomite Road or short on time. To protect the fragile shoreline and water, swimming, boating, and walking down to the water's edge are not permitted, and visitors stay on the marked paths and platforms. The lake lies directly beside the busy SS241 with a paid car park opposite, and buses on the Bolzano-Carezza-Costalunga route stop nearby. The clearest reflections come on calm mornings in late spring and autumn, when the light is soft and the crowds thinner; even a brief visit pairs naturally with a drive over the pass toward the Catinaccio and Val di Fassa.