Lago di Carezza: A fairytale lake in the Dolomites

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Lago di Carezza

Lago di Carezza, also known as Carezza or Karersee for short, is a popular stop when traveling through the Dolomites, practically any time of the year. The lake enchants with its emerald hues and breathtaking mountain scenery, which disarms many visitors. Thanks to the fact that the lake is fenced off and direct access to it is prohibited, Lago di Carezza evokes a sense of exclusivity, and you won’t have crowds of tourists in your photos, as is the case in other accessible places.

Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

Getting to and parking at Lago di Carezza

It would be a shame to plan Lago di Carezza as a full-day trip, unless you are trekking there from one of the surrounding villages, or if you are going on hikes further into the mountains. Personally, we went to the lake during our Italian road trip, and the circular walk, including photo stops, took us about an hour.

Lago di Carezza

According to the weather forecast, I planned our visit to Lago di Carezza for the morning, right after breakfast. So we packed all our things, left our pleasant Dolomites accommodation in Canazei and headed straight to the lake.

Tip for our verified accommodation in Canazei (click on the photo for more info):

Accommodation tip in Canazei

>>AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION NEAR CAREZZA<<

Parking at Lago di Carezza is completely hassle-free. There is an automatic gate, and an hour of parking costs 2 euros. The huge parking area was almost empty in early June in the morning, around 9 AM. I’m comparing it to the winter, when we were just passing through and it was much busier.

Parking at Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

The parking lot is located just a few steps across the road from the lake. You can either cross the road at the top and go down the cascading paths, or go through a short underpass directly to the main viewpoint. According to the signs, the underpass is also suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. However, expect a slight descent and ascent.

Parking at Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

Lago di Carezza – barrier-free access from the parking lot to the lake viewpoint / Dovolenkářka

As for refreshments, right next to the parking lot there is a building with a small restaurant where you can buy a snack and you will also find toilets here.

Trip around Lago di Carezza

Thanks to its good accessibility, Lake Carezza is one of the most popular excursion destinations in the Dolomites. You can visit it practically any time of the year, but it is worth thinking about the time of visit for the sake of photographs. Due to the number of tourists, we recommend early morning or late afternoon hours, and it is also good to keep in mind that during the spring days the lake level will be higher than during the parched summer.

Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

Lago di Carezza

Lago di Carezza – main viewpoint right next to the underpass / Dovolenkářka

Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

A leisurely circular path leads around Lake Carezza, which you can walk around in about half an hour without longer stops. We stopped at practically every corner, and even so, the circuit took us up to 1 hour. This path is easy and I dare say that you can handle it even with a stroller (judge for yourself based on the photos from the path).

Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

The biggest attraction, and also the place where crowds of tourists gather, is the main viewpoint. You will meet about a third of these tourists around the lake. This is also due to the fact that a lot of people just stop here, quickly take a photo at the viewpoint and continue on their way. However, we recommend not skipping at least a basic walk around Lago di Carezza and enjoying the magic of this rainbow lake.

Lago di Carezza

Basic information about the lake:

the lake lies at an altitude of 1520 m
its area is around 12 hectares (approx. 140 m wide and 300 m long)
the depth is stated to be around 22 meters and varies depending on the drought and the season
during the summer drought, a depth of only 6 meters was measured
the distance from Bolzano is about 30 minutes by car

Lago di Carezza / Dovolenkářka

Lago di Carezza – views around the lake / Dovolenkářka

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Legend of Lago di Carezza

A legend that, according to locals, explains how Lago di Carezza enchants with its emerald rainbow hues.

It is said that a beautiful mermaid once lived in the lake, who was loved by the wizard Masaré. Out of his mad love, he asked a witch for advice on how he could win her heart. He actually got advice from the witch. She told him that in order to seduce her, he should dress up as a jewelry merchant. At the same time, he has to make a rainbow that leads from Mount Catinaccio to Mount Latemar.

He managed to create a rainbow, but he didn’t manage to dress up as a merchant, and the mermaid disappeared into the depths of Lake Carezza. The wizard got angry and out of his anger destroyed the beautiful rainbow and threw it into the water together with the jewels. This is why emerald rainbow hues appear in Lago di Carezza, which enchant many visitors to the lake depending on the weather.

Accommodation near Lago di Carezza

For trips to Lago di Carezza, it is ideal to stay in one of the nearby villages, but a pleasant distance is also offered from Bolzano and other larger cities. Personally, this time we were staying in a simple apartment in Canazei, which offered accommodation even at the beginning of June and which served us perfectly for a simple overnight stay during our Italian road trip.

It is good to keep in mind that after the end of the winter season, most hotels take vacations or prepare for the summer season and may not be open.

Accommodation in Canazei: