On the way to Merano, a city in South Tyrol, the Italian-German bilingual area of Italian Alps, I spotted a lake under the edge of the road, and, following the information signs, I stopped close to the Carezza Lake. I had already heard that name and about its beauty, so I decided to have a break and take a stroll alongside.
At first, I was quite surprised to see a mass of tourists going to the lake, which is merely landscape, with no possibility to bathing and camping, but when I was in front of the stretch of water I finally understood why Carezza and the Alps are so deeply appreciated worldwide.
The lake is quite small, but its characteristic have to be found in its marvellous colours and that is the reason for the nickname of Rainbow Lake. The shades vary according to the seasons and the weather. The common colour used to define it is a gloomy green.
Various underground springs supply the water basin, while spruce pines forests raise in the surrounding soil. The wood obtained from those kind of trees is used to manufacture harmonic instruments.
The depth of Carezza reaches 17 metres, and in winter scuba divers visit the abysses and film the play of colours under a thick layer of ice, for personal use and also for documentaries on television channels. In its waters lives the arctic char.
The majestic Latemar massif mirrors itself in the crystalline lake. The mountains around are popular during the winter for the skiing season, but also in summertime from that area it's possible to walk on dedicated trails and take different types of tracks. You just have to choose your favourite one and enjoy the striking panoramas.
Furthermore, there is a legend that express the whole sense of mystery and magic around this pacific space. According to the tale, a nynph called Ondina (little wave) used to live in the lake, while the wizard of the Latemar mount was falling in love with her. One day, with the purpose to kidnap Ondina, the warlock covered the sky up with a beautiful rainbow, and the nymph came out from the waters to staring at it. When she saw the sorcerer she, frightened, escaped, leaving him in rage. In that moment, the lord of Latemar, grabbed the rainbow and threw it in thousand pieces in the lake. Since, all the rainbow colours can be found in it.
Coordinates to reach Carezza: take the SS road 241 on Val d'Ega destination. From this road, you are eventually able to connect with the SS road 48 of Dolomites.
