Lake Carezza really is small: barely three and a half hectares, a handkerchief of water you can walk around in twenty minutes. And yet it is one of the most photographed places in the Dolomites, and you understand why in the first three seconds. It sits at 1,534 metres at the head of the upper Val d'Ega, in the municipality of Nova Levante, ringed by dense spruce, and behind it rise the spires of the Latemar, which on windless days mirror themselves in the water with a sharpness that looks like a trick.
Colour is its signature. It runs from emerald green to turquoise to deep blue depending on the light, the season and where you stand, and it shifts with the water level too, which rises and falls a good deal through the year because the lake is fed by underground springs. The Ladins called it lec de ergobando, the lake of the rainbow, and local legend tells of a wizard who broke a rainbow and threw it into the water to win over a nymph. Arrive with the sun low and you see why people told that story for centuries.
Its fame brought rules with it. Access is now regulated: you park for a fee along the Passo Costalunga road and reach the lake through a pedestrian underpass, while the banks are fenced and you cannot go down to the water. That is not unfriendliness towards visitors, it is what allowed the shoreline to recover after years of trampling. You can still walk the whole way round on a panoramic walkway, and the best photo spots are signposted.
It is worth arriving early or late in the afternoon, because in the middle of the day the coaches come one after another and the walkway turns into a procession. Autumn is the finest season by far: fewer people, blazing larches and still water. Above the lake begins the world of the Latemar, which is the reason this postcard exists, and the Lake Carezza loop starts here too if you want to stretch the walk beyond the classic circuit.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Lake Carezza change colour?
The water is fed by underground springs and the pale lakebed reflects light differently depending on the hour, the season and the water level, which varies a lot through the year. The result runs from emerald green to turquoise to deep blue. The Ladins called it the lake of the rainbow.
Can you go down to the shore or swim?
No. The banks are fenced and there is no access to the water: the measure is there to let the shoreline recover after years of erosion from trampling. The circuit is walked on a panoramic walkway around the lake, with the best photo spots signposted. Swimming is not permitted.
Where do you park at Lake Carezza?
There are paid car parks along the Passo Costalunga road, and from the main one a pedestrian underpass takes you to the lake without crossing the main road. They fill early in peak season, so it pays to arrive first thing or late in the afternoon.
How much time do you need?
The circuit is short: twenty to thirty minutes at an easy pace, stopping to take photos. To make half a day of it, extend onto the trails at the foot of the Latemar, or combine it with the Passo Costalunga and the Val d'Ega.
When is the best light for photographs?
First thing in the morning, when the air is still and the Latemar mirrors itself in unruffled water, or late afternoon in autumn with the larches ablaze. At midday the light is harsh and the crowds are at their peak.