A Complete Visitor Guide For LAGO DI CAREZZA In Italy

UPDATED MAR 2020. If you have been following my blog for a little while, it should come as no shock to you guys that I’m a bit of a water baby. I love being in the water, on the water, and even just near the water listening to waves. Here in Italy, I have been very lucky to find some magnificent water spots in the form of lakes. They have quickly become some of my favorite places. In today’s post, I am sharing one of these grand lakes with you and a bunch of tips to help you plan your own adventure out to Lago di Carezza.ย 

A Complete Visitor Guide For LAGO DI CAREZZA In Italy

Here is a guide of everything you need to know to plan an adventure to see the incredible Lago di Carezza in South Tyrol, Italy.

Disclaimer

There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.

FAQ for visiting Lago di Carezza

Where is it located?

South Tyrol, aboutย 2.5 hours drive from Vicenza.

What skill level is required?

Beginner.

How long does it take?

30 minutes to 1 hour depending on your pace.

Are dogs allowed?

Yes.

What is the cost?

A couple of โ‚ฌ for parking – bring coins.

What should you bring with you?

Lago di Carezza

Where to park

Lago di Carezza is about 2 and a half hours drive from Vicenza. All you need to do is put ‘Lago di Carezza’ into Google maps and it will take you towards the lake, then you can look out for the parking when you get there.

The parking lot is easy to find and costs a couple of Euro.

Upon entry, youย will receive a ticket and, before driving out, take your ticket to a payment machine to pay your fee. Trust me, you don’t want to be the car that holds up the line because you thought you could pay at the gates. Yep, that was me.

How to get to Lago di Carezza from the parking area

From the parking area, it is a short walk over to see the lake. It is quite a popular, well signed, and crowded area so it should be no trouble to figure out where to go.

What to expect

Lago di Carezza is fenced so you can’t get close to it, or go swimming or anything like that. Instead, there is a trail around the outside of the lake which you can follow.

The trail allows impressive views from different angles as you make your way around the path.

The walk around the lake will not take too long, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour depending on your pace. It’s a relatively short path on a flat trail, suitable for kids and dogs.

After seeing this lake you will still have time to drive around the mountains and stop for lunch before heading home.

It’s a popular spot for tour groups, so you can expect a bit of a crowd here. To avoid the crowds, try to get there as early as possible.

Why is it called the Rainbow Lake

The layers of color in the water will hypnotize you and I promise you that my photos do not do it justice. These layers are exactly why it is called the Rainbow Lake.

Legend has it that the lake was home to a beautiful mermaid, a mermaid who captured the heart of a wizard named Masare.

He was advised to dress up in jewels and throw a rainbow into the lake in an impressive act of seduction, however, he forgot to dress up. Of course, she saw him and disappeared to the bottom of the lake.

The wizard was overwhelmed by anger and threw the rainbow into the lake, thus creating the layer of colors and the Rainbow Lake.

Lago di Carezza

Where to stay nearby

If you want to make a weekend of it, I recommend staying at the Berry House Agriturismo. I loved my stay on this farm which was full of all the boho and rustic vibes.

They have breakfast which might be one of my favorite breakfasts ever, and dinner made fresh with products from the farm and local area. As with most food in Italy, all the food was delicious.

You can also buy products they make to take back with you.

Lago di Carezza

Other things to see near Lago di Carezza

During the weekend away, I also saw Lago di Tovel which is a beautiful lake that also has an easy path around it. This one is not fenced so you can walk to the water edge and even row a boat on the water.

Torrente Canali is another gorgeous spot off the beaten path, with hiking trails and bright blue water to visit.

If you’d like to look around a town, Bolzano and Trento are nice options. Here’s a helpful guide on planning a visit to Trento.

There are also some amazing hiking opportunities around Passo Giau and Val Gardena too.

Here’s my guide to the best hikes in the Dolomites for more ideas and download my Ultimate Vicenza Bucket list for a complete adventure guide to help you make the most of your time there.

Lago di Carezza

I hope this guide to seeing Lago di Carezza can help you plan your adventure.

As always, use your best judgment as to whether this is a good outing for you, check the weather forecast, and take your trash with you.

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18 Comments

  • Lena Elzayn October 5, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    Wow this looks incredibly beautiful!

    Good tip that you can’t pay at the gate. We always assume you can and would’ve been the jerks holding everyone up!

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 7, 2016 at 11:02 am

      Haha, I was definitely the jerk holding up the whole line while I ran out to get to the machine to pay! Hopefully these little tips can be helpful.

      Reply
  • Christine October 6, 2016 at 1:52 am

    This really does like an emerald treasure! It’s so green and so beautiful!

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 7, 2016 at 11:02 am

      Yes, such a stunning area!

      Reply
  • Anisa October 6, 2016 at 12:58 pm

    What a beautiful place. The walk around the lake sounds really nice. I wish that you could swim in it though, the water looks so inviting!

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 7, 2016 at 11:01 am

      Oh yeah it looked like such a beautiful place to swim in, but I’m also really glad it is being preserved for the future.

      Reply
  • veronica October 8, 2016 at 9:24 am

    Katie this blog post makes me proud to be Italian! I can’t wait to visit this place, it looks incredible ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:05 pm

      Hi Veronica, that’s the best compliment you could give on my post – thank you!

      Reply
  • Tasha October 8, 2016 at 11:28 am

    It looks so beautiful. I haven’t heard of the area before. Is there much to do around there apart from exploring the lake?

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:06 pm

      It is certainly a beautiful place! Yeah there is plenty to do up there. Just a quick drive around the mountains and you can find local places to eat with amazing food, unique stores and some incredible scenery!

      Reply
  • Georgia October 8, 2016 at 11:40 pm

    Such a stunning place! I consider myself a fish too (or I prefer the term mermaid). I would love to visit this lake!! Thanks for sharing as I’ve never heard of it before!

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this, thank you! I hope you get to see the lake one day ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  • Zoe Naylor October 9, 2016 at 12:47 am

    Wow this place looks so beautiful, I didn’t know it existed until now! Thanks for sharing and I hope I can visit one day! Love the photos ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:07 pm

      I hope you get to visit it too Zoe! Thanks so much ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  • Crazy Travelista October 9, 2016 at 1:33 am

    This is incredible! Love hidden places like this! Although I would have never guessed this place gets crowded like you mentioned! The colors are out of this world, and the trees and Dolomities in the backdrop are just golden! I will make it here one day, thanks for sharing this wonderful place! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Thank you so much! Yes I had to be sneaky to get pictures without a bunch of people in them! I hope you get to see it too because it’s truly beautiful xo

      Reply
  • Sarah - Exploring Kiwis October 9, 2016 at 7:38 pm

    How incredibly beautiful! We visited Italy for a couple of weeks over the summer and had the best time but didn’t make it to any of their lakes – I think we missed out!

    Reply
    • Katie Mac October 10, 2016 at 12:09 pm

      Well that sounds like a good excuse to come back ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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