The legend of Lake Carezza
The legend of why Lake Carezza sparkles so colorfully
The South Tyrolean Hotel Marica is located very close to the wonderfully beautiful Lake Carezza, also known as Rainbow Lake. As mystical and colorful as it glitters, it is not surprising that a special South Tyrolean legend surrounds it.
A beautiful water nymph once lived in Lake Carezza. She often sat on the shore, braiding her blonde hair and singing softly to herself. The sorcerer of Masaré enjoyed watching her and fell madly in love with the beautiful mermaid. He used all his power in an attempt to kidnap her. However, the water nymph never let herself be caught. So the sorcerer asked his friend, the witch Langwerda, for help. Langwerda advised him to disguise himself as a jeweler, cast a rainbow from the rose garden to Latemar, and then go to Lake Carezza to lure the maiden and kidnap her. The sorcerer followed the advice, but forgot the disguise.
The mermaid was enchanted by the brilliance of the rainbow and the many precious stones. However, she also noticed the wizard hiding on the shore and quickly dived back into Lake Carezza. She has never been seen again since that day. Enraged by his failed love affair, the sorcerer shattered the rainbow and threw the pieces into the lake along with the precious stones. Since then, Lake Carezza has shimmered in all its magnificent colors—a natural rainbow that enchants visitors. Lake Carezza – a magical place The 300-meter-long and 130-meter-wide lake is fed by underground springs. Even though there are modern geological explanations for the color magic, Lake Carezza remains a place full of magic. After Storm Vaja in 2018, which caused massive damage around the lake, locals feared that the lake would lose its colors. But the opposite happened: more sunlight now reaches the water, and the lake shines brighter than ever.
© Pixabay
© Lukas Leitner/Unsplash
© Osama Raafat/Unsplash
© Gabriel Eisath
© Udo Bernhart
© Alessandro Capuzzi/Unsplash
© Pixabay
If you come at the right time of year, you can actually spot the mermaid. From fall to spring, she sits as a bronze statue on a rock in the middle of the lake. As the snow melts, she sinks into the water and remains hidden throughout the summer.
There is a special anecdote surrounding the bronze mermaid: there is a kind of test of courage among the locals – namely, to swim as far as possible into Lake Carezza in the ice-cold water in spring. During a night-time raid, someone – no one knows who – made it to the bronze mermaid and put a pretty bra on her. She sank into the waves in late spring, covered up, but reappeared in the fall without her bra. Whether it was the magician who took it off her or a little fish that nibbled off the hooks remains her sweet secret.
Every member of the host family at the Hotel Marica has their own insider tip on when the lake is at its most magical: at sunrise or sunset, on foggy days, or even during thunderstorms.
Junior manager Gabriel, an enthusiastic photographer, has captured the lake in countless magical moments. If you want to experience the colors of the lake and the reflections of Latemar and Rosengarten, you can do so on guided hikes or mountain bike tours with the hosts of the Hotel Marica. As trained guides, they know the most beautiful routes in their region, which always pass by the legendary Lake Carezza.
© Gabriel Eisath
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