Lake Carezza, Karersee in German, is the Dolomites' most famous small piece of water, a pool of improbable emerald and sapphire that sits in a bowl of dark spruce beneath the jagged teeth of the Latemar. It lies at about 1,500 metres on the Great Dolomites Road, close to Nova Levante, and it is small enough to walk around in ten minutes. That is part of its charm and part of its problem: in summer, the walkway is crowded, and the best time to see it is early morning, when the water is still and the Latemar is reflected perfectly in it.
The road past is a pleasure. The Great Dolomites Road runs from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo, and the section over the Karer Pass climbs from the Val d'Ega through dense forest in long, well-banked bends, with the pale towers of the Rosengarten appearing between the trees. The tarmac is excellent, the gradients are friendly and the views are the main danger, as are the tour buses and cyclists. Soraga, a small village farther down the Fassa valley on the far side, is where the road eventually comes out of the mountains. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic, and an early start is wise. Spring and early autumn are quieter, and in October the larches turn gold.
The lake has a legend, as every Dolomite lake does. The story goes that a water nymph lived in the lake and fell in love with a young man, and a wicked sorcerer, hoping to win her, disguised himself as a merchant but was foiled, and in his rage he tore a rainbow from the sky and shattered it into the water, which is why the lake is so many colours. Locals tell it with a smile, and the rainbow explanation is more fun than the scientific one, which involves light and mineral particles.
The Great Dolomites Road itself dates from the early twentieth century, when tourism was growing and a road was built to link the region's valleys, and its engineers did a remarkable job. The mountains here are made of pale dolomite rock, formed from ancient coral reefs, which glows pink and orange at sunset, a phenomenon called the enrosadira. The air is crisp and smells of resin.
Fuel is available in Nova Levante and Bolzano, so fill the tank before the pass. Parking at the lake is paid and fills quickly, and the shore is protected, so stay on the path.