Photo: Adert, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Lago di Carezza (Karersee)
Welschnofen / Nova Levante, South Tyrol · ItalyHands needed for support in places in the labyrinthMore
Overview
The Karersee (Lago di Carezza) in the Eggental is famous for its unusual colours, which earned it the Ladin name "Lec de Ergobando", rainbow lake. About 300 m long and 140 m wide, it is fed by underground springs from the Latemar, so its size and depth change with the season and the weather. The lake is a protected natural monument: keep to the marked protection boundaries.
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This guide takes two loops from the lake car park. The middle loop crosses the suspension bridge built in 2018 to the Karersee holiday settlement and returns through the forest to the lake; it is suitable for pushchairs. The longer loop climbs through the Karerwald, known for its tonewood used in instrument making, past the Mitterleger viewpoint into the rock labyrinth at the foot of the Latemar, left behind by an old rockfall, with views of the Latemar and the Rosengarten.
The middle loop is easy and suitable for pushchairs. The labyrinth loop is moderate: in the labyrinth the path squeezes through narrow gorges and stone passages where you sometimes need your hands for support.
Sea Bistro at the visitor centre by the lake (opening hours and rest day on eggental.com).
Map & profile
Middle loop at the Karersee
From the Karer See car park over the suspension bridge, up path [6] towards the Karerpass, across the road at the Hotel Restaurant Lake & River and on path [10] back to the lake; a walk round the lake can be added. Green markers.
From the Karersee into the Latemar rock labyrinth
From the lake on forest road [11] through the Karerwald to the Mitterleger viewpoint, then the Labyrinthsteig [20] through the rockfall below the Latemar: narrow gorges and stone passages, in places with your hands for support. At the junction left onto [18], then [21] back to the Mitterleger and on [11] down to the lake.
Places on the way
- The "rainbow lake", about 300 m long and 140 m wide, fed by springs from the Latemar; a protected natural monument.
- Boulder field from an old rockfall below the Latemar, crossed by the Labyrinthsteig [20].
- Viewpoint in the Karerwald where the labyrinth loop leaves the forest road.
- Built in 2018 to link the lake with the Karersee holiday settlement; at the end of the car park.
- Bistro at the visitor centre by the lake.
Plan your hike
Getting there
- Bus
- Karer See / Lago di Carezza
Bus 180 Timetable by Südtirol Mobil - Start
- Start by ≈ 17:00 at the latestlimited by daylight · walking time 0:45 h + 30 min buffer
- Car
- Car park Karer See≈ 50 m to the start (straight line)Paid car park at the lake, start of both loops.
Getting there in detail
Bus 180 runs from Bolzano via Birchabruck and Welschnofen, and from the Fassa valley via the Karerpass, to the stop Karer See; from other villages of the Eggental change to the 180. By car to the Karersee: the paid car park Karer See is at the start of both loops. Bus 180 runs daily all year; the current timetable is valid until 12 December 2026.
Latest start = the earlier of last bus or sunset, minus route time and 30 minutes. Sunset is calculated for the trailhead; in shaded terrain it gets dark earlier.
Nearby
Sources (4) · last checked October 2026
Route data checked: October 2026
- Eggental Tourismus — access, rules, season and opening
- Middle loop at the Karersee — route, distance, elevation, time, difficulty, season and opening
- From the Karersee into the Latemar rock labyrinth — route, distance, elevation, time, difficulty, season and opening
- Deutscher Alpenverein (alpenverein.de) — emergency numbers
- Ministero della Salute — emergency numbers
- BRouter (OpenStreetMap) — track