Good summer vibes, balmy breezes and sporting action: no (holidaymaker’s) heart will remain unmoved by beautiful Lake Kaltern in South Tyrol’s Mediterranean south! In today’s lake portrait, blogger Sabine introduces you to the warmest bathing lake in the Alps!

Lake Kaltern in South Tyrol’s Mediterranean south

Yes, it sounds romantic – and almost too good to be true – when you learn where Lake Kaltern is located and what makes it so attractive: by the town of Kaltern in the sunny Überetsch region. To the west, magnificent hills covered in vineyards rise up to the steep slopes of the Mendel ridge to provide a picture-postcard idyll, while to the east the lake is shielded by the Mitterberg, a hill topped by the proud Leuchtenburg castle. Now can you see why Lake Kaltern is one of my absolute favourite bathing lakes? But there are many more reasons – apart from its scenic beauty – why I want to introduce it to you in today’s lake portrait! 

 

A wealth of adventures and “golden” hours
Know in Italian as the Lago di Caldaro, Lake Kaltern is 1.8 km long, 0.9 km wide and touches 5.6 metres at its deepest point. This makes it one of South Tyrol’s largest lakes and, with a water temperature of up to 28°C in summer, it is the warmest bathing lake in the Alps. You can swim here from May until late September! :-) Cyclists and hikers also enjoy coming here in spring and autumn to soak up the Mediterranean ambience: on the Nature Discovery Trail it takes about two hours to walk around the entire lake.
There are other sporting activities possible in and around the lake: rowing boats and pedalos, fishing – or simply letting yourself be carried along by the waves... sailors and windsurfers in particular are right at home on Lake Kaltern! On summer afternoons the prevailing mountain and valley winds are joined by the so-called Ora, a south wind that fetches balmy breezes up from Lake Garda.

A very attractive spot that can only be reached on foot via the wooden walkways of the Nature Discovery Trail (no jumping in the water!), is the reed-covered southern shore: this area of Lake Kaltern is a biotope that is also home to over 100 different bird species, as well as frogs and other amphibians.
For a wonderful view of Lake Kaltern from above, I recommend the climb up to the Leuchtenburg. The ascent is short (approx. 50 minutes), but beware: it is quite steep! :-)

 

Dark legends… but truly good vibrations!
Lake Kaltern is a relatively young body of water that was formed after the last Ice Age, making it some 12,000 years old. The water surface was originally larger than today’s 1.47 km2 and extended over today’s reed beds.
Legend, on the other hand, has it that where Lake Kaltern today lies was once the site of a town whose inhabitants were vicious and ruthless – only one house was inhabited by a good family. Christ is said to have stopped there while travelling with his disciples to ask for water and bread. The poor, aged inhabitant could only offer him water, however. Peter thus went to the neighbouring houses to ask for bread – but no one would give him anything. So Christ spilled the water he had received from the house dweller, which turned into a torrent that flooded the rest of the town and created the lake, where the poor, kind-hearted man could now fish – thus even becoming rich.

In real life, however, you won’t notice any of the negative mood of this legend – quite the opposite in fact! :-) At Lake Kaltern, there’s dolce vita feeling galore, a contagious good mood – and vitamin D to spare: the various restaurants, bars and the four lidos all offer relaxation combined with pleasure, action and pure joie de vivre – especially in summer! The lively atmosphere does not end at sunset, either: this is when the wonderful aperitivo hour begins at the lake, with visitors and locals alike savouring the holiday mood as they sip their Venezianos side by side in the balmy evening air and chilled-out atmosphere.
And, if you arrive at the right time in summer and would once more like to experience a concert “up close”, go and see the Kaltern Lake Shows – and sing along at the top of your voice!

 

If you would also like to get a taste of South Tyrol’s Mediterranean feeling, take a look at our private hosts in the South of South Tyrol – they are all just a stone’s throw from the wonderful Lake Kaltern! :-)

Yours from the heart, Sabine

Image Source: ©Dietmar Mitterer Zublasing