Part 5 of Sabine’s lake portraits takes us on a journey to the mighty crags of the Puez-Odle Nature Park, where one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Dolomites sparkles with a vivid green: Lake Crespeina!

Lake Crespeina
A little gem: Lake Crespeina, known in the Ladin language as the “Lech de Crespeina”, may not be big, but its vivid emerald green makes it a truly impressive sight. It is a jewel that lies here amid the barren alpine terrain at 2,370 metres above sea level, in a hollow between the Val Badia and the upper reaches of the Gröden Valley. Away from the busy hiking trails you can find a wild, unspoilt natural world around the shores of a mountain lake and, above all, SILENCE! My tip: on calm days the giant peaks of the Puez-Odle Nature Park are reflected in the surface of the waters – a truly magical natural spectacle.

The dragon and the lake
An old legend tells of a bad-tempered dragon that is said to have lived on Lake Crespeina. Whenever he was angry, he would fly over the Puez high plateau in a fury, trailing a long fiery streak that would glow brightly. The valley inhabitants saw this as a bad omen, so they erected wooden crosses around the lake: the dragon has never been seen since.

The journey is its own reward
In my opinion it is not only the lake, but also the path up there that makes for an unforgettable experience! Lake Crespeina can be reached from either the Gröden Valley or from Colfosco in the Alta Badia Valley. The most popular route starts at the top station of the Dantercepies cable car that runs up from Wolkenstein/Selva. You make your way past the Jimmy Hut up to the Cir Pass, then on to the Crespeina Pass, where the bizarre and rocky Puez plateau now lies before you like a lunar landscape – for me a spectacular and rewarding view. All the effort put into the climb is soon forgotten, however, as now comes a steep descent to the shining turquoise of the lake. Here you can recharge your batteries, feel the vastness around you and breathe in the fresh mountain air. Those of a particularly bold disposition can on the other hand cool off in the clear waters of the mountain lake ;-)



If you’ve been bitten by the hiking bug, our hiking specialists in the Gröden Valley or the Alta Badia can tell you all about the best routes, the proper equipment and the latest weather forecast. The private hosts of South Tyrol look forward to seeing you!

Yours from the heart, Sabine

©Alta Badia - Jan André Soraru