Carezza

A few bends beyond the junction for the Nigerpass is the Karerpass Pass, 1475 metres above sea level.

The Karerpass, (Passo Costalunga in Italian, Jouf de Ciareja in Ladin), lies on the slopes of the Latemar and at the foot of the Rosengarten amphitheatre, with the Roda di Vael towering above it. From this pass, which marks the boundary between Trentino and South Tyrol, many walks depart, also in loops, thanks to the ski lifts that make it possible to ski with satisfaction in the very modern ski area in winter. The pass is also known as Carezza Pass due to the nearby presence of the lake of the same name with its turquoise waters reflecting the peaks of the Latemar.

The pass originally took its name from the dialect word “kar”, meaning bowl, to recall its concave shape between the mountains. The road to it cost 240,000 Austrian crowns. In 1895, the section from Welschnofen to Vigo di Fassa was opened by crossing the Karerpass.

Karerpass is an encyclopaedia of geology where we are allowed to immerse ourselves in the history of the Permian stratigraphy of the Val di Fassa Dolomites.

It is a place rich in traditions, such as the Carezza pasture mowers and hay gatherers, and the historic refreshment places where farmers would gather to celebrate with music and dancing. Karerpass is crossed by the administrative border between the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento. It represents the gateway to the Fassa Valley.

photo © Gabriel Eisath, Helmuth Rier, Jens Vogele, Alexandra Nackler