Laghetti alpini

Alpine Lakes

Nearly 10 per cent of the 3,000 lakes counted on the whole alpine range, are located in the Trentino Region and this is the reason for giving this region the appellative of "little Finland", in which as good as 297 lakes, mostly originating from glaciers (for a total area of 35 sq Km) dot flatlands, uplands, mountains and forests, pasturages up to the glaciers.

In Val di Sole there are around 100 little lakes. They are mostly concentrated in the Ortles-Cevedale mountain range, between Val di Rabbi and Val di Peio. In some cases they are just little "tear-drops" in the green landscape.

Rotondo Lake

This is the biggest lake of the system of glacial cirques. This lake too is of cirque origin and occupies a basin that is totally excavated in the paragenetic rock, barraged by a threshold of placed rock. Its average depth is very deep and it is to-date one of the deepest known for alpine lakes. It is extremely transparent. Its fauna is not rich but more represented than in other lakes of the zone. Morphologically granted to the two described are the nearby lakes Alto, Quarto, Soprassasso Alto and Serro.

Presena Lake

The lake is situated at the bottom of a large cirque under the glacier of eastern Presena; of very moderate depth the lake is mostly filled-in and has variable levels and shape due to the strong oscillations in its feeding. The colour of the water is dark yellow and sometimes tends towards greenish.

Corvo lakes

The Corvo lakes consist of 5 alpine lakes situated in the National Stelvio Park in Val di Rabbi near the homonymous refuge. The lake fauna is interesting due to the presence of the rare char. The lakes are situated at 2.500 meters above sea level and the largest lake covers 40.000 square meters and the smallest 18.000 square meters. You can start your walk from the car park of Cavallar, a fraction of Piazzola, along path n° 108 that passes the refuges of Paludè Bassa and Alta, leading to the lakes (3½ hours).

Cevedale lakes

The Cevedale lakes are high mountain lakes in the National Stelvio Park near the Larcher refuge within a particularly beautiful excursion itinerary. The Long lake is of glacial origin, the Black lake a morainic barrage, that of the Woodchucks is of Cirque origin and finally lake Careser is of artificial origin. All are situated at roughly 2600 meters above sea level. To get to the lakes, start from the tarmacked road of Cogolo (11 km) until you reach the car park of Malgamare, from here take the SAT path n° 102 until you reach the Larcher refuge (2 hours); from the refuge continue along an elevated circular itinerary that touches the lakes and then returns to the car park of Malgamare (2½ hours).