Around the Lake Caldaro

In summer, the hike around Lake Caldaro can be uncomfortably hot, and the area is usually quite busy due to the many visitors coming to swim. In spring and autumn, however, this walk along the lake is highly recommended for families — whether with a stroller, balance bike, baby carrier, or just on foot. It’s worth noting that the trail doesn’t run directly along the lakeshore but rather follows side paths and small roads near the lake, as well as wooden boardwalks that lead through the beautiful Caldaro nature reserve.
You can park either at the paid lots near Gretl am See or Lido di Caldaro. But we always choose to park on the other side of the lake, close to the biotope, where parking is free and, in our opinion, offers a more scenic starting point for the loop.
From there, you can decide which direction to go — we usually start with the slightly more strenuous and less picturesque part of the hike so that we finish with the “reward” of walking through the peaceful forest and fascinating wetlands. We head out along the left bank of the stream and walk clockwise around the lake, following the signs for trail no. 20 (“Seerunde”).

Paved roads alternate with forest paths, and after about 45 minutes we reach Restaurant Geier and round the top end of the lake. From there, the trail turns right toward Klughammer and leads us along the base of the Leuchtenburg ridge. From this stretch, we get occasional glimpses of the stunning Lake Caldaro before the trail finally veers right into the biotope area. We then follow the wooden boardwalks back to our starting point.

By the way, this protected wetland and reed landscape is the largest remaining marshland between the Po Valley and the main Alpine ridge — just one more reason why this walk is so worthwhile.