More than 100 years ago, people were already enjoying the mountain air and playing golf on the Costalunga Pass
Past Lake Carezza, the road winds its way up to the furthest corner of South Tyrol: There lies the Costalunga Pass, which then leads down into the Val di Fassa. Just before the top of the pass, on the other hand, the village of Carezza (Karersee Dorf) is located at 1,600 m a.s.l. and can look back on a long history as a summer resort and golfing retreat. The less important Nigra Pass right next to it leads into the Tires Valley and is particularly popular among hikers and mountain bikers.
At the edge of the village stands a majestic stone castle, the Grand Hotel Carezza, symbol of the tourist development of the pass. The construction started in 1894 under Theodor Christomannos, one of the pioneers of tourism in South Tyrol. At that time, the trend began to build large hotels in mountain resorts that combined the excellent climate with luxury and scenic beauty. In this prestigious building, illustrious guests such as Empress Sisi, Agatha Christie, Karl May and Sigmund Freud were coming and going. A few years later, the high nobility of Europe also played golf here, when one of the oldest golf courses in South Tyrol was opened.
Still today you can play golf on the Costalunga Pass - also known as Carezza Pass - in front of the breathtaking backdrop of the Catinaccio. The reopened 9-hole Carezza Golf Club is called "The Mountain Beast", indicating an altitude difference of up to 400 metres. The lifts also start directly at Lake Carezza: Paolina, Christomannos and Hubertus are the names of the lifts that lead to the hiking area in summer and directly to the popular Carezza Dolomites Ski Area in winter.
