Overview
Upstream of Cles, Tovel is a mountain lake that can legitimately be defined as a jewel immersed in the woods of the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park. The Visitor Centre relates the reasons for its well-established fame, including internationally, due to the presence of unicellular algae of the species Tovellia sanguinea on the seabed. In summer, especially during the hottest and quietest hours, its bloom gave the waters an intense red colour. People used to speak and write about the Lago Rosso, the "Red Lake".
The phenomenon had been reported by an English mountaineer in the mid-19th century, but it has not been observable for some 40 years now: biological studies have shown that this is not due to the disappearance of the algae, which are still present, but to other factors, likely including a change in rainfall and changes in the management of pastures at altitude. The redness has been successfully recreated in the laboratory under the conditions that research has identified as optimal, and it may be seen again one day in nature, as long as, of course, we do not interfere with the environment in an inconsiderate manner.
Walks around the body of water, which take no more than an hour and a half, and excursions in the area, for example to the Malga Flavona or the Pietraia delle Glare, are highly recommended.
38019 Tovel TN, Italia
