Gorgeous mountain lakes may be a dime a dozen, but how many can boast brilliant waters whose colors are the result of a lovesick sorcerer and drowned rainbows? According to the traditions of the Ladin people in Italy’s South Tyrol region, once upon a time, a beautiful water nymph called the pristine waters of Lake Carezza, at the foot of the Dolomites, home.

One day, while braiding her hair on its shores, the sorcerer Masaré was overcome by the sound of the nymph as she softly sang to herself. Head over heels in love, he sought the help of a witch to make the nymph his own. An elaborate plan involving a disguise as a jewelry salesman, and casting a rainbow across the lake ensued.