Piburger See

Dominated by the awe-inspiring Acherkogel mountain high above, the Piburger See is a popular destination in summer thanks to its beautiful location in the heart of an alpine forest at 900 metres above sea level. Despite its altitude, the lake warms up relatively quickly in summer to a pleasant 24°C. The Piburger See is an area of outstanding natural beauty within the borders of a nature reserve and therefore serves as a habitat for many protected species of animals and plants. Large areas of the shoreline are covered with sedges, reeds and moor grass; marsh cinquefoil, marsh skullcap and marsh marigold are among the other plants found here. Marsh clover grows close to the water’s edge. In the lake itself there are many different types of fish, including trout, char, perch and roach.

At the south-eastern end of the lake there is a swimming area where visitors can hire rowing boats. The lake is also popular with anglers (permits are available from the local authority in Oetz, the “Gemeindeamt Oetz”.

On cold winter days, as soon as the ice is thick enough, the lake is given over to ice skaters and winter walkers. There is a two-kilometre-long and eight-metre-wide strip of smooth ice on the lake for skating. Skates can be hired from the Gasthof Piburger See in Piburg.

There is no public road leading to the lake, so visitors have to walk from the hamlet of Piburg (15-20 minutes) or from Oetz (30 minutes) to get there.