Weissensee (Carinthia)

Highest Carinthian lake

The Weissensee is a lake in Carinthia at the foot of the Alps in Austria Gail Valley, north of Hermagor. It is situated at 930 m above sea level. A. making it the highest in the large Carinthian bathing lakes.

General

The Weissensee is 11.6 km long; at the widest point it measures 900 meters, 99 meters at its deepest. Its area is 6.5 square kilometers and its catchment area covers 46 square kilometers. Its 23 km long beach is only a third built ( the western part of the lake and the Ortsee on the east bank ), the rest is a nature and landscape protection.

At the lakeshore no through road leads along, only a narrow, sometimes steep path connects the Ronacherfels (eastern end of the driveway ) to the east bank, which is accessible only by the Weißenbachtal of the Drautaler side otherwise.

Geology

The Weissensee Valley runs in an east -west direction and was carved out during the Ice Age, by a branch of Draugletschers.

The western trough and the central part of the lake is flat and surrounded by water meadows, the Ostmulde however, is bounded on the north and south by steep cliffs which continue even under water. This area of the lake has a fjord-like character.

The framing the lake marl banks, the Weissensee gave his name, is caused by flooded lime particles from the surrounding mountains of the Southern Limestone Alps, by residues from snail shells and by biogenic decalcification.

The lake has two durable water-bearing tributaries ( Praditzbach at the west end and Mühlbach near Neusach ) and is also fed by several underground springs.

On the east bank is the outlet of the lake, the white stream that drains the Weissensee through the river Drava.

Ecology

The lake is due to its excellent water quality ( since 1969 prevents ring sewer discharges of domestic effluent ) as a good fishing waters. With sight depths of up to 6 meters, and water quality that comes close to the drinking water, it is also an ideal bathing water up to 24 ° C water temperature. To maintain water quality, the use of internal combustion engines excluding the shipping line, the police and water rescue, as well as agriculture and forestry is permitted on the lake.

Since the Middle Ages the Weissensee is known for its sea trout and salmon, in the modern age has been increased by artificial stocking of other fish species such as perch, carp or pike that attractiveness as angling. Due to the resulting competition but some of the original species such as gudgeon or minnow died out. The extinction of lake trout was prevented by restocking - not least for the conservation of tourist attractiveness of the lake.

Tourism

The lake is surrounded by a several hundred kilometers long network of hiking and mountain bike trails for all abilities. Some peaks ( Latschur in the north, in the south Golz, Reißkofel in the West) are accessible from the lake on cultivated pastures and huts. Also camping is possible on the eastern shore at Stockenboi and on the west bank in Techendorf.

Connects at the narrowest Lake Telle The Weissensee bridge the North with the South Shore and is at the same vantage point on the western and the eastern part of the lake.

In winter the lake with up to 58 centimeters thick ice from December to March at around 80 days, the largest ice rink in the Alps, which is used for tourism since the late 1960s. Since 1989, carried out in January on the natural ice rink skating marathons, an alternative elfstedentocht the Dutchman, where as no longer allow the climatic conditions an event every year on their channels. The ice on the Weissensee, however, is often so stable, that timber transport can be carried out by truck across the lake.

In Techendorf on the southern shore of the lake there is a small ski resort with chairlift and several ski slopes; around the lake, cross country ski trails are groomed.

Events

From 23 to 25 February 2007, the first ice hockey at Ice World Championship was held in Weissensee. On 7 and 8 January 2011 landed in the framework of the " Weissensee Fly-in 2011" by ÖGPV about 30 aircraft on the frozen Weissensee.