Vilsalpsee

The Vilsalpsee is a 1165m high altitude lake in the Austrian Alps. From it springs the river Vils. Located at the foot of Gaishorn and Rauhorn, he is a popular tourist destination in the Tannheim Valley. Around the lake introduces easy trail, through which one reaches the Berga layer waterfall at the valley. Since 1957, around him the nature reserve Vilsalpsee in which we come across many species, including rare orchids. For the great crested grebe, the lake is the highest breeding area of Austria dar.

Location

The Vilsalpsee part of the Tyrol, the district of Reutte, community Tannheim. It is located in Vilsalptal, a southern tributary valley of the Tannheimer valley, which runs from southwest to northeast. At the transition from Vilsalptal to Tannheimer valley is located the place Tannheim. From here a road leads up to the north shore, which continues to be blocked driveway to end of the valley in the southwest.

The surrounding mountains are part of the Eastern Alps and are counted there to the Northern Limestone Alps. They are part of Vilsalpseeberge, which are attributed to the Allgäu Alps. Surrounding mountains are the Sulzspitze ( 2,084 m), pallor ( 1,961 m), Geierköpfl ( 1,872 m), Red top ( 2,130 m), Kugelhorn ( 2,126 m), Rauhorn ( 2,241 m) and Gaishorn ( 2,247 m) in the clockwise direction.

Inflow and outflow

There are two aboveground inflows in the Vilsalpsee. From a tributary from the south-east Traualpsee outflow and a waterfall between pallor and Schoch tip comes to pass. From this direction also an alluvial fan formed in the lake. The second inflow comes from the west and created between Rauhorn and Gaishorn. There are also another two, underground inflows. In addition to the surface runoff of Traualp reservoir is an underground water pipe which flows south-west of the natural inflow in the Vilsalpsee. From the back of the Vilsalptales the lake receives inflow through the seepage of effluent water of Alplesees.

The only outflow of Vilsalpsee is the Vils that entfließt of the lake at the northern part and also produced. On their way to the Tannheimer valley flow to Gappenfeld and Kesselbach. After the union with the Ache Vils the Lech flows to. Thus, the lake on the Danube drains into the Black Sea.

Geology

The result is the Vilsalpsee by glacial processes during the cold periods of the Quaternary. The glacier in Vilsalptal was a branch of the Lechtalgletschers. First, the ice had dug a well in the valley floor. Following is a moraine -level from which dammed the streams from the surrounding mountains. The surrounding slopes are dominated glacial and consist of Kar - levels. The lower slopes towards the lake are covered with bumps.

East of Vilsalpsee located in the area of Schochen and Sulzspitze the geological boundary between the Allgäu- ceiling and the Lechtal with rocks from the Triassic. There are thrusts and the layers are folded. For the most part, there is the area around the Vilsalpsee from main dolomite. In wells, the bottom of a fold, the rock is often built from red Adnet limestone. The less steep slopes are formed of jurassic temporal spot marl and Aptychenkalk.

Since September 2012, the eastern shore of Vilsalpsee is affected by several, partly large rockslides and therefore blocked the way there. The largest fall occurred at the pallor (July 2013). It threatened by an approximately 100 m long and up to two meters wide cleft at the Blaich possibly a rock fall even greater extent. This could, according to the National Geological Survey in the Tyrol one-third of the lake spill.

Climate

The climate zone in which the Vilsalpsee is located, according to the Köppen Klassifiktion " feuchtgemäßigt with warm summers " ( Cfb ). The lake lies in the global west wind zone, which is supplied with Atlantic humid air. Here, the lake is in an environment that the air masses precludes the first orographic barrier, leading to increased precipitation activity. Local conditions, such as the mountain area lead to an alpine climate, which is characterized by humid summers, dry autumn and snowy winter.

Nature

The area around the Vilsalpsee is since 1957 a nature reserve, and is now a nature reserve Vilsalpsee, which is also a Natura 2000 site. It extends across the municipalities of Tannheim and Weissbach (both district Reutte ), and includes the higher pool, Traualpsee and Alplsee.

For conservation reasons, the access to the lake by car 10-17 clock is locked.

Flora

To the 700 plant species are counted around the lake. Among them are rare and endangered plants. In the Waterside area of Vilsalpsee be found underwater grass, which are formed from pondweed and Chara spp. In the silting areas there are also beak sedge, horsetail and marsh pond Pond thread. Marshy areas in the southwest of the lake and water near wetlands harboring Scheuchzers cotton grass, brown sedge, marsh Heart Journal, horsetails and Alpine - fat herb. In the surrounding subalpine grass exist Gentian, Beblättertes lice herb and rare orchids such as green hollow tongue, Marsh Orchid and Burnt Orchid.

Fauna

As breeding and habitat for birds Vilsalpsee is of paramount importance for Tyrol and Austria. For the great crested grebe, the lake is the highest known breeding area of Austria and one of a total of three, in the Tyrol. An irregular brood guest is the Goosander, probably feeding again and again from the Lech Valley. In addition, mallard, coot and tufted duck breed regularly on the lake.

In the Moor at the southwest end of the lake, there are nests of amphibian alpine salamander, toad and frog. Fish are swimming in the Vilsalpsee brook trout, lake trout and lake trout. Species that come to the food intake of the shores, are red deer, hare and badger.

Tourism

For tourists stands at Vilsalpsee a diverse infrastructure. On the north side there is a paid parking and the restaurant Gasthof Vilsalpsee cafes and fishing lodge. Something from the west bank is the Vilsalpe, an agricultural managed pasture with snack bar. For Vilsalpsee leads from Tannheim from a bus line. Tourist Transport facilities include a horse-drawn traffic and a slow train. There is a boat rental and the lake can be fished.

On Route 55 Vilsalpsee can be circumnavigated. An extension of this pathway leads to the rear Vilsalptal from where the Berga layer waterfall can be seen. The lake is the starting point for numerous hiking trails. Travel 425 is the access to the Landsberger Hütte at Traualpsee from where the surrounding mountains can be climbed. From the Vilsalpe pulls path 424 to the west up to the Jubilee, can be climbed from which Gaishorn and Rauhorn. From the parking lot offers to route 59, the possibility of a transition to Älpeletal in the northwest. Currently, the riverside path on the east side of Vilsalpsee for several rockslides not be entered, access to the Landsberger Hütte is then not possible (as of June 2013).