Is there anything better than escaping the stressful everyday life and leaving the hustle and bustle of the big city behind? Go to Kaprun and experience not only a picturesque landscape, but also let the high mountain reservoirs cast a spell over you. At an altitude of over 2000 meters, you have the chance to marvel at a true technological marvel.
The imposing high mountain reservoirs are located at an altitude of over 2000 m south of Piesendorf in beautiful Kaprun. High above the Kaprun valley you can marvel at the two reservoirs, which not only offer you a fabulous view of the Kaprun valley, but are also a real technological marvel. With the help of the Marshall Plan, construction could be continued and completed from 1947. During the summer months you not only have the chance to visit the two lakes, but you can also take part in numerous activities in the immediate vicinity!
Arrival with the inclined elevator
The high mountain reservoirs are only a few kilometers south of Kaprun. With the car you simply drive on the Sigmund further on the Kesselfallstraße until you reach a parking garage. Here you can park your car and walk to the Alpenhaus Kesselfall. From here you will be driven by bus through imposing tunnels, which were created for the transport and for the employees. After a short and exciting ride, you have already arrived at the inclined elevator. In the past, the inclined elevator was used to transport heavy materials and machines. The Lärchwand inclined elevator is a real highlight of the trip. It overcomes a steep step of 431 meters and is therefore the largest European open lift!
The dams
According to baglib.com, the dam walls of the lakes are guaranteed to impress you. The two walls are of different types, because the Moosersperre is a gravity dam which stretches to an incredible 494 m and rises 107 m in height. At the thickest point the wall is 70 m wide. The Drossensperre, on the other hand, is a vaulted dam and, in contrast to the Moosersperre, is 5 m higher, but 45 m thinner at the thickest point! You should definitely not miss the inside of the walls to get all the information about the history, construction and maintenance of the two dams. I was able to take the chance of a tour and I can promise you that you will definitely come out of the walls impressed after the tour. For all of you who don’t feel too comfortable inside the wall, I can only recommend a walk over the walls. From here you not only have a fabulous view of the lakes, but also get to the electricity world. Here you can learn a lot about the reservoirs and electricity production in a playful way.
The reservoirs
The two reservoirs are the Wasserfallboden reservoir and the Mosserboden reservoir above it. The Mooserboden reservoir has a capacity of up to 84.9 million m³ and is used as an annual storage facility. The water for the lake is conveyed in the entire region over a catchment area of approx. 99 m² through various tunnels through the mountains into the reservoir. Most of the water is the meltwater of the Pasterzen glacier, but water also gets into the lake during heavy rainfall. This also helps, for example, that flooding in the surrounding region does not occur so severely. In the case of large amounts of precipitation, the water is held back until it can be taken up again by the rivers without this leading to flooding. Attempts are made to keep the temperature of the reservoir constant and even if it is not necessary at the moment, the water in the reservoir could also be used to supply drinking water. The Wasserfallboden reservoir has a net capacity of 81.2 million m³, so that the total filling volume of the two reservoirs is over 160 million m³. Unfortunately, you will not find any fish or other animals in the reservoirs, because on the one hand it is very difficult to create a suitable habitat for the animals in the reservoirs, on the other hand the reservoirs have different filling quantities throughout the year.
Alpine experiences
For all of you for whom the impressive high mountain reservoirs are not yet enough of a program, the surrounding region has numerous other activity options ready. Take, for example, a nice walk along the herbal nature trail. You cover the 237 meters in altitude after 45 minutes on foot and afterwards you can indulge yourselves in culinary delights either in the Mooserboden mountain restaurant or in the Fürthermoar Alm. In addition to other simple hikes along the lakes, all climbing enthusiasts will get their money’s worth, because the Höhenburg via ferrata arena offers three exciting via ferratas with the Mooser-Mandl, Drossen-Hex and Limberg-Zwerg. You can also climb directly up the dam. This via ferrata is a unique experience for both beginners and experienced climbers.
