Perhaps many will now say “What should be beautiful about a reservoir? This is a disfigurement of nature ”. That may be true. Nevertheless, something beautiful can still be created, as our examples here show. There are always 5 reservoirs in Zillertal:
- Schlegeis reservoir (Schlegeisstausee)
- Zillergründl
- Stillup reservoir (Stillupspeicher)
- Durlassboden storage facility (Speicher Durlaßboden)
- Gmünd storage facility (Speicher Gmünd)
Verbund AG operates eight hydropower plants at these 5 reservoirs in the Zillertal.
Schlegeis reservoir (Schlegeisstausee)
Probably by far the most famous reservoir in the Zillertal, if not in the whole of Austria, can be reached via the 13.3 km long Schlegeis Alpine Road, which is subject to a toll. If you don’t know the photos of the famous suspension bridge, you don’t have Instagram. Point. However, we will discuss how to get there in this blog (link to hikes to the Olperer Hütte).
The walk over the 725 m long dam is recommended. If you want to learn more about the interior, you can do so on a 1-hour guided tour. Costs: 5.5 € / per adult and 3 € for children (6-15 years) If you want something more exciting, you can explore the via ferrata dam wall and let yourself be abseiled. Would you like a little more adrenaline? How about the Flying Fox, 600 m along the Schlegeissperre or the Giant Swing with 30 m in freefall?
Zillergründl reservoir
At 1,850 m above sea level there is another of the five reservoirs in the Zillertal, the Zillergründl reservoir. A toll road (€ 8) leads from Mayrhofen to the reservoir.
In the 1980s, the Zillergründl reservoir was built in the rear of the Zillertal. After generating electricity, the water masses reach the Stillup storage facility via a tunnel. From the Zillergründl reservoir, a wonderful hike leads along the lake to the Plauener Hütte at 2,364 m above sea level. You can find a detailed description of this here soon.
Stillup reservoir (Stillupspeicher)
This is the storage of the Mayrhofen power plant. It is fed by the Stillupbach and meltwater from the surrounding glaciers.
Again, the lake can only be reached via an 8 km long toll road through the Stilluptal, either by car or by public bus from Mayrhofen. But the original valley is also very popular with cyclists and hikers.
There are several tours, e.g. up to the Grüne Wand Hütte (1,438 m a.s.l.) and Kasseler Hütte (2,178 m). From here you have a wonderful view of the Großer Löffler. Other destinations are the Stilluphaus (1,194 m) or the largest waterfall in the Stillup Valley, also known as the “coronation”. If you are lucky, you can even spot chamois or marmots here.
Durlassboden storage facility (Speicher Durlaßboden)
This reservoir is located in the Zillertal, but the border between Tyrol and Salzburg runs right through it.
This lake is particularly popular in summer because, unlike others, it also offers excellent bathing opportunities. These can be found at the sailing & surfing school on the jetty and at the sunbathing lawn on the left bank of the lake. There is also a playground with a grill. However, bathing is more for die-hard people, as the temperature reaches a maximum of 21 ° C.
Tip: sailing boats, surfboards and pedal boats can be rented. There are also enough places to stop at the lake.
Gmünd storage facility (Speicher Gmünd)
This is the smallest reservoir that is located directly on the Gerlos Alpine Road. We want to mention it for the sake of completeness, but the reservoir itself is rather unspectacular.
