Gruner See

The Gruner See sits in a shallow basin below the Hochschwab at Tragoss, and its size depends entirely on the calendar. Snowmelt from the mountain feeds it through late spring, and at the peak the water rises over the meadow around it, submerging grass, gravel paths and the occasional bench under several metres of very clear, very cold water. Through summer the level falls steadily, and by August what is left is a modest pond with a wide gravel margin and a stream running into it. The photographs that made the place known were taken at the top of the flood, which is a short window and not a guaranteed one.

What you actually see

• The flooded meadow - grass, paths and benches visible under clear water at the peak of the melt in late spring.
• The colour - the green cast that gives the lake its name, strongest in bright light over the pale gravel bed.
• The shore circuit - a short easy loop through the trees, rerouted uphill when the water is high.
• The Hochschwab backdrop - the limestone massif above, source of the meltwater that fills the basin each year.

When to go

Late May and June, no other answer. That is when the basin is full and the water is at its clearest and deepest. April is too early and August is too late. Arrive early on a fine weekend, because the car park fills by mid-morning and the shore path is narrow with nowhere to pass.

Honest expectations

Turn up in high summer and you get a shallow pond, which disappoints anyone who came for the photographs. Diving is no longer permitted. The visit itself is short, an hour of walking at most, for a long drive from anywhere. The car park is charged and the surroundings are ordinary once you leave the water.

Nearby

Tragoss village is at the road end, with Bruck an der Mur about half an hour away.