Obernberger See

The Obernberger See lies at about sixteen hundred metres at the head of the Obernbergtal, a side valley off the Brenner, and a prehistoric rockslide from the Obernberger Tribulaun splits it into two parts that join only at high water; the level swings by up to seven metres between the winter low and the snowmelt high. A small chapel, the Kapelle Maria am See, stands on the rockslide debris between the two parts, reached by a bridge when the water is high, and is the standard photograph. The setting is quiet - the lake has been a natural monument since 1935, there is no road to the lake itself, and reaching it means about forty-five minutes on foot or a shuttle from the village. Routes continue over the Portjoch into Italy, a crossing used for centuries.

What's there

• Two lakes in one - divided by rockslide debris, joined at high water.
• The lakeside chapel - Maria am See on the debris between the two parts.
• A protected lake - a natural monument since 1935, with no road to the shore.
• The Portjoch crossing - the old route on over into Italy.

When to go

June to October. Half a day.

Good to know

The last stretch is on foot - about forty-five minutes from the village car park. The lake is shallow and cold. Snow lies late in the valley. Facilities are one hut.

Nearby

The Brenner pass is east; Steinach and the Gschnitztal are north.

Key facts