Piburger See

The Piburger See sits at about nine hundred metres on a shelf above Oetz at the mouth of the Ötztal, dammed naturally by a prehistoric rockslide off the valley side, and it is small - roughly thirteen hectares - shallow and sheltered enough that it warms to twenty-four degrees or so in summer, which is exceptional for a Tyrolean lake and the reason it is used for swimming. It was declared a nature reserve in 1929, among the earliest in Tyrol, so building around it is minimal: a path runs the circuit in about forty minutes through mixed forest, with a small bathing area and a restaurant at one end and nothing at all around the rest. Motorboats and fishing are restricted. The Ötztal below and the Stuibenfall, Tyrol's highest waterfall, are close.

What you actually see

• A landslide-dammed lake - held back by a prehistoric rockslide off the valley wall.
• Unusually warm water - up to around twenty-four degrees in summer.
• A protected shore - reserve status since 1929 keeping building off it.
• A forty-minute circuit - the path through forest around the water.

When to go

June to September for swimming. Half a day.

Honest expectations

It is small and gets busy on hot days; the car park is limited and there is a walk up from Oetz if it fills. Facilities are one restaurant and a bathing area. Fishing and boats are restricted.

Nearby

The Stuibenfall and Umhausen are up the Ötztal; Imst is north.