Vilsalpsee

The Vilsalpsee sits at about eleven hundred metres at the closed head of the Tannheimer Tal, and it has been a nature reserve since 1957 - one of the older ones in Tyrol - protecting not just the lake but the wet meadows and slopes around it, which hold an unusually rich alpine flora including orchids and gentians, and the fen vegetation on the inflow delta. That protection is enforced practically: private cars are barred from the lake road between 8 am and 5 pm, when access is by a horse-drawn or motor shuttle, bicycle or on foot, which keeps the basin quiet. A level path runs round the water in about an hour, huts serve food at the far end, and routes continue up to the Landsberger Hütte and the Lachenspitze. The Tannheimer Tal itself is walled by limestone peaks on both sides.

The landscape

• A reserve since 1957 - lake, wet meadows and slopes all protected.
• No private cars by day - from 8 am to 5 pm access is by shuttle, bicycle or on foot.
• Rich alpine flora - orchids, gentians and fen vegetation on the inflow.
• A one-hour circuit - the level path round the water with huts at the far end.

When to go

June to September. Half a day.

Things to know

You cannot drive to the lake - budget for the shuttle or the walk. Swimming is restricted under reserve rules. It is busy in high summer despite the access limits. Snow lies late.

Nearby

Tannheim and the Tannheimer Tal villages are below; Reutte is east.

Key facts