Vernagt am See

Vernago on the lake

The village was not always situated at a lake. The dam was only built during the 50’s to reach a height of 40 metres. Later, it was extended to 60 metres. During Springtime, if the water level is relatively low, a part of the former church tower still appears on the water surface.
For the farmers, the building of the dam was a real tragedy similar to that at Lake Reschen, only to a lesser extent. Some farming families were able to settle at the shores of the dam; others had to leave the valley, moving into an unsure future. Today, the lake reflects a wonderful range of colours during the summer months, as well as in Autumn: it reflects many facets – from the brilliant white of the snowy mountain peaks to a strong, nearly unnatural looking smeared green and different tones of gold and red. Vernag0 offers the full range.
From Vernago a path runs through the Tisen Valley to the Similaun Hut and up to a height of more than 3,000 metres, near to the site, where the sensational ‚Iceman‘ was found. If you decide to take this mountain tour, you need a lot of stamina. However, there are also other beautiful hiking trips, e.g. around the lake, which are suitable for families . Around mid June and towards the mid of September, Vernago is centred around the sheep. For centuries, sheep have been driven onto the meadows of the back of the Ötz Valley around June from where they return in their thousands towards the mid of September.