Gailbach

Gailbach is a small right tributary of the Drau in East Tyrol. It runs for about nine kilometres through the western Gail valley before cutting deep into a gorge near Kartitsch. The stream then turns east, passes the Tassenbach reservoir of the Strassen-Amlach power plant, and joins the Drau shortly afterwards. The Gailbach’s catchment covers 45.2 square kilometres, with its highest point at the 2,689-metre Große Kinigat. Almost all its tributaries come from the left bank, the main ones being the Erschbaumerbach, Winkler Bach, Schustertalbach and Hollbruckerbach. The Tassenbach reservoir, completed in 1988, is fed both by the Drau and by the Gailbach itself. Visitors can walk along the Gailbach’s new meandering course beside the reservoir. The water still holds trout, and the banks serve as nesting grounds for the water pipit and the grey wagtail. The surrounding slopes rise steeply, giving views of the high peaks that frame the valley.