Soboth Reservoir

The Soboth Reservoir lies high in the Koralpe range, an artificial lake formed in 1990 when a dam blocked the Feistritz stream. It sits beside the road from Lavamünd to Graz, just below the Soboth Pass near the Slovenian border. The water sits at about 1 080 m above sea level and stretches roughly 2 km long, never wider than 500 m. Its basin covers 29.7 km², and the lake can reach depths of 80 m. In summer the cooler mountain air and clean water draw swimmers to its shores. The reservoir feeds the Koralpe power plant, built between 1987 and 1991 as a storage station. Between 2009 and 2011 engineers turned it into a pumped-storage plant with a capacity of 50 MW. Water travels from the lake through a five-kilometre tunnel and a three-kilometre pipeline, dropping 735.5 m to the Drava River at Lavamünd. The steep fall drives turbines that generate electricity for the region. Visitors find a quiet mountain lake ringed by spruce-covered hills. The high altitude keeps the water cool even in summer, and the surrounding forest offers shaded paths. A small village named Soboth stands beside the lake, providing simple lodgings and a place to eat. The road along the eastern shore gives easy access for walkers and swimmers. On clear days the water mirrors the peaks of the Koralpe, making it a peaceful spot away from busier resorts.