Schwarzensee

The Schwarzensee is a mountain lake high on the Tauplitzalm plateau in the Toten Gebirge range of Styria. It sits in a hollow between the Grubstein and Rosskogel peaks at 1,549 metres above sea level. With an area of 5.3 hectares it is the third-largest body of water on the wide upland pasture. The lake stretches roughly 410 metres from south-west to north-east and reaches a maximum width of about 180 metres. Steep scree slopes drop straight into the northern shore while the eastern, southern and western edges are gentler, lined with stones, gravel and patches of sand. The shallow margins support dense patches of stonewort algae mixed with alpine pondweeds. Among them grow Berchtold’s dwarf pondweed, long-leaved pondweed and hair-leaved water crowfoot. These plants provide shelter for small crustaceans, mussels and amphibians that live in the clear water. Near the north-east shore the entrance to Grubsteinhöhle, a limestone cave, opens above the lake. The cave system extends deep into the mountain and is known for its ice formations even in summer. Visitors reach the lake along well-marked paths that climb from the Tauplitzalm cable-car station. The flat southern shore offers easy access to the water’s edge where walkers can pause beside the stonewort beds. From the north-east corner the cave portal is visible above the steep scree slope. The surrounding slopes carry patches of low, wind-bent shrubs and open grassland grazed by cattle in summer. On calm days the lake reflects the peaks and the sky, creating a quiet scene far above the valleys.