Sommersbergsee

The Sommersbergsee is a natural moor lake in the Styrian Salzkammergut of Austria, lying three kilometres north-west of Bad Aussee. It sits at 856 metres above sea level in a boggy hollow between the Ischlkogl and the Sommersbergkogl. The lake covers 2.2 hectares and reaches a depth of 24 metres, fed only occasionally by a small stream from a northern fen meadow. Water leaves the lake through the Kirchlatzbach into the Koppentraun. The name comes from a nearby farm that once owned the site.

The lake is ringed by a continuous belt of reeds and dotted with water-lily mats. Beneath the surface live mussels, crayfish, carp and char. In high summer the dark moor water warms quickly, reaching up to 26 °C. Until 2017 a municipal bathing area operated here, with a lakeside hut providing food and drink. The water quality was judged excellent in the last official test.

A circular path once led walkers around the Ischlkogl in about an hour, passing the Alpengarten founded in 1913. In winter the frozen lake hosted skating and curling. Since 2017 the shoreline and surrounding trails have been closed to the public. No swimming or winter sports are now allowed.