Zürser See

The Zürsersee is a natural high-mountain lake high above the village of Zürs in Lech municipality. It sits at 2 144 metres in the Lechquellengebirge range of Austria’s Vorarlberg province. The lake lies inside the Lech-Zürs ski area, with the Wildgrubenspitzen peaks rising to the south and west and the Hasenfluh to the south-east. East of the lake the Zürser Bach flows through a valley down to the village of Zürs past a ridge called the Seekopf. The area is best known for its ski area, which has several cable cars that serve the lake in winter. Outside the ski season many walking paths lead to the water’s edge. Since 2013 a rainfall-measuring station of Vorarlberg’s hydrographic service has stood above the north-west shore at 2 159 metres. Records kept here since 2013 show annual rainfall ranging from 1 489 millimetres to 2 148 millimetres. Visitors find a small, clear lake surrounded by rugged high-Alpine scenery. The cable-car stations sit close to the water, making the lake easy to reach on foot or skis. A few simple paths circle the shore, offering views of the peaks and the valley below. The rainfall station is a small metal structure perched on the slope above the western edge. In summer wild flowers colour the meadows around the lake while the peaks stay snow-capped.