Löbbensee

The Löbbensee is a mountain lake high in the Gschlößkamm of the Venediger range, in the north of East Tyrol. It sits at 2,226 metres above sea level, surrounded by peaks such as the Vorderer Plattenkogel and the Spitzkogel. The water takes on a striking turquoise-blue colour, fed mainly by a small lake above it and a stream from the slopes between the Plattenkögels. A second inflow comes from a brook draining the Wildensee, higher still. The lake drains downhill through the Löbbenbach into the Tauernbach. The name Löbbensee comes from the local word Leipen, meaning a large leaf or possibly a slab of rock. In the 1980s biologists recorded a population of Arctic char living in the lake. Many lakes in the area were stocked with fish during the Middle Ages to provide food for travellers and shepherds. The clear, cold waters still support this introduced species today. Visitors reach the lake after a steady climb through alpine meadows and rocky ground. The path passes the smaller Lacke before arriving at the shoreline, where the turquoise water reflects the surrounding walls of the Plattenkögels. The Spitzkogel towers to the southeast, adding to the sense of height and isolation. Above the lake, snow patches often linger into summer, while below, the valley drops away toward the Tauernbach. The air is cool and thin, carrying the scent of alpine plants and the sound of running water.