Millstätter See

Lake Millstatt lies in Carinthia, Austria, at 588 metres above sea level. It stretches twelve kilometres from east to west between steep northern slopes and a wooded southern plateau. The lake fills a deep trench left by melting glaciers about twenty thousand years ago. Its steep shores give it a fjord-like look, and the Millstätter Alpe mountains shelter it from cold winds. Water temperatures rise to twenty-five degrees in summer, making it one of the warmest Alpine lakes. The lake drains into the Lieser river through a short stream at its western end. Millstatt is Carinthia’s second-largest lake by surface area but holds the most water because of its depth. The lake’s clear, oligotrophic waters reach drinking-water quality and rarely mix fully. Anglers come for trout, pike, perch and wels catfish, while the shaded southern shore remains almost untouched since it became a protected area in 1970. The Riegerbach brook near Döbriach is the biggest inflow, feeding the deep basin that formed under layers of gneiss and schist. Sport fishing and ancient fishery traditions still shape life around the lake. Visitors find a long shoreline with towns such as Millstatt, Seeboden and Radenthein-Döbriach. Four ships run summer services across the lake, linking villages and viewpoints. The northern road follows the lake’s curve, offering easy access to its warm, calm waters. Above, the Hochgosch plateau rises to eight hundred seventy-six metres, separating the lake from the Drava Valley. The lake’s geology shows garnet schists and amphibole layers from ancient metamorphism. Clear skies and sheltered bays make it a quiet place for swimming, boating and walking beside deep blue water.