Lake Reschen: the church tower in the lake

The tower belongs to the Romanesque church of old Graun, the parish church of St. Catherine. It was built in the 14th century, and the tower was consecrated in 1357. It recalls a dam project drawn up by the Fascist government in the 1920s and carried out only after the Second World War: the large Montecatini group built it with international participation, and Lake Reschen and Lake Graun were dammed into one larger lake. Lake Haid further south was left alone and remained a lake of its own.

In the summer of 1950, 163 houses were blown up, and the municipality of Graun and part of the village of Reschen were flooded. According to the Vinschgau tourist board, 150 families were evacuated and housed in a hastily built barrack camp at the mouth of the Langtaufers valley; the population had been expropriated in the “national interest”, and many villagers did not leave voluntarily. That is part of this place: behind the beautiful photograph there is a painful history, and it changes how you see the tower.

The tower was not blown up because it is a protected monument. Its masonry was restored in 2009, the roof was renewed and the clock faces of the tower clock were restored; the old clockwork came back to Graun in 2023. The story of the lake has also reached literature and film: Marco Balzano’s novel “Resto qui” tells it from the point of view of a teacher in Graun, and the series “Curon” invents a curse around the bell tower.

The classic view of the tower is from the shore at Graun. The visitor car park is there, and from it you are at the water in a few minutes. When the lake, which works as an annual storage reservoir, is low, the tower stands in an enclosed basin and the cellar remains of the old village can be seen on the lake bed; at high water it rises alone out of the lake.

Above Graun, on a hill, stands the little St. Anne’s chapel, consecrated in 1521 in the late Gothic style, with an exterior fresco of St. George from around 1600 and a Renaissance altar of 1596. It is a witness to the damming of the lake and has a view over the lake and the mountains. The Upper Vinschgau Museum in Graun shows 3D models of the old village, objects from old Graun and a photo documentation of its loss and rebuilding.

At the other end of the lake, near Reschen, a bunker (no. 20) and a tank barrier stand in the high moor – a border fortification from the Second World War. Only a few minutes from Reschen, at the source of the Adige, begins the journey of about 415 kilometres of Italy’s second longest river. A boat trip on the MS Hubertus brings you close to the tower on the water.

A paved path for walkers and cyclists of 15.3 kilometres leads around Lake Reschen; depending on the source, 15 to 15.5 kilometres are given. It is mostly flat with a few short climbs, the steepest of which is around 10 per cent according to Tirol Werbung. It suits walkers as well as cyclists; handbikers are out there too. The Via Claudia Augusta, the old Roman road, which counts among the most popular cycle routes in the Alps, also runs along the shore.

If you do not want to do the whole loop, start at the visitor car park near the church tower at Graun and walk a stretch along the shore. There and at the restaurant “Mein Dörfl” in Reschen there are toilets. Allow half a day for the whole circuit; on foot it divides well into stages, because Graun, Reschen and St. Valentin lie on the shore.

According to the Vinschgau tourist board, the tower is a popular destination in summer and in winter, and the path around the lake can be walked all year. In summer people stroll, cycle, sail, stand-up paddle and kitesurf; the reliable south wind makes Lake Reschen one of the highest kite spots in Europe. If you want fewer people, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when the light on the water turns soft.

In winter, when the lake is frozen, it is used for snowkiting and ice sailing, depending on the weather, and a groomed winter walking path of about 15 kilometres runs along the shore. Whether you can walk out to the tower then depends on the weather and is not officially promised – so never plan your visit around it. The water level varies through the year, and it cannot be predicted what it will be on a given day.

The path is easy and suitable for buggies, and the route can be split into stages. On the north shore near Reschen a swing invites you to take a break; when it rains, the Curunes adventure pool in Graun is an alternative for children. Follow the signs on site at the water: the lake is a reservoir with a changing level.

Dogs are possible at the lake and on the path; on paths with cycle traffic they belong on a lead. The Kite Bar Resia on the shore in Graun lists dogs as allowed.

Right on the shore in Graun is the Kite Bar Resia, a bistro with a small menu and the Italian aperitivo, with a view of the lake. In Reschen there is the restaurant “Mein Dörfl” with a terrace, which is also a starting point for the loop. Further inns and hotels around the lake are listed by the Ferienregion Reschensee under “Gastronomie”.

A few kilometres to the south lies Lake Haid, the quieter, natural neighbour with a view of the Ortler. Over the Reschen Pass you are in Nauders, with Naudersberg Castle and the Altfinstermünz fortress, in about ten minutes by car. On the way back, Burgeis with Marienberg Abbey and the medieval town of Glurns are worth a stop.

Ferienhotel Kastellatz is in Prämajur above Burgeis in the municipality of Mals, at the foot of the Watles. To Lake Reschen it is 20 kilometres, about 30 minutes by car. If you are looking for a hotel right on the shore you will not find it with us; you will find peace and quiet at 1,740 m, a panoramic indoor pool and a terrace, and Glurns, Burgeis with Marienberg Abbey and Switzerland within easy reach.

With the Reschensee Guest Pass, trains and buses throughout South Tyrol are included in your stay. Current timetables are on suedtirolmobil.info.

By car: From Prämajur drive down to Burgeis, then follow the main road up the valley across the Malser Haide, past Lake Haid and the village of St. Valentin to Graun. The visitor car park is on the shore near the church tower.

By bus and train: Take bus 277 to Mals station, then the regional bus towards the Reschen Pass as far as Graun. With the Reschensee Guest Pass the journey is included in your stay; timetables are on suedtirolmobil.info.

Parking: Visitor car park near the church tower