Nature holds its own magical moments at any time of day, in any weather and in any season. This is maybe the reason why I get attracted by certain places repeatedly and I never get bored of them. I often visit this particular place that blends beautifully into the landscape. And every I am fascinated anew by the countless yet unique atmospheres of this one place.
Autumn Vibes: In autumn, nature shows itself in the most beautiful colors! The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing color and nature is preparing for the approaching winter. Autumn itself is omnipresent: the days are getting shorter, the power of the sun is diminishing, the temperatures are dropping, the first snow can already be seen on the mountain tops, the smell of autumn is in the air… A year is slowly coming to an end.
Evening Spring Vibes: At the end of April the snow has finally melted and the evening sun gives its last light. The mountain peaks are still white and remind of a cold winter while nature awakens.
Morning Spring Vibes: In March, winter turns into spring. The snow has already thawed in the valley, but still lingers in the mountains. In the morning the fog still billows over the lake until the power of the sun’s rays dissolves the fog.
Snow Vibes: In January, winter still keeps a tight grip on nature with snow, ice and cold. The lake is frozen solid, the road snow-covered. The blowing snow hides the mountains behind a wall of white.
Storm Vibes: Early June. Everything is green. Nature is in full splendor. A rain shower passes the mountains in the background and offers a fantastic, dramatic sky.
Winter Vibes: A winter day is coming to an end and the setting sun casts a last bit of light across the sky. The air is clear and cold, the lake seems to lie dormant under a thick layer of ice.
History
The lake on the photo is not a natural lake. It is an artificial reservoir built in the 1954 to provide flood control for the valley for the region north of the reservoir up to the capital city of Bavaria, Munich. When the dam was built and the reservoir filled, a complete village sunk in the floods. Actually, the village could be seen in the photo if we turned time back 70 years. Nowadays only some ruins of the village can still be seen when the water level is very low. The people living in the village had to leave their homes and relocate not too far away and rebuild their homes – or leave the area completely.
The bridge itself was built shortly after and finalized 3 years later. Nowadays it is part of an important east-west route through the alps. But more importantly, it also marks the beginning of a beautiful landscape reserve which can be seen in the background of the photo. Furthermore, it is not only the entry into this beautiful reserve, but also the geological border to the Karwendel, the largest mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps with so many beautiful hiking opportunities.
A Personal Touch
I myself grew up ~25km away from this place. Since I was a kid, I was always in love for cycling and mountain biking. I’ve biked the route to the reservoir dozens of times … maybe a hundred times. I did it for physical training, for the joy of riding and because I love the route and the area. The lake itself is also a nice place to take a refreshing swim in summer. With the sourcing rivers coming directly from the mountains, it always stays rather cool. Needless to say, I also spent a lot of times bathing there – often right on the green area close to the bridge.