Reschensee (South Tyrol, Italy)

Reschensee with Church Tower

Approximately  1 mile (2 km) south of the Reschen Pass, which forms the border between Italy and Austria in South Tyrol, Italy, sits Reschensee or as it’s commonly called Lake Reschen.  The 120 million cubic meter artificial lake is the largest in the province and is fed by the Rojenbach, Karlinbach, and the Adige where it also is drained.  The lake is most famous for the steeple of a 14th century church that protrudes from the water and in cold months may be reached by foot if the ice is sufficiently thick.

There is a legend that on clear and silent nights you can still hear the church bells ring, but it’s unlikely to be true since the bells were removed from the tower before the creation of the lake in July of 1950.