Description of the attraction
Lake Achensee is the largest and most beautiful of all alpine lakes in the Austrian Tyrol. The lake is 8 kilometers long and 1-2 kilometers wide. The water in Achensee is very clean, the transparency of the water is about 10 meters deep, its quality is close to drinking water. The depth of the lake at the maximum point is -133 meters. Since the lake is located in the mountains, the water rarely warms up above 20 degrees. Due to its size and winds, Achensee is a favorite destination for windsurfing and sailing.
In winter, the water level in the lake drops to 6 meters, respectively, the size of the lake is constantly changing. At the maximum level, the reservoir can store 66 million cubic meters of water.
Tourism in this area began to develop in 1859, when the railway was built. The first steamer "St. Joseph" was launched in 1887, and the second steamer "St. Benedict" appeared just 2 years later, in 1889.
In 1911, a new passenger boat "Stela Maris" appeared, designed for 400 passengers and equipped with a quiet diesel engine, similar to those later used in submarines in the First World War. However, the Stele Maris was difficult to maneuver. In 1959 the St. Benedict was replaced by a modern ship of the same name and diesel engine.
Since the lake is located in a protected area, boats and boats with gasoline engines are prohibited. In addition, sports swimming has been carried out on the lake since the early 1970s. Thus, numerous sailing clubs were established. Nowadays, the lake often hosts national, European and world sailing championships.
