Lake Ossiach
Encyclopedia
Lake Ossiach is a lake
in the Austria
n state of Carinthia
, situated in the Nock Mountains
between the town
s of Villach
and Feldkirchen
. It is the third largest lake in Carinthia, superseded only by Lake Wörth
and Lake Millstatt
.
Lake Ossiach is a dimictic lake
with mixing periods in spring and in late autumn. In summer the waters reach 24°C.
There are five main villages surrounding the lake, all of them mainly dependent on summer tourism: Annenheim and Sattendorf, parts of the market town
of Treffen
, Bodensdorf, part of Steindorf
and Ossiach
, after which the lake is named.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state of Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, situated in the Nock Mountains
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
between the town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s of Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
and Feldkirchen
Feldkirchen in Kärnten
Feldkirchen in Kärnten is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia and the capital of the district of the same name. It consists of the Katastralgemeinden Fasching, Feldkirchen, Glanhofen, Gradisch, Hoefling, Klein Sankt Veit, Pernegg, Rabensdorf, Sankt Ulrich, Sittich, Tschwarzen and...
. It is the third largest lake in Carinthia, superseded only by Lake Wörth
Wörthersee
The Wörthersee is an alpine lake in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia.-General facts:The lake is elongated, about 20 km long and 1–2 km wide. It stretches from the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt in the east to Velden in the west...
and Lake Millstatt
Millstätter See
-General facts:Lake Millstatt is situated in the Central Eastern Alps, near the town of Spittal an der Drau. With a surface area of it is the second largest lake of Carinthia , though with by far the deepest and most voluminous. Its steep shore gives the lake a fjord-like character...
.
Lake Ossiach is a dimictic lake
Dimictic lake
Dimictic lakes are lakes that mix from top to bottom during two mixing periods each year. Dimictic lakes are holomictic, a category which includes all lakes which mix one or more times per year. During winter they are covered by ice...
with mixing periods in spring and in late autumn. In summer the waters reach 24°C.
There are five main villages surrounding the lake, all of them mainly dependent on summer tourism: Annenheim and Sattendorf, parts of the market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of Treffen
Treffen
Treffen is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in Carinthia in south central Austria....
, Bodensdorf, part of Steindorf
Steindorf am Ossiacher See
Steindorf am Ossiacher See is a municipality in the district of Feldkirchen in Carinthia in Austria.-Neighboring municipalities:-External links:*...
and Ossiach
Ossiach
Ossiach is a municipality in the Feldkirchen district in Carinthia, Austria. It is located at the southern shore of Lake Ossiach, on the slope of the small Ossiacher Tauern range within the Nock Mountains at the road between Villach and Feldkirchen...
, after which the lake is named.