Millstätter See
Encyclopedia
Lake Millstatt is a lake in Carinthia
, Austria
.
, near the town of Spittal an der Drau
. With a surface area of 13.3 km² (5.1 sq mi) it is the second largest lake of Carinthia (after Lake Wörth
), though with 142 m (465.9 ft) by far the deepest and most voluminous. Its steep shore gives the lake a fjord
-like character. The mountains in the north are up up to 2,100 metres high and protect it from cold winds, so the water temperature at the surface can reach 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. The narrow and long basin stretches over 12 km (7.5 mi) from east to west. In the south the wooded Hochgosch plateau with a breadth of 2 km (1.2 mi) and an elevation of 876 m (2,874 ft) divides the lake from the parallel Drava
valley.
The name derives from the market town Millstatt
at the northern shore. Other municipalities near the lake are Seeboden
and Radenthein
-Döbriach. The shaded southern shore, a protected area
since 1970, is almost uninhabited. Since 1901 ship transport in summer is provided by the Millstättersee Shipping Company, which today runs four vessels.
Numerous brooks flow into the lake, of which the Riegerbach near Döbriach is the biggest. At the western end of the lake the short Seebach stream leads the water into the Lieser river, which itself is a tributary of the Drava. The oligotrophic lake with its deep basin has a large hypolimnic volume
and meromictic
waters, which are clear and reach drinking water quality. Fishery, especially for trout
, had been a source of food and work for residents since ancient times. Today sport fishing and angling is quite common not only for trout but also for several genera of carp
s, for wels catfish
, northern pike
, zander
, perch
and the european eel
.
. The B98 Millstätter Straße highway
runs along the northern shore of the lake, connecting it with the A10 Tauern Autobahn
motorway from Salzburg
to Villach
(European route E55
) at the Spittal/Millstättersee junction.
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...
, 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...
.
General facts
Lake Millstatt is situated in the Central Eastern AlpsCentral 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....
, near the town of Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau is located in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and the administrative centre of the federal state's second largest district, Spittal an der Drau. It lies between the Lurnfeld area and the Lower Drava Valley. The city consists of the seven...
. With a surface area of 13.3 km² (5.1 sq mi) it is the second largest lake of Carinthia (after 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...
), though with 142 m (465.9 ft) by far the deepest and most voluminous. Its steep shore gives the lake a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
-like character. The mountains in the north are up up to 2,100 metres high and protect it from cold winds, so the water temperature at the surface can reach 25 °C (77 °F) in summer. The narrow and long basin stretches over 12 km (7.5 mi) from east to west. In the south the wooded Hochgosch plateau with a breadth of 2 km (1.2 mi) and an elevation of 876 m (2,874 ft) divides the lake from the parallel Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
valley.
Millstatt
Millstatt is a market town in Carinthia, Austria. Within the Central Eastern Alps it is situated on a peninsula on the northern shore of the Lake Millstatt, in the district of Spittal an der Drau....
at the northern shore. Other municipalities near the lake are Seeboden
Seeboden
Seeboden is a village and municipality in the Spittal an der Drau district in Carinthia, Austria, EU.-Geography:-Location:Seeboden is located at the western end of the Millstätter See immediately next to the district capital Spittal an der Drau....
and Radenthein
Radenthein
Radenthein is a town in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is situated in the Gegend valley of the Nock Mountains region of the Central Eastern Alps, north-east of Lake Millstatt. The municipality also includes the cadastral communes of Döbriach, Kaning,...
-Döbriach. The shaded southern shore, a protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
since 1970, is almost uninhabited. Since 1901 ship transport in summer is provided by the Millstättersee Shipping Company, which today runs four vessels.
Numerous brooks flow into the lake, of which the Riegerbach near Döbriach is the biggest. At the western end of the lake the short Seebach stream leads the water into the Lieser river, which itself is a tributary of the Drava. The oligotrophic lake with its deep basin has a large hypolimnic volume
Hypolimnion
The hypolimnion is the dense, bottom layer of water in a thermally-stratified lake. It is the layer that lies below the thermocline.Typically the hypolimnion is the coldest layer of a lake in summer, and the warmest layer during winter...
and meromictic
Meromictic
A meromictic lake has layers of water that do not intermix. In ordinary, "holomictic" lakes, at least once each year there is a physical mixing of the surface and the deep waters...
waters, which are clear and reach drinking water quality. Fishery, especially for trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, had been a source of food and work for residents since ancient times. Today sport fishing and angling is quite common not only for trout but also for several genera of carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
s, for wels catfish
Wels catfish
The wels catfish , also called sheatfish, is a large catfish found in wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, and near the Baltic and Caspian Seas. It is a scaleless fresh and brackish water fish recognizable by its broad, flat head and wide mouth...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, zander
Zander
Zander is a species of fish. The scientific name is Sander lucioperca , and it is closely allied to perch. Zander are often called pike-perch as they resemble the pike with their elongated body and head, and the perch with their spiny dorsal fin. Zander are not, as is commonly believed, a pike and...
, perch
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
and the european eel
European eel
The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They can reach in exceptional cases a length of 1½ m, but are normally much smaller, about 60–80 cm, and rarely more than 1 m....
.
Transportation
Lake Millstatt can be reached via the Spittal-Millstättersee railway station with passenger train service provided by the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBBÖBB
The Austrian Federal Railways is the national railway system of Austria, and the administrators of Liechtenstein's railways...
. The B98 Millstätter Straße highway
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
runs along the northern shore of the lake, connecting it with the A10 Tauern Autobahn
Tauern Autobahn
The Tauern Autobahn is an autobahn in Austria. It starts at the Salzburg junction with the Westautobahn , runs southwards, crosses the Tauern mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps and leads to the Süd Autobahn and Karawanken Autobahn at Villach in Carinthia...
motorway from Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
to 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:...
(European route E55
European route E55
European route E 55 is a E-route. It passes through the following cities:Helsingborg … Helsingør – Copenhagen – Køge – Vordingborg – Nykøbing Falster – Gedser … Rostock – Berlin – Lübbenau – Dresden – Teplice – Prague – Tábor – Linz – Salzburg – Villach – Tarvisio – Udine – Palmanova – Mestre...
) at the Spittal/Millstättersee junction.