In the East Tyrolean part of the Carnic Alps, the Obstanser See with the eponymous mountain hut is located, a popular destination
Along the Carnic High Route, the Obstansersee Mountain Hut is located on the waterfront of the same-named lake. The mountain hike starts in Kartitsch and proceeds into the Winkler Valley. The scenic ascent proceeds past several particularities, among them the Prince Heinrich Chapel and the Obstans Ice Cave. At the top, Lake Obstans spreads in a little basin at 2,304 m a.s.l.
With a surface of 3 hectares, the lake is among the largest mountain lakes of East Tyrol, cows are grazing nearby. The Obstansersee Mountain Hut, managed by the Austrian Alpine Association and opened in summer, produces yogurt, cream cheese and quark. Also overnight stays are possible.
The area around Lake Obstans is located near the border to the Italian Province of Belluno, therefore the main ridge of the Carnic Alps was frontline terrain during the Mountain Warfare 1915-1917 in WWI. Back then, there was no mountain hut - it was built only in 1929 - but the path to the lake was used as a channel of supply for the Austro-Hungarian troops. A military cemetery and remains of old fortifications are both a 20-minute walk away and still remind of those times.
Altitude: 2,304 m a.s.l.
Surface: 3 hectares
Circumference: 750 m
Maximum depth: 8.3 m
Bathing: no
Water sports: no
