Zireiner See
| Zireiner See | |
|---|---|
| Jewel of Rofan, Blue Eye of Rofan | |
 View of Zireiner See looking westward with Rofanturm/Rofanspitze (center), Marchspitze (right), and Latschberg (left) in the background | |
  Zireiner See | |
| Location | Tyrol, Austria |
| Coordinates | 47°28′N 11°49′E / 47.467°N 11.817°E |
| Type | lake |
| Natural spring | |
Surface area | 4 hectares (9.9 acres) |
Surface elevation | 1,799 metres (5,902 ft) |
Zireiner See (also known as the Jewel of Rofan or Blue Eye of Rofan) is a mountain lake in Tyrol, Austria, located in the Brandenberg Alps at an elevation of 1,799 metres (5,902 ft) above sea level. It covers an area of approximately 4 hectares (9.9 acres), sitting in a hollow bounded by Rosskogel at 1,940 m (6,365 ft) to the east, Latschberg at 1,944 m (6,378 ft) to the south, Rofanspitze at 2,259 m (7,411 ft) to the southwest, and the foothills of Marchspitze at 2,004 m (6,575 ft) to the west and north. At its western end, the lake is fed by a natural spring.[citation needed]
Geography and Access
[edit]Accessing the lake became significantly more difficult after the closure of the Sonnwendjochbahn I and II chairlift system, which ceased operations in 2015 before its permanent closure was officially confirmed in 2016.[1] While the former route from the Sonnwendjochbahn II's top station required a 1.5-hour round-trip walk, reaching the lake from the same valley floor trailhead (a parking lot in Kramsach) now requires an 8.5-hour round-trip hike with 1,438 metres (4,718 ft) of elevation change.[2]
One of the fastest access routes is a 4-to-5-hour round-trip hike from the top station of the Rofan Cable Car (Erfurter Hütte) via the Schafsteig trail.[3]
The lake is a waypoint on Stage 07 of the Eagle Walk (Adlerweg) between Jausenstation Waldhäusl and Erfurter Hütte,[4] as well as on the E4 European long-distance trail's stage between Steinberg am Rofan and Maurach.[3]
Culture and Legend
[edit]A local legend tells the story of a shepherd who used clay from the Zireiner See to repair his house and build a stove on the advice of a mysterious stranger. The following morning, the clay had transformed into gold. According to the tale, when the shepherd returned to the lake to gather more, the transmuting clay had disappeared.[5]
External links
[edit]
- Beschreibung des Zireiner Sees (in German)
References
[edit]- ^ Oberhauser, Andreas. "Die Sonnwendjochbergbahn wird eröffnet" (in German). Chronik Kramsach. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ "Zireiner See ab Kramsach" (in German). Alpbachtal Tourismus. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ a b "Zireiner See". 365Austria. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ "Eagle Walk Stage 07: Jausenstation Waldhäusl - Erfurter Hütte". Tirol Werbung. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ "Lake Zirein". Alpbachtal Tourism Board. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
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