Oetz - Piburger See

This easy-to-intermediate walk to the pretty Piburger See lake takes you into a fascinating world of contrasts. On the one hand walkers experience the wild water of the Ötztaler Ache, on the other the mirror-like surface of the Piburger See lake surrounded by lush forests. At the end of the lake there is a restaurant with a swimming area, where hikers can cool off on hot days. The Piburger See, one of Tirol's warmest swimming lakes, was elevated to the status of a protected area of natural beauty in 1929, making it one of the oldest nature reserves in the region.
The walk begins at the car park in Oetz and leads along the banks of the thundering Ötztaler Ache river as far as the "Wellerbrücke" bridge. Cross over the river there and head gently uphill into the forest. This will take you all the way to the "Seehäusl" on the eastern shore of the lake, at 913 metres above sea level. Continue along the southern shore of the lake until the trail heads up to the Seejöchl ridge (1,047 metres). Follow the circular trail as far as Piburg, turn right there and walk past the old mill back to the lake. Then head along the northern shore, past the restaurant and the Gasthaus Seehäusl and then eventually back to Oetz.