Reschensee

At the Reschen Pass, one enters the Italian South Tyrol from Austria. The valley runs along the Reschen basin with the church's bell tower of Graun still emerging from the water in a north-south direction towards Mals Vinschgau.
Over the 1504 m height of the Reschen Pass (Reschenpass) runs one of the oldest Roman alpine roads, the Via Claudia Augusta. The road connected the upper Inn valley in the north with the Adige valley in the south. This crossing later took place in the shadow of the Brenner and has remained so to this day.
The road over the Reschen Pass is generally in good condition. On the Austrian side, it has a width of 5 to 11 meters and a maximum incline of 9%. On the Italian side, the road is 7 to 8 meters wide with a maximum gradient of 7%. The drive over the pass is most beautiful from north to south. At the height of the pass, there is an impressive view of the Ortler group, which rises heavily and threateningly against the sky in the south, but crowned with glittering glaciers.
The village of Reschen (Reschen; 1494 m; 600 inhabitants) lies south of the Reschen Pass. It is very well suited as a summer residence: a good starting point for excursions into the mountains, and one can surf and windsurf on the lake. In winter, it is a winter sports resort. The construction of the large basin (Reschensee) from two small reservoirs submerged most of the original Reschen under water. Hence, the houses mainly date from after 1949. The road along the reservoir is exemplary as a wide boulevard. The landscape was completely transformed by the reservoir. However, the view of the Ortler group to the south remains unchanged and equally impressive.

janssem