I love the silence in the morning - breathe deeply and calmly the fresh morning air. If you don't know me yet, I am the warmest moor lake in the Alps - the Schwarzsee in Kitzbühel. On many a magazine I was allowed to decorate the cover page - there I even put the Wilder Kaiser in the background. However, I want to claim that I maintain a good neighborhood. Certainly I am a little envious of certain contemporaries, like the Kitzbüheler Horn, which really enjoys a beautiful view. But I don't mind, I'm relaxed anyway. I often hear people say about me that I am a haven of peace, warm-hearted and close to nature. That always fills me with pride and makes me shine in the most beautiful colors. I have followed the hustle and bustle around me with a lot of attention and I could tell you even more stories about it. But I prefer to concentrate on the essentials again and impress with my SILENCE.
10,000 years ago the Schwarzsee is formed
Schwarzsee has an area of 16 hectares and at the deepest point the lake measures 7 meters. The Schwarzsee got its name from the fact that the lake is a bog lake and the bog water is also called black water. However, it is not black because of that, it rather shimmers in emerald green.
There are several legends about the origin of the Schwarzsee. But it is true that the moor lake was formed more than 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. After mighty glaciers melted away, large isolated blocks of ice, called dead ice, remained. As soon as the sediments around the melting dead ice blocks were solid enough, the lake formed there. Scientifically, the Kitzbühel Schwarzsee is called a dead ice hole.
Historical facts about the Schwarzsee
In the 16th century, the water of Schwarzsee was used to operate the copper mines at Rerobichl - north of Kitzbühel - via a specially constructed tricky water pipe.
Until the 1890s, little attention is paid to Schwarzsee. It is even stated that the dark Schwarzsee with its fir trees blocks the view into the beautiful Brixental. With the first summer resort guests, Schwarzsee is discovered as a bathing lake. Thus, the Schwarzsee has virtually taken over the summer tourism pioneer role in Kitzbühel.
In the beginning, Schwarzsee and its lake were privately owned. It was not until 1944 that the lake was acquired by the municipality of Kitzbühel. The "Stadtbad" building, which is now a listed building, was built in 1957 by the city of Kitzbühel on stilts above the water.
The moor
After the Schwarzsee with its beautiful surroundings was discovered as a tourist attraction in the 1890s, people became aware of the healing properties of the moor and moor water at the beginning of the 20th century. A specially built pipeline from Schwarzsee to the spa in the center of Kitzbühel thus opened its doors to spa guests in the new municipal moor bath. Until a few years ago, mud packs were still offered at the spa or today's Aquarena.
Schwarzsee nature reserve
The nature reserve at Schwarzsee covers about 22 hectares from the southeastern end to the northern part of the lake. It is designated as a habitat of national importance and a variety of rare plants grow in it. Another special feature is the large beaver lodge built by a family of beavers on the north side. The footpath leading through the nature reserve passes directly by it. Traces of the industrious rodents, such as gnawed trees or beaver dams, can be found everywhere around the lake.
#LocalHeroes from Kitzbühel
It is the people who make Kitzbühel and its vacation villages of Reith, Aurach and Jochberg so special. These are exactly the personalities we are talking about in our "LocalHeroes" series, in which the true heroes of our region are put in the spotlight. They would never call themselves heroes, but they are: Because it is only through their passion for what they do that we can all experience the unique Kitzbühel lifestyle.