Lake Silvaplana, Lake in the Upper Engadine, Grisons, Switzerland

Lake Silvaplana is the middle of the three lakes of the Engadine lake chain, in the Upper Engadine valley of Grisons, Switzerland. The Inn, called Sela here, flows through it, and at a narrows about 35 metres wide it passes into the Lej da Champfèr. The lake covers 2.71 square kilometres and holds 127 million cubic metres of water. It is overlooked by Piz Corvatsch, Piz Julier and Piz Surlej.

The lake was shaped by glaciers that once covered the Engadine valley over many centuries. Some of the surrounding glaciers, such as the Vadret dal Tremoggia, still feed meltwater into it today.

The lake is well known among windsurfers and kitesurfers because the Maloja wind blows steadily and strongly across the water. On windy days, the lake fills with colorful sails while spectators watch from the shore.

The shore is easy to reach on foot or by bike, with marked paths running around the lake. Summer winds are at their strongest, which is great for water sports but can feel brisk for those just walking along the edge.

Nietzsche's own account in Ecce Homo places the moment in August 1881, during a walk through the woods beside the lake, "by a mighty pyramidal block piled up not far from Surlei" — that is, near Surlej on the eastern shore, not Sils Maria. The rock is the starting point of the Eternal Recurrence.