Lago di Poschiavo, lake in Switzerland

Lago di Poschiavo is a large reservoir in the Poschiavo Valley in Switzerland's Grisons region. The lake stretches about two and a half kilometers long, with villages like Le Prese and Miralago at each end, surrounded by gentle mountain slopes that descend to the water.

Lago di Poschiavo formed when the postglacial collapse of Monte Giümelin blocked the valley at today's Miralago. Since 1904 the lake has fed hydroelectric production: most of its water runs through a roughly 5.3 km tunnel from Miralago to the Monte Scala reservoir (about 937 m), then down a pressure pipe to the Campocologno power station (about 520 m). Of the basin's roughly 120 million cubic metres, about 15 million are used to generate electricity.

The lake's name appears in four languages: Lago di Poschiavo in Italian, Puschlaversee in German, lagh de Pusc'ciaf in Lombard and lai da Puschlev in Romansh. Le Prese and Miralago sit directly on the shore, while the centres of Poschiavo and Brusio lie 5 and 3 km away. A level footpath circles the water in about two hours.

You can reach the lake by train via the Bernina railway line, which runs along the western shore with stops at Le Prese and Miralago. Parking is available nearby, and a narrow trail circles the entire shoreline, with tunnels on the steep eastern side providing access to different spots.

The Bernina railway winds along the lake with sharp curves, offering train passengers views directly onto the water. There are plans for an ambitious pump storage project that would connect this lake to the higher Lago Bianco, potentially transforming energy storage in the region.