Vernagt-Stausee, Artificial lake in Val Senales, South Tyrol, Italy.
Vernagt-Stausee, also known as Lago di Vernago, is a reservoir in Val Senales in South Tyrol, sitting at roughly 1,690 meters above sea level, ringed by the peaks of the Texel Group Nature Park. The water fills a wide valley floor and reflects the surrounding ridges when the surface is calm.
A dam was built in the 1950s, flooding the valley and submerging eight farmsteads along with a village church. The families living there had to leave Vernagt, a settlement that had been inhabited for centuries before the water rose.
Every autumn, shepherds lead their flocks from the lake area over mountain passes into Austria, a transhumance route that has been followed in this valley for generations. Visitors who arrive at the right time of year can watch the procession from the lakeshore.
A trail loops around the lake and offers changing views of the water and the peaks above, without being particularly demanding. The path is easy to reach on foot, and walkers with average fitness will find it manageable.
When the water level drops low enough, the bell tower of the submerged village church rises above the surface and can be seen clearly from the shore. The outline of the old settlement also begins to emerge from the water around it.
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