Lago di Aviasco, Italian mountain lake
Lago di Aviasco is a reservoir in the Lombardy Alps, created in 1923 by building a dam across a mountain valley. The lake sits at about 2064 meters elevation and is surrounded by steep rocky peaks, with its calm waters fed by mountain streams and snowmelt from surrounding heights.
The dam was completed in 1923 as the first and oldest hydroelectric structure in this lake system, designed to supply power to mountain communities. Construction and maintenance of the dam required significant effort from local workers, and it remains a working part of the region's energy infrastructure.
To reach the lake, start from Valgoglio and follow a provincial road up the valley, then turn onto a smaller mountain road leading to a parking spot near a mountain shelter. From there, a three-hour trek passes through forests, crosses small wooden bridges over streams, and involves increasingly steep sections with metal railings in challenging areas.
Large water pipes cross the hiking trail to channel water from higher lakes down to the hydroelectric station, making the infrastructure for power generation visibly part of the landscape. This blending of industrial elements with mountain scenery offers insight into how energy production shapes the region.
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