About Silvretta Dam

The Silvretta Reservoir straddles the border between Vorarlberg and Tyrol in the heart of the Silvretta massif, one of the most glaciated ranges in the eastern Alps. The 80-metre arch dam, completed in 1943 on the Ill River, stores 38 million cubic metres at 2,030 metres above sea level. It is one of Austria's oldest major alpine dams, constructed during World War II to supply hydroelectric power to the German war economy. Today the reservoir is part of Illwerke vkw's integrated Vorarlberg energy system. The Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse — a high mountain toll road open only in summer — leads directly to the reservoir, making it one of the most accessible high-altitude lakes in Austria. The area is famous for the Silvretta glacier panorama and serves as a staging point for ascents of the Piz Buin (3,312 m), the highest peak in Vorarlberg. The reservoir lies within the Silvretta Nature Reserve, where strict environmental regulations protect the fragile Alpine ecosystem around the dam.