Kaprun Reservoirs: Mooserboden & Wasserfallboden

The Kaprun reservoirs come as a pair: high above the village, the Mooserboden and Wasserfallboden lakes sit at around 2,000 metres on the edge of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The ride up by transfer bus and funicular is an experience in itself; at the top you'll find dam tours, hiking trails and a large sun terrace. From Chalet Kaprun you reach the valley station in a few minutes by car.

Turquoise water, glaciers behind, the Grosses Wiesbachhorn above: the Mooserboden sits at 2,040 metres and is the upper of the two storage lakes. Two mighty walls hold it back. The Moosersperre is 107 metres tall and 494 metres long, the neighbouring Drossensperre reaches 112 metres. Together with the Wasserfallboden below, the lakes store over 160 million cubic metres of water for hydroelectric power.

The dams were built in the post-war years as part of the Kaprun power plant group, and operator Verbund still opens the site to visitors every summer. How the walls were built and what they do today is told in the free exhibition at the Moosersperre.

Private cars only go as far as the Kesselfall car park at the end of the Kaprun valley; the mountain road itself is closed to them. From there the operator takes over:

1. Park or take the bus: Kesselfall car park (first hour free, day rate €5). Without a car, bus line 660 runs from Kaprun to Kesselfall, free with the Guest Mobility Ticket.
2. Transfer bus: buses shuttle uphill continuously, no timetable needed.
3. Lärchwand funicular: Europe's largest open funicular climbs 431 metres, one busload per cabin.
4. Second bus: the final stretch passes the Wasserfallboden up to the Moosersperre at 2,040 metres.

Allow about 45 minutes for the full ride up. Early birds catch the 6:45 am mountaineers' bus on summer weekends.