Lake Faak

Lake Faak
Faaker See (German)
Aerial view of Lake Faak from the northwest
Lake Faak
Location	Carinthia
Coordinates	46°34′40″N 13°55′30″E
Primary inflows	Wourounitza, Rotschitza
Primary outflows	Faaker Seebach to Gail River
Basin countries	Austria
Max. length	2.3 km (1.4 mi)
Max. width	1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Surface area	2.2 km2 (0.85 sq mi)
Average depth	16.1 m (53 ft)
Max. depth	29.5 m (97 ft)
Water volume	35,240,000 m3 (28,570 acre⋅ft)
Residence time	1.8 years
Surface elevation	554 m (1,818 ft)
Islands	Lake Faak Island (Faaker See Insel)
Settlements	Faak, Drobollach, Egg

Lake Faak (German: Faaker See; Slovene: Baško jezero) is a lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia. With an area of approximately 2.2 km² (0.85 sq mi), it is the state's fifth-largest lake.

Geography

Baroque shrine on the shore, view to Mt. Mittagskogel

The lake is located southeast of Villach in the Drava Valley, below the northern slope of the Karawanks mountain range beneath Mt. Mittagskogel (Kepa). The settlements of Drobollach and Egg on the northern shore belong to the City of Villach. The village of Faak to the southwest, after which the lake is named, is part of the municipality of Finkenstein. It is the only lake in Carinthia located on the right bank of Drava River).

Lake Faak, known for its clear turquoise water, is a popular tourist destination with a wide range of hotels and restaurants on the shore. European Bike Week, the largest motorcycle rally in Europe, is annually held at the lake in September. Fishing, especially for whitefish (Reinanke) but also for carp, pike, wels, and zander, is quite common.

In 1855, Lake Faak inspired the local priest Franc Treiber to compose the song Nmav čez izaro (Over the Lake), which soon became one of the best-known Slovene folk songs, and still today is considered the unofficial anthem of the Carinthian Slovenes.

External links

Media related to Faeker See at Wikimedia Commons

• Carinthian Institute of Limnology
• Tourism site