The Defereggental Valley is part of the Austrian area of the Val Pusteria. In this valley there are many interesting and unmissable things, first of all the water paradise Defereggental. The ideal destination to relax in front of a panorama that counts all the shades of green of nature, and an unforgettable experience when visiting its attractions.
Here in this alpine corner is St. Jakob: a municipality of 891 inhabitants, with a territory to explore that is second in size only to Lienz. In the Hohe Tauern National Park, for example, or in the Oberhauser Zirbenwald stone pine forest, unspoiled nature makes us return to peace with the world. At 2009 meters above sea level, there is Jagdhausalm, the oldest alpine hut in Austria: 17 stone houses and a chapel that recall ancient times and give off a atmosphere so magical that it has been called the “Little Tibet in Osttirol”.
But this area is also famous for being a water paradise. Starting from Lake Obersee, the favorite place for photographers and motorcyclists, on the Austrian side, and Lake Anterselva in the Anterselva Valley in Alto Adige. Lake Obersee is approx. 600 m, 200 m wide and has a depth of 27 m. Right inside the lake in 1999, a pirogue from more than 1000 years ago was found, one of the most important naval finds in Europe. Today it can be admired at the Defereggen Archaeological Museum in St. Jakob.
However, our journey with water is not over. To the east of St. Jakob there is an entire thematic path, which winds along the valley. High mountain lakes, waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, springs, swamps and the same thermal waters that flow from the depths of the earth: a legacy of prehistoric seas that animates the natural space at the center of the Hohe Tauern National Park region. The water trail lasts 2 and a half hours and crosses peat bogs, a sulfuric source, mountain streams, a source of drinking water, the cascades of the Stallenbach stream and also allows you to visit an old mill. Suitable for everyone, including families, it ends in a natural playground.
