Kaunertal

The Kaunertal is a municipality and alpine valley in the Landeck district in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The municipality is located about 15 km southeast of Landeck at the upper course of the Inn river.

The Kaunertal valley is 28 km (17 mi) in length and runs southeast from the town of Prutz (884 m) to the Kaunertal Glacier. The valley is traversed by the Faggenbach river, which rises south of the Weißseespitze mountain (3044 m) and flows into the Inn river at Prutz (884 m), the site of a hydroelectric power station. The Gepatsch Reservoir (Gepatsch Stausee), which is located on the upper course of the Fagge river, is 6 km in length, has a capacity of 138,000,000 m3, and is formed by a rockfill dam that is 630 m long and 130 m high. The dam was constructed in 1961. Water from the lake is used to generate electricity through a pipe system 13 km in length, located at the south end of the Kaunertal. The generator facility at Prutz produces 620 million kilowatt hours per year. The lake surface is at an altitude of 1820 m.

The main town in the valley is Kauns (1050 m), located near the Inn river, with its Schranz Chapel containing the Kauner Kreuz. The Kaunertal Glacier Road continues up to the Weißenseeferner glacier. This toll road is the fifth highest paved road in the Alps and reaches an elevation of 2750 m (9025 ft). With 29 180-degree turns, the road leads all the way to the base of the ski area at 2750 m. The main source of income is this glacier ski area with 35 km slopes and 10 lifts, which was opened in 1982. Due to the ski area's elevation of 2200 - 3050 m, and the glacier, it is operational from mid-October to mid-June.

The ruins of the thirteenth-century Bernegg Castle with its Gothic chapel are also located in the valley.

Notable people

 * Alexander Van der Bellen (born 1944), President of Austria