Lake Sils (German Silsersee, Romansh: Lej da Segl) is a lake in the Upper Engadine valley, Grisons, Switzerland. It takes its name from the village of Sils im Engadin.

Lake Sils
View from Plaun da Lej towards the Chastè peninsula
Lake Sils Show map of Canton of Graubünden Lake Sils Show map of Switzerland Lake Sils Show map of Italy Lake Sils Show map of Alps
Location	Engadin, Grisons
Coordinates	46°25′0″N 9°43′51″E
Native name	Silsersee  (German) Lej da Segl  (Romansh)
Primary inflows	Inn, Aua da Fedoz
Primary outflows	Inn (named Sela until Lake Silvaplana)
Basin countries	Switzerland
Max. length	5 km (3.1 mi)
Surface area	4.1 km2 (1.6 sq mi)
Average depth	35 m (115 ft)
Max. depth	71 m (233 ft)
Water volume	137 million cubic metres (111,000 acre⋅ft)
Residence time	2.2 years
Surface elevation	1,797 m (5,896 ft)
Islands	Chaviolas (islet)
Settlements	Sils, Maloja

Geography

The lake lies at an altitude of 1,797 metres above sea level, between Maloja Pass and Lake Silvaplana. Several mountains over 3,000 metres overlook the lake, notably Piz Corvatsch, Piz Grevasalvas and Piz da la Margna. The lake's drainage basin culminates at Piz Fora (3,336 m) and comprises the Vadrec da Fedoz glacier.

With a surface area of 4.1 km², Lake Sils is the largest lake of the Engadine. It is also the largest natural lake in the Alps lying above 1,000 metres.[1] The lake was formed by a prehistoric landslide dam, similarly to Lake Silvaplana.[2]

The wooded Chastè peninsula extends into the lake at its north-eastern end. At the end of the peninsula there is a plaque to Friedrich Nietzsche with a passage from Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Near the peninsula is located the wooded island of Chaviolas, the largest in Lake Sils. Annually, in winter, the cross-country Engadin Skimarathon crosses the lake, starting at its edge in the Maloja Palace.

Boat connections run from end of June to end of September, making Lake Sils one of the highest lake in Europe with public transport boat route.[3]

The largest villages on Lake Sils are Sils im Engadin and Maloja (part of Bregaglia), located respectively at the eastern and western ends of the lake. Other hamlets are Cadlägh, Isola and Plaun da Lej.

See also

• Engadine Line
• List of lakes of Switzerland
• List of mountain lakes of Switzerland

References

External links

• Media related to Lake Sils at Wikimedia Commons
• Lakes of the Upper Engadine valley in Romansh, German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Waterlevels of Lake Sils at Sils Baselgia

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На других языках

[de] Silsersee

[fr] Lac de Sils

[it] Lago di Sils

[ru] Зильс (озеро)