Toplitzsee (TILOS / no diving)
Diving is prohibited. The Toplitzsee near Gössl (Grundlsee) belongs to the Österreichische Bundesforste and has been a nature reserve since 1991; apart from one traditional flat boat to the east shore, boats and water-sports gear are not allowed either. The lake is about 103 m deep and has no dissolved oxygen below roughly 20 m. It is famous for the Second World War: in 1959 boxes of forged British banknotes were recovered, and sunken logs at mid-depth make deeper diving hazardous.
Facts
- Region: Austria – Salzkammergut lakes
- Area: Inner Salzkammergut (Hallstatt, Grundlsee, Gosau, Altaussee)
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Coordinates: 47.643769, 13.927778 (approximate)
- Highlights: DIVING BANNED – Österreichische Bundesforste lake, nature reserve since 1991, lake about 103 m deep, no dissolved oxygen below about 20 m, sunken logs at mid-depth; boxes of forged Nazi banknotes recovered in 1959
- Closed / banned site: Diving ban: the lake belongs to the ÖBf, has been a nature reserve since 1991, and diving is prohibited; it is not a Dive Card lake. Check current terms.
- Tips: Only a walk (about 20 minutes from Gössl) and the boat trip are possible; do not enter the water with diving gear. For diving nearby, use the Grundlsee Dive Card sites.