Samaranger See (zárva 2027 májusáig / closed until May 2027)
Temporarily closed (the hotel is shut until May 2027). The small Samaranger See, a short way above the Fernsteinsee, is the reason most divers come to the Fernpass. Huge tree trunks and branches, coated in bright green algae, lie criss-cross in water that diver reports describe as astonishingly clear. Fish are fewer than in the Fernsteinsee; the attraction is the light and the underwater wood. Access is limited to guests of the hotel that owns the lake, and groups are usually assigned after a check dive.
Facts
- Region: Austria – Tyrol: Fernpass, Plansee & Achensee
- Area: Fernpass lakes
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: bay
- Coordinates: 47.3492, 10.8267 (approximate)
- Highlights: sunken tree trunks covered in green algae, exceptional visibility (diver reports up to 30 m), private lake of Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee, altitude lake (~950 m), water below 10 °C even in summer
- Permit: Private lake: diving only as a guest of the Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee, with at least 2 nights and, per dive operators, 100 logged dives; diver numbers are limited. The hotel is currently closed and reopens from May 2027. Check current terms.
- Issuer / contact: Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee (lake owner)
- Phone: +4352655210
- Email: hotel@fernsteinsee.at
- Website: https://www.fernsteinsee.at/
- Closed / banned site: The owner, Hotel Schloss Fernsteinsee, is temporarily closed and reopens in May 2027; until then only the café, boat rental and campsite operate, and the site says nothing about diving. Check current terms.
- Unverified: The hotel website publishes no diving rules and currently announces a closure (reopening from May 2027); the terms (min. 2 nights, logged dives) come from dive operators and diver reports, and the exact entry is not published. Maximum depth not confirmed.
- Tips: Higher logged-dive minimum than for the Fernsteinsee (operators quote 100 dives). Perfect buoyancy is essential – do not touch the trunks or the bottom, the plant cover takes decades to recover in the cold water. The access track is rough; the entry itself is simple.