This Italian Lake Has A 14th Century Bell Tower Sticking Out Of It

Submerged in Lago di Resia, an Italian lake near the Austrian and Swiss borders, is the sunken town of Graun (or Curon) which was demolished, flooded and turned into a gigantic artificial lake by a power company more than 60 years ago. Today, the only indication this tiny village was ever here is the single bell tower, the steeple of a 14th century church, that emerges abruptly from the water. In 1950, when Graun was destroyed and the inhabitants forcibly relocated, only the bell tower was allowed to remain as a historical marker, and the visual effect is as unsettling as it is striking.

Visitors to Lago di Resia (also called Reschensee) can now contemplate the bell tower from a beautiful trail that meanders around the lakeside and into the surrounding mountains. In winter, the stunning aquamarine water freezes over, and tourists can walk out on the ice to see the tower up close.

In any season, wind conditions are good for kitesurfing, ice sailing and ice surfing. But if I were you, I wouldn’t stick around the lake after dark – rumour has it that, even though they were removed 60 years ago, on some nights you can still hear the church bells ring…