Locals refer to the pond above Hafling/Avelengo either as Sulfner Weiher, which means ‘pond’ or Sulfner See, which means ‘lake’. Whether the body of water classifies as a pond or a lake, it was created many years ago as an artificial water reservoir to irrigate Sulfner’s lower lying pastures. Over time, many animal and plant species settled in and around the pond.

The pond is at its loveliest in summer. White water lilies cover the pond while yellow irises, floating water plantains, marsh horsetails, bulrushes, bur-reed, and a host of other plants thrive at the shoreline. Higher up on the banks of the pond, Alpine roses bloom in June – a colourful juxtaposition to forests of spruce, larch and Scots pine. In spring, common toads mate by the hundreds in the water: in the months that follow, naturally, you can see myriad tadpoles and small frogs in the water, surrounded by dragonflies.

The Sulfner Weiher Pond is easy to reach in a short walk from St. Kathrein/S. Caterina.