Church Tower of Dorfes

We accidently cam across this on out way to italy. It was a nice view moetly for the area arround it, while the tower itself wasn't that impressive. It also somehow looked like it was in its own little pool that was kept filled with water to keep thw imersion while the water of the rest of the lake was way lower since it was so dry. Not aure if worth an extra teip tho.

Magic place with an astonishing panorama on Lake Resia, surrounded by the mountains. During winter time the lake is frozen so you can reach the bottom of the bell tower on foot. On the lake you can also practice snowkite and ice skating.

Lovely place to see and visit. There is one like this also in Turkey, #Hasankeyf. It is a national fitness park that you may enjoy.

Not only the church tower was witness - the inhabitants of the South Tyrolean village Graun also had to watch as the village was flooded. On August 1, 1949, the locks of dame were provisionally closed for the first time. The population was not informed about it. The inflowing water jammed then, the water level rose, the lake spread and reached for the meadows and villages in the valley. The water stood higher and higher. Resistance was futile. The Prieths were asked to pack their belongings and leave their homes. They carried the furniture in the trucks. People received a compensation, which was ridiculous at first, and was still shamefully low after a remedy. And they were assigned a house that had Montecatini built at a safe distance. 65 of the approximately 100 families moved away at that time, many of the survivors had to move to a barrack village. They had been forcibly expropriated, out of "national interests to strengthen national industry," as the information board on the lake says. Everything but the church steeple of the parish church of St. Catherine was destroyed. The church tower was built around 1300. In 1727 it was expanded to create more space for the bells. On July 9, 1950, the last service was celebrated there. Exactly two weeks later, the church, which had already been marked by hundreds of holes for the explosive, was to be finally destroyed. But the pastor could prevent the blast that day - not on a Sunday. Of course he could not save the church, a few days later it fell. Only the tower next to the church remained standing, at the behest of the Trient of Monuments of Trent - it was classified as a work of art and thus saved from being blown up. The dammed up water rose and rose until the ruins were no longer visible. And thanks to its new environment, the old work of art became a whole new, more powerful one. Decades later, the tower threatened to be blown up. In 2007 cracks were discovered in the tower, and the South Tyroleans feared that water would penetrate the walls. In winter, frozen water could have caused the building to collapse. Only since a renovation two years ago, the tower is safe again. For the ignorant, it remains a curious eye-catcher in the holiday paradise. For the initiated, however, it remains a memorial. One that shines in the South Tyrolean sun and yet reminds only of the shadows of history.

It has some very cool history. It was a town back in the 1500's and it was Swiss territory and then around 1950 the Italians won world war one and took over that area of Switzerland. Then the Romans placed a notice in Italian that they were going to build a dam and raise the water level 22 meters. And because none of the town's folk spoke Italian they had no clue what was happening so the town flooded and they torn down everything except the tower and that's why that's there.

An iconic monument: Quite famous bell-tower in a lake. A must-see in the region.

Beautiful place! You can seat with your sandwich and watch for hours!

Unbelievable place. Unique possibility to walk around the tower of drawned church, make your own tower from stones and make amazing pictures. Good atmosphiere. My recomendations to stay there at least for few hours. Free parking and wc available.