Alpine lake webcams
Webcams on the lakes of the Upper Engadine and Valposchiavo: Lake Sils, Lake Silvaplana and Lake Poschiavo. For anyone who wants to know whether there is wind today, whether the lake is frozen or what the weather is like on the shore.
At a glance
- Lake Sils (1,797 m)
- The largest in the Engadine, 4.1 km² between Maloja and Sils Maria: in summer Europe's highest scheduled boat service crosses it, in winter it freezes.
- Lake Silvaplana (1,791 m)
- The kitesurfing lake: on sunny summer days the Maloja wind usually arrives shortly before midday. In winter it freezes and cross-country trails run across it.
- Lake Poschiavo (962 m)
- About 2.5 km long and up to 85 m deep, created by an ancient landslide: in summer people swim in it and a path goes all the way round.
- Lake St. Moritz (1,768 m)
- In winter it freezes and the White Turf horse races, first held in 1907, are run on the ice; its webcam is on the St. Moritz page.
- Lago Bianco (2,234 m)
- The reservoir on the Bernina Pass, about 3 km long and closed by two dams: it marks the watershed between the Adriatic and the Black Sea. The pass webcam is right beside it.
Good to know
The lakes on this page lie in two very different valleys. In the Upper Engadine, at about 1,800 metres, Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana fill the valley floor between the Maloja and St. Moritz: the cameras at Maloja, Sils Maria and Silvaplana look at the villages that grew up on their shores. In Valposchiavo, at 962 metres, Lake Poschiavo has two cameras, one at Le Prese on the northern shore and one from Miralago, to the south; the Brusio camera shows the valley further down, where the lake has already ended.
In summer, in the Engadine, the wind is what matters. The Maloja wind is a thermal breeze that on sunny days comes in over the pass and blows down along the lakes from the south-west, usually from shortly before midday until late afternoon and usually from June to September: that is why Silvaplana is one of the best-known kitesurfing spots in the Alps. In winter, at this altitude, the lakes freeze: snow usually covers the valley floor from November to April, and in March the Engadin Skimarathon runs across Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana. Lake Poschiavo, more than eight hundred metres lower, lives in another season: in summer people swim in it, though the water stays cool.
Lake Poschiavo was created by a very ancient landslide that dammed the valley; the Bernina railway runs along its shore between Le Prese and Miralago. Outside this collection there are other cameras close to the water: St. Moritz looks at its lake, the Bernina Pass is beside Lago Bianco and the Valmalenco camera frames Lake Palù, at over 1,900 metres. Explore also the webcams of the Engadine and Valposchiavo or the map.
On the map
Open the full mapFrequently asked questions
Is Lake Silvaplana frozen?
In winter, usually yes: at almost 1,800 metres the lake freezes and becomes a white expanse crossed by cross-country trails. The Silvaplana webcam shows what it looks like today, with the time of the shot.
When does the Maloja wind blow?
On sunny days in the summer months, usually from June to September: the breeze comes in over the Maloja Pass, arrives shortly before midday and drops in the late afternoon. The Silvaplana webcam helps you get an idea of conditions right now.
Which is the largest lake in the Engadine?
Lake Sils: 4.1 square kilometres at 1,797 metres. It is also the largest natural lake in the Alps above 1,000 metres.
Can you swim in Lake Poschiavo?
Yes, in summer, though the water stays cool. A level path runs round the lake and takes about two hours; the two webcams, at Le Prese and from Miralago, show the weather on the shores.
Which lakes have a webcam?
On this page Lake Sils (the Maloja and Sils Maria cameras), Lake Silvaplana and Lake Poschiavo (the Le Prese camera and the lake camera, from Miralago). Other pages of the site show Lake St. Moritz and Lake Palù in Valmalenco.