You’ve probably seen the photo. A lone, medieval bell tower poking out of a frozen lake, surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Alps. It looks like a movie set or a glitch in a video game. People often search for the town buried in Switzerland when they see this haunting image, but there is a bit of a geographic mix-up that happens right at the border.
Most of the time, when people talk about a submerged village in this region, they are actually thinking of Curon (Graun). It’s technically in the South Tyrol region of Italy, but it’s so close to the Swiss border that the history, culture, and even the search results get tangled up. Honestly, the border is almost an afterthought in these high mountain passes. The real story isn't just about water; it's about a community that was essentially sacrificed for the sake of industrial "progress" in the mid-20th century.
It’s heartbreaking.
What really happened to the town buried in Switzerland’s backyard
The tragedy of Lake Resia (Reschensee) isn't ancient history. It happened in 1950. While the rest of Europe was busy rebuilding after World War II, the residents of Curon and Arlung were watching their lives get systematically dismantled. The plan was to create a massive hydroelectric dam by merging two natural lakes: Reschensee and Mittersee.
People think this was some slow, natural disaster. It wasn't.
The Montecatini power company wanted more electricity. To get it, they needed to raise the water level by 22 meters. This wasn't a small adjustment. It meant 163 homes would be submerged. Over 500 hectares of cultivated land—the literal lifeblood of these farming families—would vanish under the surface. Imagine living in a house your grandfather built, knowing exactly what day the water was coming, and being powerless to stop it because the government prioritized industrial output over your heritage.
The bell tower that refused to sink
The 14th-century Romanesque bell tower is the only thing left. It’s the visual anchor of the whole tragedy. When the town was razed, they blew up the houses with explosives. They leveled the church. But the tower? It was too sturdy, or perhaps too symbolic, to go down easily.
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In the winter, the lake freezes solid. You can actually walk out to the tower. It’s an eerie feeling. You’re standing on top of what used to be a town square. Under your boots is the ghost of a village.
Local legend—the kind that makes your skin crawl—says you can still hear the bells ringing on cold nights. The catch? The bells were actually removed on July 18, 1950, weeks before the water rushed in. It doesn't matter. The "ghost bells" are part of the local lore now, a psychic scar left by a town that didn't want to die.
Why people confuse it with Switzerland
Geography in the Alps is messy. Curon sits right at the Reschen Pass. If you drive ten minutes west, you’re in Switzerland. If you drive twenty minutes north, you’re in Austria. The people there speak German, not Italian.
There are actually several sites that qualify as a town buried in Switzerland or at least very close to it. If you head over to the Swiss Canton of Graubünden, you’ll find the ruins of Marmorera.
Marmorera is the "Swiss version" of Curon. In the 1950s (a bad decade for Alpine villages, apparently), the old village was flooded to create the Marmorera reservoir. Just like in Italy, the inhabitants were forced out to satisfy the energy needs of Zurich. Today, when the water level drops during a dry summer, you can see the stone foundations of the old houses. It’s less "Instagrammable" than the lone tower in Italy, but the human cost was identical.
These aren't just ruins. They are monuments to a time when state interests completely flattened local rights.
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The reality of visiting these submerged sites
If you're planning to see the town buried in Switzerland or its more famous cousin in Italy, don't expect a theme park. It’s quiet. It’s somber.
- Lake Resia (Italy): Best visited in winter if you want to walk to the tower, but summer offers better hiking. The Reschen Pass is a major cycling route.
- Marmorera (Switzerland): Located on the Julier Pass. It’s a stunning drive, but the ruins are only visible when the reservoir is low.
- The Viamala Gorge: Nearby in Switzerland, where you can see how the geography made these villages so vulnerable to flooding and isolation.
You’ve got to understand the scale of the loss here. These weren't just buildings; they were centuries-old ecosystems. When you visit, you see the beauty of the turquoise water, but the locals see a graveyard.
Debunking the Netflix "Curon" myths
Yes, there is a Netflix show called Curon. No, it isn't a documentary. It leans heavily into supernatural horror—shadow selves, curses, and wolves. While it’s fun for a binge-watch, it obscures the far more interesting (and infuriating) political history. The "curse" wasn't magic; it was a corporate decision backed by a post-war government.
Actually, the real tension in the region isn't between ghosts and humans. It’s between the Italian-speaking administration and the German-speaking locals. The flooding of the town was seen by many as a final insult to the local culture, an attempt to literally wash away a community that didn't fit the national mold.
The science of the "Drowning"
How do these structures stay standing under tons of water?
The bell tower of Curon underwent a massive restoration in 2009. The water was actually eroding the mortar. They had to drain parts of the lake to repair the masonry. It turns out that being submerged for 70 years is terrible for 14th-century bricks.
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In Switzerland, the Marmorera dam is a feat of engineering, but it’s a constant reminder of the trade-offs of green energy. Hydroelectric power is "clean," but it’s not victimless. Every time we flip a switch in a European city, it's worth remembering that a village somewhere probably had to go under for that current to flow.
Practical steps for the modern traveler
If you want to experience the history of a town buried in Switzerland or the surrounding Alpine borderlands, don't just stop for a photo and leave.
- Visit the Museum Alt-Graun: It’s located near the lake in Italy. They have actual photos of the houses before they were dynamited. It puts faces to the tragedy.
- Check the Reservoir Levels: If you are heading to Marmorera in Switzerland, late autumn is usually when the water is lowest. This is your best shot at seeing the foundations of the old village.
- Respect the Silence: These are basically memorial sites. In Curon, there is often a lot of "influencer" activity, but the vibe is better if you treat it with the same respect you'd give a cemetery.
- Explore the "Sun Mountain": Above the flooded ruins of Curon, there are hiking trails that show you the irrigation systems the farmers used before the valley floor was destroyed. It shows the ingenuity of a culture that lived in harmony with the mountains for a thousand years.
The story of the town buried in Switzerland and the Reschen Pass is a reminder that the landscape is never just a backdrop. It’s a record. Every lake, every tower, and every ruin tells a story of who won and who lost in the name of progress.
To truly understand the region, start your journey at the Reschen Pass visitor center to see the original blueprints of the dam project. Then, drive thirty minutes west into the Swiss Engadine valley to see the villages that escaped the same fate. This contrast provides the clearest picture of what was lost. Seeing the intact architecture of a town like Guarda or Ardez makes the empty tower in the water feel much more heavy.
The next time you see that tower on social media, remember it’s not a decoration. It’s a survivor.