Pumpspeicherwerk Goldisthal

The Goldisthal pumped-storage power station in the Thuringian Slate Mountains is Germany's largest hydroelectric plant, with an output of 1,060 megawatts, placing it among the most powerful in Europe. Construction began in 1997 and the facility entered operation in 2003, exploiting the elevation difference between an upper reservoir and the Schwarza river valley below: water is pumped uphill during periods of low electricity demand and released through turbines at peak load — making the plant a critical balancing reservoir in Germany's power grid. The area around the upper basin serves as a designated viewpoint, with hiking trails running through the surrounding forested ridgelines of the Thuringian uplands.