Situated within the valley of the Möll river, a tributary to the Drava, Reißeck is located about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of the district capital Spittal an der Drau.

It was named after the Reißeck massif (2,965m/9,727 ft) in the north, part of the Ankogel Group of the Hohe Tauern mountain range.

In the course of a 1973 administrative reform, Kolbnitz an der Tauernbahn was merged with neighbouring Penk and Mühldorf into the municipality of Reißeck.

Further archaeological artifacts near the water well at the summit of the prominent peak indicate the existence of a Celtic sacred grove and a Roman temple dedicated to Hercules.

The water is collected in several reservoirs in the Reißeck (linked with the Kölnbrein Dam in the upper Malta valley) and Kreuzeck mountains and lead to the plant through five penstocks with a maximum altitude difference of about 1772m/5815 ft.