Batllava Lake; sr, Batlavsko jezero, name=a refers to both an
artificial lake and resort located in
Kosovo.
History
Batllava Lake's dam started to be built in 1961 and was finished in 1965. The purpose of its construction was to supply water to the coal-fired power plants in
Obiliq. But, after the construction of Ujman Lake, from where the power plants are now supplied.
Batllava Lake, nowadays, supplies water to the largest water supply company, the regional water supply company "Prishtina", respectively the cities and villages of the municipalities of
Podujeva
Podujevo ( sr-Cyrl, Подујево), Podujeva, or Besiana ( sq-definite, Podujevë or ''Besianë''), is a city and municipality in Kosovo's Pristina District. According to the 2011 census, the city of Podujeva has 23,453 inhabitants, while ...
,
Pristina and Obiliq.
Geography
Batllava Lake is located in north-eastern Kosovo in the municipality of Podujeva. It is away from Podujeva and around from Pristina.
The lake extends west to east, since its dam is in the west of the lake and it is fed by the Batllava River. The lake is about long and it has a width up to . The depth of the lake fluctuates by the seasons but it can have a depth up to . The lake has a height of and is one of the largest lakes in Kosovo. Batllava Lake, being an artificial lake, it has a dam with a height of .
Present day
As one of the main
tourist destinations in Kosovo, Batllava Lake is surrounded by mountains and high forests rich in various plants. The natural landscape is amazing all year round, especially in summer.
Apart from its main function, the drinking water supply for some cities, the lake is also a suitable place for other sports activities; swimming, fishing and boating.
On the shores of the lake there are several well-known restaurants with fish menu and traditional food. Around the lake, in certain picturesque places, many mountain houses and holiday lodges have been built for tourists. The beauties of the lake and the forests around it attract many visitors at any time of the year.
Because the lake is rich in fish, especially
carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
and
northern pike, fishing is quite developed and attractive to many regular visitors. Fishing competitions are also organized every year.
Swimming is also an activity during the summer months. Swimming competitions are held in the lake from time to time. Organized by the
Kosovo Swimming Federation
The Kosovo Swimming Federation ( sq, Federata e Notit të Kosovës, / is the national governing body of swimming in Kosovo. Founded in 1997, the FNK became a full member of the International Swimming Federation (FINA) on 17 February 2015. The FNK ...
, the International Swimming Marathon is held every year in Batllava Lake.
The "Kosova 2021" marathon was held, when 27 swimmers from
Kosovo,
Albania and
North Macedonia competed on a path.
On the surface of the lake, apart from swimming, other water sports can be practiced, such as
diving,
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
,
water skiing, etc. Even
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
on the lake is a special pleasure.
See also
*
List of lakes of Kosovo
Kosovo is home to five large lakes. The largest of these is Gazivoda Lake, in the north-western part of Kosovo in the municipality of Zubin Potok. These are five of the largest lakes in Kosovo:
*Gazivoda Lake is shared between Kosovo and Serbia ...
*
Tourism in Kosovo
*
Water in Pristina
Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, is one of the municipalities with the most severe water shortages in the country. Citizens of Pristina have to cope with daily water curbs due to the lack of rainfall and snowfall which has left the city's wate ...
Notes
References
{{Kosovo topics
Lakes of Kosovo
Podujevo