Batllava Lake; sr, Batlavsko jezero, name=a refers to both an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

and resort located in

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

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 Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...

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 The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

, 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 International Swimming Marathon is held every year in Batllava Lake. The "Kosova 2021" marathon was held, when 27 swimmers from

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

and

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

competed on a path. On the surface of the lake, apart from swimming, other water sports can be practiced, such as

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), a ...

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 Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffic ...

, 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.

Notes

References

{{Kosovo topics Lakes of Kosovo Podujevo

History

Geography

Present day

See also

Notes

References