Description of the attraction
Varna Lake is the largest and deepest oblong estuary lake on the territory of the Bulgarian coast. Lake area - 17 sq. km, the depth varies from 9, 5 to 19 meters. The origin of this natural reservoir is tectonic.
It was formed from the mouth of the Provadiyskaya River, and the lake is separated from the Black Sea by a sandy two-kilometer strip, which regularly increases. The southern coast is steep and high, while the northern one is gentle. The lake bottom is covered with a thick layer of silt, reaching 30 meters in some places. In addition, the deepest parts of the bottom are covered with black hydrogen sulphide mud. It is used for mud therapy, the Varna Lake mud is very plastic and heat-absorbing, which enhances its healing properties.
The temperature of the lake and the level of its salinity are largely influenced by the incoming sea water. In spring, the salinity of water on the surface decreases, and increases in the summer-autumn period. Due to the predominance of salt water over fresh water, only marine fish species live in the lake.
In some places, the surface of the water warms up to +25 ° C. The average annual temperature on the surface is about +14 ° C, at the bottom the water warms up by no more than +8 ° C.
It is known that the area around the lake was inhabited by people in ancient times, as evidenced by the discovered traces of disappeared civilizations. On the shores of Lake Varna, archaeologists have found pile structures, flint tools and canoes. It is also noteworthy that on the northern side of the lake, in the modern industrial zone of Varna, in 1919 the famous necropolis was accidentally found, excavations in which are still ongoing. In addition, one of the elevated shores of the lake offers a view of the ruins of a basilica from the period of the Genoese colony.
