Vlasina Lake, Reservoir in Southeast Serbia
Vlasina Lake covers 16 square kilometers at an elevation of 1213 meters and is the highest and largest artificial body of water in Serbia. The shoreline is surrounded by forested hills, while two fixed islands and smaller floating patches of land move across the water.
A dam built between 1946 and 1948 turned a peat bog into a reservoir that reached its final volume in 1954. Several villages and pastures were submerged as the water rose.
The name comes from a river that once flowed through the area and now lies beneath the water. Floating islands drift slowly across the surface, while fishermen sometimes still speak of old settlements beneath the waterline.
Water temperatures rise enough for swimming in summer, while the surrounding area is suitable for hiking or boating. Access to the shores is possible at several points, with some areas easier to reach than others.
Two forested islands, Dugi Del and Stratorija, remain in fixed spots, while smaller peat islands drift across the water surface. These floating patches form when chunks of peat break away from the shore and wander independently.
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