Lago di Piana degli Albanesi, lake in Sicialy
Lago di Piana degli Albanesi is a reservoir in a mountain valley in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, sitting at around 610 meters above sea level in western Sicily. The shores are lined with poplars, willows, and oaks, and the water is framed by the limestone ridges of the Serre della Pizzuta rising on all sides.
The reservoir was created in 1920, making it the oldest of its kind on the island, built to meet the growing water needs of the region at the time. In 1999, the energy company ENEL handed the land over to the WWF, which turned it into a protected nature reserve.
The nearby town of Piana degli Albanesi has been home to an Albanian-speaking Orthodox Christian community since the 15th century, and this heritage is visible in the local churches, costumes, and language still used today. The lake itself is woven into the everyday life of the town, used for fishing and walking by locals who treat its shores as a shared open space.
The lake is easy to reach by road, and walking paths run along the shores without requiring special equipment or preparation. Morning or early afternoon tends to be the best time, when the air is cooler and wildlife is more likely to be seen.
Although the lake was built for practical water supply, it has become one of the most important bird habitats in Sicily, with eagles and hawks regularly spotted circling above the water. Walkers who move quietly along the shore also have good chances of seeing wild boars and foxes in the surrounding woodland.
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