Address: Republic of Belarus, Minsk region, Myadel district
Square: 79.62 km²
Maximum depth: 24.8 m
Coordinates: 54 ° 51 "29.9" N 26 ° 46 "06.9" E
Short description
On the territory of Narochansky national park concentrated about 40 lakes. The largest of them - Lake Naroch - lost the glory of the "Belarusian Sea".
This reservoir is so huge (area - 80 sq. Km) that in cloudy weather beyond the horizon it is impossible to see the opposite shore. Lake Naroch was formed several millennia ago, when the retreating glacier, colliding with the Sventsian moraine ridge, melted and created a huge body of water, divided into a number of smaller bodies of water.
The bottom relief of the Naroch is composed of alternating depressions and elevations, the depths are small - about 9 meters, and only in the southeast in the "Gatovichi pits" they reach 25 meters. The legend of tragic love is associated with the origin of Lake Naroch. In ancient times, a dense forest grew on the site of the Naroch Lakes, on the outskirts of which there was a hut where a forester lived with his beautiful daughter Galina. Galina had a fiancé named Vasilyok, a brave man and a jack of all trades.
The young man made a magic mirror from spring grains of sand and presented it to his beloved. Peering into the transparent depth of the mirror, one could find out his fate. Once an old, rich gentleman wooed Galina, but the girl refused him. Then the rich kidnapped the forester's daughter, and Vasilek entered the hated master's palace and killed him. The servants rushed in pursuit of the fugitives. Having sent the girl home, the guy began to distract the attention of the pursuers.
Galina rode on a horse to the place where her hut stood, and saw only one ashes. Hoping for the return of Cornflower, the girl looked into the magic mirror and, instead of her reflection, saw in it that the murdered Cornflower was resting on a hill, and a black raven was circling over it. In despair, Galina dropped the mirror from her hands, and the silvery fragments turned into lakes in the Naroch region. The girl took the form of a seagull. In clear weather, she soars over the surface of the Naroch and calls her Cornflower.
Lake Naroch - the resort center of Belarus
Two dozen streams and the shortest river in Belarus, Skema, flow into Lake Narochanskoye.... Only one river Naroch flows out of the “Belarusian Sea”, the steep banks of which are replete with springs. A resort village of the same name is built on the northwestern shore of Lake Naroch. Surrounded by coniferous-deciduous forests of Naroch, there are multi-storey buildings of sanatoriums, tourist centers, rest houses and a children's health camp "Zubrenok". The beaches of the sanatoriums are equipped with boat stations and showers. At the holiday homes, there are campfire fields with barbecue facilities for those who like picnics in nature. The water in the lake is very clean (in some places the bottom is visible up to a depth of 6 meters), which creates conditions for salmon fish breeding.
In the distant 19th century, the fish stocks of Lake Naroch saved people from death: in lean years, the inhabitants of the Vilna province starved, and the population of coastal villages collected whole carts of bleak. Today, 25 species of fish can become trophies of a fisherman: eel, tench, pike, bream, Amur carp, perch, etc. There is no shortage of not only fish, but also birds on the lake. The mute swan, the common tern and the grebe, which are rare for Belarus, nest here. Amateur hunting and fishing on Lake Naroch are paid, vouchers are sold in the building of the administration of the National Park "Narochansky". Hunters usually manage to shoot a black grouse or a capercaillie, the more fortunate ones take with them the antlers of an elk, deer, roe deer, and wild boar.
In Belarus, in the north of the Minsk region, in the Myadel region, there is the Narochansky national park, in the center of which there are about 40 lakes. The largest of them is the picturesque Lake Naroch, which is the country's business card and resort, popular not only among Belarusians, but also among tourists from other countries. You can get to the lake from Minsk by minibuses that run regularly and leave from the Moscow railway station, and you need to go from Minsk to the village of Naroch with your own transport, the distance between them is about 160 km.
The lake appeared several thousand years ago during the retreat of the glacier, when it collided with the Sventsian moraine ridge. As a result, the glacier melted, forming a large number of water space, which after some time was divided into several reservoirs of small sizes.
The length of this natural reservoir is 13 km, the width is 10 km, and the area is about 80 square meters. km. Due to the large size of the lake, in fog or rain, the opposite shore is practically invisible, therefore it is popularly called the “Belarusian Sea”.
The average depth is about 9 m, but where the Gatovskie pits are located, the depth can reach 25 m. Above sea level, the lake is located at around 165 m.
Seventeen streams and the Skema channel flow into the Naroch, which connects it with Lake Myastro.
The water in "Naroch" is incredibly clean and transparent; in summer you can see the sandy bottom at a depth of 5-7 m, in winter - at 10 m.
The Nanosy Peninsula divides the lake into 2 reaches: Small and Big reach. In the northeast, not far from the coast, there is
an island with an area of 6.2 hectares, which is considered a natural monument.
The bottom is mostly flat, but there are places where it rises almost to the surface of the water. The shores of the lake are sandy and sandy-pebble.
The lake is rich in fish, in total there are 25 species that live in its waters, most of all bream, pike, roach are found here, you can also find freshwater eel. The water of the lake and the state of the fish living in it are constantly monitored by the Naroch biological and lake stations.
The lake is home to many species of waterfowl. Even birds listed in the Red Book nest in the vicinity of the lake, for example, the grebe, the mute swan, the osprey, and the small tern.
Lake "Naroch" is known to everyone as a climatic and balneological resort of the Republic of Belarus. Here you can relax and heal both adults and children, regardless of the season. On the shore of the reservoir there are many sanatoriums, hotels, health centers, boarding houses, recreation centers and a children's health camp "Zubrenok". The most popular sanatoriums "Naroch", "Priozerny", "Zhuravushka", "Narochansky Bereg", "Belaya Rus" treat diseases of the digestive system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, nervous system, urological diseases. ...
Tourist map of Lake Naroch, with sanatoriums and recreation centers (Red circles). 1. Sanatorium "Belaya Rus". 2. Pension "Narochansky Bereg". 3. Sanatorium "Naroch". 5. Hotel "Naroch". 6. Sanatorium "Priozerny". 7. Turkomlex "Naroch". 8. Pension "Sputnik". 9. Sanatorium "Borovoe". 10. Recreation center "The Seagull". 11. Pension "Zhuravushka". 12. Children's sanatorium "Zubrenok". 13. BVza of rest "Narochanka". 14. Sanatorium-preventorium "Sosny". 15. Recreation center "Rudakovo".
Detailed map of Naroch with cities, villages and roads (click on the photo to enlarge it).
While relaxing on the lake, it is possible to rent catamarans, water skis, boats or boats. And those who want to get acquainted with the magnificent nature of the area on their own can rent bicycles.
But most of all, vacationers of Lake Naroch like to visit excursions along the shore. Here you can go on a three-kilometer hike, ride a fun little train and admire the magnificent scenery.
Basic moments
The favorable climate and picturesque landscapes made it possible to create popular resorts on Lake Naroch. Recreation areas are located on the west, southwest and northwest coasts. Center resort region is the village of Naroch. Lined up here hotel, there are restaurants and cafes, there is its own entertainment center. In other locations near the lake there are sanatoriums, hotels, camp sites, summer camps for schoolchildren. There are comfortable beaches on the shores of Lake Naroch. In winter, skiing, sleigh rides and skating rinks are organized here.
The lake is surrounded by several villages, where fans of "green" tourism will find shelter and a table. During the season, the surrounding forests are full of mushrooms and berries, in the thickets of the forest hunters are waiting for shelters of local forestry, for those who like fishing near the coast, cottages are built. You can get to Lake Naroch from Minsk by regular bus or by car.
The history of Lake Naroch
In the Middle Ages, Lake Naroch was part of the possession of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Polish kings. At the end of the 18th century, this territory became part of the Russian Empire. By the beginning of the last century, summer cottages, private villas, a restaurant, berths for pleasure boats and sailing ships were built on the banks of a vast reservoir.
During the First World War, in March 1916, a major battle took place on the shores of Lake Naroch between Russian and German troops. This battle is known to military historians as the Naroch operation. After the war, the lake turned out to be on the territory of the revived Poland. In the early 1930s, the Polish government nationalized Lake Naroch and the surrounding lands. The pond was leased from the state by the landowner Yablonsky, who hired many boats and people who daily caught tons of fish. The landlord sent the catch to the markets of nearby cities. Residents of the lakeside villages were forbidden to fish in Naroch and were offered to get a job with the tenant of the lake. The peasants, despite the prohibitions, continued to fish in the waters of the lake, because this occupation for many was the main means of subsistence.
In the summer of 1935, a conflict took place here, which became a bright event in the history of the region. To stop illegal fishing, the landowner called a police boat. In the water area of the lake, the police detained several fishing boats, and a patrol boat took them in tow. But as soon as the procession approached the coast, the desperate wives of the fishermen threw themselves into the water and, together, turned the police motorboat over. The most active rebels were tried, but since then the police did not dare to take the fishermen "on board". Following the example of the Narrochan fishermen, residents of the entire lake region demanded that the ban on fishing be lifted. The unrest turned into peasants' protests of many thousands, the confrontation lasted until 1939. Several Soviet Belarusian artists dedicated paintings to the uprising of fishermen on Lake Naroch. Back in 1937, the outstanding Belarusian poet Maxim Tank described the events in the poem "Naroch", but the Polish censorship did not allow its publication, and the readers got acquainted with the revolutionary work only after the annexation of this territory to the BSSR.
In 1946, springs were found in the forests of the region mineral waters, and in several lakes surrounding the Naroch, they found sapropel - bottom sediments rich in useful substances. These discoveries made it possible to create a balneological hospital here. In the 50s and 60s, tourist centers and rest houses were built near Lake Naroch. The region has gained fame as the best Belarusian climatic and balneotherapy resort. Today there are nine health resorts on the shores of the lake.
In 1999, a national park was created here to preserve the landscape and diversity of flora and fauna.
Geography and climate
Lake Naroch is of glacial origin. About 15,000 years ago, when the melting glacier retreated to the north, rocky moraines appeared on the surface of the earth - gentle hills that make up a wonderful lakeside landscape. There are numerous groundwater outlets, springs and streams on the coast. The surroundings of Lake Naroch are covered with pine forests and deciduous groves, there are many small reservoirs around.
The southern shores are mostly low-lying, with comfortable sandy and gravel beaches. In the southeast there are peat bogs and bogs. In the north and northeast, the banks are steep, steep, indented by gullies and displacements of the ground, there are stony areas. Near the village of Gatovichi, the height of the coastal cliffs is 4-5 m, and near the village of Cherevki - up to 8-12 m. The western coast is mostly flat, but even here some areas rise to a height of 8-10 meters above the lake surface.
The bottom of the lake has a slight slope; the depth in most of the water area is from 2 to 5 meters. In the center and in the east of the reservoir, the bottom is uneven, here loamy shoals come close to the surface, there are vast whirlpools up to 15-20 meters deep. Opposite the village of Gatovichi there are whirlpools up to 24 meters deep, here they are called "Gatovskie pits". Near the northeastern coast, the glacier left a picturesque island with an area of 6.2 hectares, on its territory rare animals and birds live. There is a nature reserve here.
The waters of Lake Naroch are replenished by atmospheric precipitation, streams and bottom springs. Seasonal fluctuations in the water level are 35-40 cm. The circulation ensures a good saturation of water with oxygen. There are 25 species of fish, including whitefish, bleak, carp, crucian carp. The desired trophies of fishermen are tench, eel, burbot, pike. In the coastal reeds and reeds, many waterfowl nests - swans, different kinds ducks.
From the lake flows the only river flowing to the south - the winding Naroch. At the source, its width is 10-12 meters. After 75 km, on the border with the Grodno region, the Naroch flows into the Viliya river. The territory with an area of 6.2 thousand hectares from the source of the Naroch to the south was declared a state hydrological reserve "Cheremshitsa" included in the Naroch National Park, stretching over 97,000 hectares. There are 43 lakes in the park.
Lake Naroch is located in a zone of temperate continental climate. In January, the air temperature rarely drops below –8 ... –6 ° С. The surface of the reservoir freezes in the first decade of December, the thickness of the ice cover is 60-80 cm. The ice melts in mid-April, but even in May, ice in the coastal pebbles crunch underfoot. In June, the water in Naroch is still cold for swimming, its temperature reaches only +16 ... + 17 ° С, but sunbathing on the beaches is already quite comfortable, the air warms up to +19 ... + 22 ° С. Bathing season opens in early July, when a thermometer immersed in water records +18 ... + 20 ° С. At the turn of July and August, the water in the lake heats up to +22 ° С.
Beaches
An excellent sandy beach can be found opposite the Naroch hotel in the resort village of the same name. There are awnings, sun loungers, changing cabins, showers, toilets. The bottom is gently sloping, the depth near the coast is shallow, it is safe for children to splash around here. A long plastic pontoon leads from the shore to a depth sufficient for swimming. On the beach there are rental offices for boats and catamarans, sports equipment. The sandy coast stretches for hundreds of meters, there are sports grounds, children's attractions, beach cafes. The well-equipped beach of the Narochanka sanatorium is located about two kilometers away.
The total length of comfortable beaches on the shores of Lake Naroch is 8.5 km. The swimming season lasts about 80 days a year, from late June to early September.
Fun on Lake Naroch
The administration of the National Park "Narochansky" (resort village Naroch, Leninskaya St., 6), offers tourists 3-4-hour bus excursions in the picturesque surrounding areas. The cost of the trip is 6.45-9.65 Belarusian rubles. A visit to the dendrological garden located here will cost 4 rubles, an entrance ticket to the Museum of Nature - 2 rubles. For children 6-16 years old - 50% discount, for children under 6 years old - admission to the arboretum and the museum is free.
Anyone can go to the neighboring National park"Braslav lakes". Such an 8-hour excursion will cost 20 rubles. From here you can go to sightseeing in Minsk, Brest, Grodno, Vitebsk and other cities, visit the Khatyn memorial, take a trip to the holy places of Belarus.
Individual and group hunting tours for wetland, forest and wild game are also organized here. From May 15 to September 30, you can hunt roe deer, from August 20 to September 30, the hunting season for elk and wild boar is open, from September 1 to March 31, beaver hunting is allowed. Applications must be submitted 20 days prior to the desired arrival date.
Fishing enthusiasts have at their disposal dozens of reservoirs and rivers located in the territory of the National Park. There are places where you can cast a fishing rod for free (lakes Barsuki, Koz'e, Glubelka, Shestakovo, Chertok and some others). But in most bodies of water, fishing is paid. On lakes Volchino and Rudakovo, divers have the opportunity to arrange spearfishing, a daily license costs 25 rubles per person. If you brought windsurfing or kiting equipment with you, you will be provided with a launch pad for 10 rubles per day. On several reservoirs that are part of the Naroch group of lakes, fishing and swimming are prohibited.
You can buy fishing licenses (vouchers) and familiarize yourself with the rules of stay in the National Park in the administration building every day from 08:00 to 17:00. If you go to Lake Naroch from Minsk, you can also apply for vouchers in the capital of Belarus at the address: Timiryazeva street, 125/2, shopping center “Zhdanovichi”, pavilion “Veles”. The cost of a one-time daily fishing license is 5 rubles, a three-day fishing permit will cost 7 rubles, and if you decide to stay fishing for up to 10 days, you need to buy a license for 12 rubles.
You will definitely not be left without a weighty catch, having bought a daily fishing tour for 45 rubles to the ponds of the Narochansky nursery, which are simply teeming with fish. There is a rental point for the necessary equipment. Fishing rods and spinning rods can be rented for 1.6-2.4 rubles, a folding stool for 1.6 rubles, and packages with baits and lures are also sold.
Where to stay
In the resort village of Naroch on the shore of the lake, the hotel complex "Naroch" 3 * (Leninskaya st., 8) was erected. Nearby there are shops and a supermarket "Euroopt", there is also a market here.
Rooms are located in a five-storey hotel building. A single room will cost 47.5 Belarusian rubles per day, a double room - 85 rubles. The cost of daily accommodation in two-room "suites" is 100-165 rubles.
The hotel has a restaurant, bar, billiard room. A well-equipped gym and a lobby bar with a wide selection of cocktails and juices are available from 08:00 to 23:00. The complex is located Entertainment Center"Vega", where concert shows, parties, fashion shows are held. The center is open daily from 16:00 to 02:00, Friday and Saturday until 04:00.
The resort hotel complex also includes a caravan hotel. The cost of daily accommodation in a double room is 17 Belarusian rubles per person, in a 3-4-bed room - 14-15 rubles.
There is a sanatorium "Narochanka" in the village. At guests' disposal - a restaurant, bar, indoor pool, playground. All rooms are equipped with TVs and modern furniture. A family room can be rented for 76.5 Belarusian rubles. The payment includes three meals a day.
In the center of the village of Naroch, in a pine forest, you can stay in a 6-bed guest house. There is an equipped kitchen, a dining room with a fireplace, three bedrooms with separate bathrooms and two living rooms. In the yard you can use a barbecue and a wood-burning stove. Daily rent of a cottage in summer will cost 190 rubles, in cold months - 220 rubles (with heating).
Several guest cottages have been erected on the shores of Lake Naroch, far from the resort center. One and a half kilometers, in the beach area, there is an equipped 4-bed cottage with two bedrooms. The rental price is 150 Belarusian rubles per day.
13 km from the village of Naroch, next to the children's health center "Zubrenok", there are 4-bed guest houses of the auto-camping "Naroch" with parking. The cost of renting a cottage is 150 rubles. Nearby is the guest house "Pronki". There are three double rooms and one two-room "suite". The bedrooms are located on the second floor, while the first floor has a kitchen, dining room, living room with billiards and a sauna. This eight-bed guest house is rented for 270 rubles per day. For a three-hour session in the sauna, an additional payment is required - 90 rubles.
In the village of Antonisberg, which is 3 km from the village of Naroch, there are guest cottages, each of them is designed for four guests. The rental price is 140 Belarusian rubles.
Near Lake Naroch there are a half dozen tourist camps designed for setting up tents. There are toilets, campfire sites, and garbage is removed daily. At the parking lots "Antonisberg", "White", "Kochergi" you can spend the night for 6 rubles, there are gazebos with barbecue facilities. Parking lots "Strugolapy", "Rossokhi", "Melnitsa", "Broad Moat" and other pavilions are not equipped, but living here is cheaper - 4 rubles per day.
Where to have a snack
There is a restaurant with three halls on the first floor of the Naroch Hotel. No smoking here. Working hours: 07: 30-00: 00, break from 18:00 to 20:00.
The autocamping hotel has its own cafe located in the forest. It offers inexpensive breakfasts and dinners (8-10 rubles per person). The cost of a hearty lunch is 12-16 rubles. The specialties of the local chef are stuffed pike, grass carp baked with sour cream, eel fish soup, pies with pike perch fillet. Participants in hunting and fishing tours can bring their prey into the kitchen, and the chefs will prepare delicious dishes from fish and game.
How to get there
Regular buses and minibuses depart from the Central Bus Station of Minsk to the village of Naroch every day. In addition, passing buses of the routes Minsk - Zhuravushka and Minsk - Svir stop in Naroch. The ticket will cost 9-11 Belarusian rubles.
Leave Minsk by car along the P28 road leading to the northwest. Travel time is 2 hours.
In the basin of the Naroch River in the Myadel region of Belarus, there is a lake of the same name, which is part of the Naroch lakes group.
It is a tourist area as well as a resort with good beaches.
It is also worth noting that Lake Naroch is the center of the Naroch National Park. In total, there are about 40 lakes in it, Naroch is the largest. It is also popularly known as "Belarusian Sea".
No wonder, because the area of the lake's water surface is about 80 square meters. km., which in rainy or foggy weather simply does not allow you to see the opposite shore of the lake.
At the same time, the depth of the reservoir cannot boast of large values - on average, about 9 meters. Is that in the area of the Gatovskie pits, the depth of the lake is as much as 25 meters - this is the maximum depth.
In total, the lake has water reserves equal to approximately 710 million cubic meters. The catchment area of the Naroch is 279 sq. km. Forests grow on a quarter of this area, and lakes occupy only 35%. 17 streams flow into the lake at once. These are Pronki, Kupa, Simons, Antonizberg and so on.
Lake Naroch is connected to Lake Myastro through a short channel Skema. The Naroch River also begins here, in the lake of the same name.
Are you interested in? It corresponds to 55 kilometers straight and 63 kilometers on the road, driving along which you will spend 50 minutes of personal time.
Lake Naroch is one of the cleanest and most transparent fresh water bodies located on the territory of Belarus. The sandy bottom in it is clearly visible even at a depth of ten meters.
The lake is home to a very large number of fish and other species. The most popular of them are pike, roach, bream, bleak, mudflow. Freshwater eel is not uncommon. In total, there are more than twenty species.
The fish processing plant located on the shore of the lake deals with the preservation, smoking and salting of products. To some extent, this helps the region to develop economically.
The southern part of the reservoir has sandy beaches of sufficient width with a fairly gentle slope. In other words, it is very a good place for swimming.
In view of this, a sanatorium for children called "Zubrenok" was built here. Every year a large number of young visitors rest in it, who swim in the lake, play outdoor games and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature.
But not all over the area Naroch has gentle slopes and sandy beaches.
In the place where the reservoir flows into the Narochanka River, the coastal area is characterized by a high level of humidity. The shores here are quite low, but swampy, which leads to the formation of small areas of bogs. This habitat is ideal for herons, which can be found in abundance here.
V settlement, which is adjacent to Lake Naroch, everyone can rent a water ski, boat, catamaran or even a boat. Bicycles are also rented here - you can use them to go on an independent sightseeing tour at a leisurely pace.
In addition, there is also a collective excursion accompanied by a guide, the cost of which is about one and a half thousand rubles. Taxis run throughout the city, and there are also a large number of parking lots (paid and free).
It is believed that the formation of the lake occurred at the time of the retreat of the glacier several thousand years ago. It collided with the Sventsian moraine ridge, as a result of which it melted, creating a large body of water, which eventually divided into several smaller bodies of water.
There is a legend about the origin of the lake associated with tragic love. It tells about ancient times, when on the site of today's Narochansk lakes there were dense forests, on the edge of which there was a small house in which a forester lived with his beautiful daughter Galina. She had a groom, whose name was Vasilyok - a brave young man, a jack of all trades.
Once Cornflower collected spring grains of sand and made a mirror from them, which he gave to his beloved. The mirror was not simple: by looking deeply into it, one could find out one's fate.
Once a rich gentleman wooed Galina, but he was old and disagreeable to the girl - she refused him. In response, the rich man stole the girl. Cornflower rushed after him, saved his beloved, but at the same time killed the master.
His servants rushed after the fugitives. Vasilyok sent Galina home, and he himself decided to continue his flight, diverting the attention of his pursuers. But instead of her own home, Galina saw the aftermath terrible fire... The girl's only hope was the return of her lover. Galina dared to look in the mirror, but instead of her reflection, she saw the body of the killed Vasilko, lying on a hill and a black crow circling above him. In horror, she dropped the mirror - it shattered, and its fragments turned into the Narochanskie lakes. The girl herself became a seagull, and to this day she circles over the water surface, calling her Vasilko.
To date, a water protection zone has been created around the lake to preserve its natural wealth.
There are strict restrictions on the use of any natural resources on the territory of this special zone.
However, while resting on Lake Naroch on your own, you should be very careful. One of the main problems, which manifested itself here more than twenty years ago, is the possibility of contracting circariasis later by swimming in unallocated places.
The fact is that birds and fish of the reservoir can be affected circus, which in the future are capable of hitting a person. Typical symptoms of infection are itching, redness of the skin, general weakness, skin rash, blisters, high fever... Circariae penetrate into the upper skin and lay the larvae there. Subsequently, they die, but the symptoms of irritation remain for a certain period of time. It may take up to ten days for a complete recovery.
In fairness, it should be noted that the problem is relevant not only for Lake Naroch, it manifests itself in more than five hundred reservoirs throughout Belarus.
To minimize the likelihood of infection, it is strongly recommended to swim only in those places that are specially equipped for this. As a last resort, you can resort to the usual consultation with local residents.
It is also important to take a shower after each visit to the reservoir. Compliance with these measures can be regarded as a vital necessity that will provide you with a comfortable pastime and save you from possible problems.
Map of Lake Naroch and surrounding areas
How to get to Lake Naroch
Republic of Belarus, Minsk region, Myadel district.
The lake is located at a distance of one hundred and sixty kilometers from the regional center. You can get here from the city by regular bus, which runs regularly, or by taxi.
