Photo: Dedy · Public domain
Photo: Chech Explorer · CC BY-SA 3.0
Golyam Beglik is a reservoir of about 4.1 km² in the Rhodopes of Pazardzhik Province, at about 1,525 m on the Beglika Plain, among the Batak Mountain, the Syutkya Range and the Veliytsa-Videnitsa Range. It is up to 40 m deep, and three islands covered in pine forest rise from the water. Like its neighbours Batak, Beglika and Shiroka Polyana, it is one of the main places to visit in the area.
How it formed
Built in 1946–1951 and called Vasil Kolarov until 1999, it belongs to the Batak hydropower cascade. It is fed by small streams from the Syutkya Range, mainly Cherno Dere and Zhalto Dere, and its outflow runs towards the Vacha by way of the Devinska river.
Nature
Wild ducks and geese live on the water, and the forests around it hold brown bear, deer, wolf, fox and wild boar. The Beglika reserve nearby is mostly coniferous forest with mountain streams and meadows.
Visit
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
The lake lies on the road between Batak and Dospat and can be reached from either side. Tourism is still modest, with private villas, a small hotel called Siniya Zaliv (Blue Bay), and bungalows at Chatama on the western shore, where summer camps, trekking and biking are on offer. The Beglika area has camping places with toilets and walking paths.
Anglers come here in numbers, and boat trips, kayaking, cycling and hiking are all possible. Every August, the Beglika Fest brings artists, athletes and nature lovers to the shore. Access to the nearby protected areas is controlled, so check before setting out.
Nearby lakes
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Sources & data
- Bulgaria's 2022 Water Framework Directive reporting to the EEA: lake (LW) and transitional (TW) water bodies, field cArea, European Environment Agency (WISE WFD), reported by Bulgaria, 2022
- OpenStreetMap: яз. Голям Беглик (relation 3105438), OpenStreetMap contributors
- Wikidata: Golyam Beglik (Q5581020), Wikimedia Foundation
- English Wikipedia: Golyam Beglik, Wikimedia Foundation
- Golyam Beglik Reservoir, BG Guide
- 5 dams around Plovdiv for fishing and cooling, Lost in Plovdiv