Croatia · Istria

Lake Butoniga

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Butoniga

Lake Butoniga is the main drinking-water reservoir of Istria, built in 1988 on the Butoniga river. Besides supplying water to Pazin, Poreč and Rovinj, it holds back flood waves and is used for irrigation. The Butoniga river and the Dragućki and Račički streams feed it, and carp, chub, pike, zander and trout live in it. Because it supplies drinking water, swimming and fishing in the lake are not allowed.

How it formed

Butoniga is a reservoir built in 1988 on the Butoniga river in central Istria, near Motovun. The Butoniga and the Dragućki and Račički streams flow into it, and the water leaves into the Mirna; part of the reservoir is set aside to catch sediment before it reaches the intake.

Nature

Carp, chub, pike, perch and trout live in the lake. Because it is the drinking-water source of much of Istria, the lake is a quiet place where no one fishes or swims, and walkers and cyclists have its green hills largely to themselves.

Gallery

3 photos

Photo: Bonč · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Visit

Swimming is prohibited.

Swimming

Prohibited

Fishing

Prohibited

Tips

Butoniga is the drinking-water reservoir of much of Istria, so swimming and fishing are strictly prohibited and access to the water is limited; the lake is enjoyed from above. Walkers can take a loop from Šćulci of about 13.7 km (four hours) or a shorter, easy loop of about 4.9 km, and viewpoints include the lookout near the climb to Kašćerga and the villages of Grdoselo, Vrh and Ukotići. Road cyclists favour a loop of about 31 km from Motovun, and the 6 km climb up to Kašćerga is a challenge. Birds are an attraction, and spring and autumn are the pleasant seasons.

The lake is about 20 minutes by car from Motovun and half an hour from Pazin. Nearby, Zarečki krov on the Pazinčica has a cave, a waterfall and a pool, and the Butori abyss and waterfall near Šterna, reached by a fenced path with handrails, are at their best in spring, when the water is high.