Lake Dojran

How it formed

Dojran is a shallow lake with a rounded shape, lying south of the Belasica mountain. Its water level has changed noticeably over time, partly because of how much of its water was taken for farming.

History

During the First World War the lake lay on the southern part of the Macedonian front, and in 1916, 1917 and 1918 its southern shore saw battles between Allied and Bulgarian troops. A memorial to one of those battles and cemeteries for Greek and British soldiers stand on a hill just south of the lake. A short visit to the Doiran military cemetery and memorials combines well with a walk along the Greek shore.

Fishing with birds

Dojran is known for an old way of fishing. The use of birds and reed traps to catch fish was recorded by Herodotus in the 5th century BC and is believed to survive only here. Some fishermen still use trained cormorants to drive fish into nets or baskets, working from wooden and straw houses on the water.

Nature

The lake is shallow and rich in nutrients, with wide reedbeds of common reed along its edges. Heavy use of its water for farming once brought it close to drying out, until both countries took measures to restore the level, helped by several years of heavy rain. The Macedonian part is an Important Bird Area, and the Greek part is recognised separately.

Birds and fish

Look for ferruginous ducks, Dalmatian pelicans and pygmy cormorants among the waterfowl and migratory birds. The lake has several endemic fish species and subspecies, and the Ramsar description also notes 11 endemic invertebrates. On the Greek slopes of Mount Belles above the lake, eagles' nests have been noted, and much of the area is a Natura 2000 habitat.