Serbia · Vojvodina

Lake Ludaš

Directions

Ludasi-tó · Лудашко језеро · Ludaško jezero

Lake Ludaš is a shallow lake in Vojvodina, in northern Serbia, near Subotica, about 4.5 km long and stretching from north to south at an elevation of 93 m. It covers about 3.2 km² of open water and is barely more than 2 m deep at its deepest. Its name comes from the Hungarian word ludas, meaning goose. The lake is a special nature reserve and, since 1977, a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention. It is of aeolian origin, its bed formed as winds emptied the sand dunes along the clay plateau. The area is rich in birds, among them the bearded reedling, the white-headed duck and the ferruginous duck, and the lake freezes for up to three months a year.

History

The lake was a swamp before water regulation. Nature protection began with a law of 1955, and in 1958 it became a strict nature reserve. It was first proposed for the Ramsar list in 1973 and has been an Important Bird Area since 1989. The E-75 motorway, built in 1991, split the old Palić-Ludaš protected area in two.

Nature

Some 214 bird species have been recorded, most of them migrants, with the moustached warbler among the rarities. Lax-flowered orchids are abundant on the surrounding meadows, along with pasque flower and Austrian sage, and otters live here too.

Gallery

2 photos

Photo: Mvukota · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: KenyeresEmil · CC BY 3.0

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Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Subotica

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Ludaš has a birdwatching hide, an observation tower and a visitor centre reached through the village of Hajdukovo, where there is parking. Guided birdwatching tours run from April to September, spring and autumn migrations are best, and the lake is a delight in spring when the yellow iris blooms.

The lake is about 12 km south-east of Subotica. See the Ludaš Special Nature Reserve page for more.