A place that made its way quickly into my top 3 favourite lakes seen in Romania, which is hard to believe that we are not even talking about a natural lake but which manages to share a beauty apart.
If you've been following me for a while, perhaps you are aware that once per week I post a less known place from Romania that personally, I try to promote more thinking that it doesn't enjoy the amount of popularity it deserves.
However, this kind of posts come in many forms, talking about caves, waterfalls, mountains, peaks, gorges, canyons, lakes, and many more.
Fortunately, Romania is full of lakes and dams, and if you need to get closer to nature but without having to follow a mountain path for too much time, then the lakes are amongst the most accessible such gateways, many of them being able to be reached with the car.
And as a side note, I get to discover at least 3-5 new lakes yearly without ever getting bored of discovering nature be reinvented in different forms depending whether the lakes are in the mountains or in a more dry area.
Though, the one from today's post, entitled Zetea Lake, does made me feel an energy apart while I got fascinated by its beauty that could easily fool you that you reached a different country while seeing an island is not so common in Romania.
Since Zetea is the name of both the lake and the dam, when I get to see such constructions, I'm used to notice nature surrounding the water instead of representing the heart of this one.
So that detail is exactly what made me feel happier than I usually am when I get to a dam because if you look on the way of the island and don't have the dam in your sight, you can easily forget that we are not talking about a natural lake, because Zetea is, an artificial one.
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Of course, the lake is not the single thing that will conquer your adventurous spirit and make you recalibrate your top in terms of beautiful lakes you've seen during your journeys, but the surroundings too, which no matter whether it's a sunny or cloudy day, everything will look still fresh and not modest at all when it comes to describing how beautiful the whole landscape is in that region.
We can talk about the sky reflection being seen in the water, the endless shades of green the forest have, the tiny town that rests on the foothills of the dam, or even the small details like seeing a boat floating close to the shore, the stairs going down to the lake where you get to touch the place that is so beautiful, or even the little construction next to the dam that made us very curious too.
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In reality, the little tower would be a lot less noticeable when the level of the water is higher, but its role is to maintain a specific quantity of water. That's how, as soon as the edge of the top of the tower is reached, the little cylinder will absorb all the water that exceeds this one and don't let the dam gather more water than it was projected for, to avoid any risks of getting cracks and turn into a disaster.
Therefore, it's not the first time when we see such construction, remembering about the Vida Lake seen with just two years before discovering this one, but which was already on the phase of absorbing some of the water that was exceeding the level established.
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The capacity of the dam is of 44 million cubic meters of water and it represents a genuine shield against the floods that often happened after heavy rains and were destroying most of the tiny villages located nearby.
Since 1993 when the construction was finished, this kind of events have never occurred anymore, but actually born lots of opportunities to turn the houses of the locals into guest houses or even camping areas because the tourists are always seeking to enjoy more of this view as soon as they discover it, especially that there are quite a few activities that they can enjoy here.
Lacul Zetea represents the single artificial lake from Târnava Mare tourist area that plays a major role in supplying water to the villages nearby, this one being potable and extremely clean.
Along with the freshness of the water, you shouldn't be surprised to notice fish here and there because the lake is home to quite a few species, the fishing activities being rather encouraged without being requested a permit for but actually just a small amount of money to be paid daily or yearly, from where you can walk home with no more than 4 kg of fish.
Along with the fishing activities, you can go on a ride with a boat, canoe, kayak, standup paddleboarding (SUP) and even swimming.
We can also add horse riding, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and speleology activities that can be all enjoyed around the lake.
When we visited the lake, we had it as a stop on the way to some other sightseeing attractions so we didn't get to spend a lot of time there even though I could sit on those stairs for some good hours looking at the water and listening to the silence of nature, but I'd really like to return there one day and even spend a few days just for the sake of taking advantage of all these activities that you can enjoy because being a place that is not too known by tourists, the prices are still very cheap compared to what you would pay in a more popular location.
Anyway, it's not about money or the cost of enjoying the place to the fullest, but about the whole landscape that leaves you speechless even if you look at it just through the window of the car. Zetea Lake though, is beyond endless beauty but more of a state of mind where you fully disconnect from the daily worries that keep your head busy without even realizing in most of the time. Which can be resumed in a place that offers a healthier mind.
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Lacul Zetea is located in the village with the same name that is part of the Harghita county. This one is 22 km away from Odorheiu Secuiesc and you can easily reach it by driving on the county road DJ138. Most of the road will be composed of serpentines through both the forest and the mountains of the area.
SEE YOU IN THE NEXT TRIP! 🗾
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