This post is also available in: Croatian
You’ve probably heard about the famous Imotski lakes – the red one and the blue one, which will be listed on the UNESCO Geoparks list in 2020. But did you know that this area is generally full of lakes, which don’t have roads leading to them, but are great locations for active holidays, hiking and sightseeing?
And best of all, they are surrounded by many sinkholes, hillforts, dry lakes, hills, cascading vineyards and archeological sites – in other words, a lot of content for nature lovers and historical heritage! Therefore, why not explore the magical world of the Dalmatian hinterland? If you are looking for a great idea for an interesting trip, let our text serve as an inspiration for you!
Frenchman Frederic Swierczynski reached the bottom of one lake back in 2017 and provided Imotski locals with a historic moment – with a dive right down to the bottom of the mysterious Red Lake at a depth of 245 metres!
This venture was not at all without considerable danger, due to a number of significant factors – first of all, to reach a dive position, it requires considerable mountaineering skills and involves a number of potential dangers – among other things, gases which we don’t know the behaviour of at certain depths.
But the adrenaline lover from Jacques Cousteau’s home country didn’t want to give up – with the heartfelt help (and the thunderous applause!) of locals, a diving club and mountaineering company who also did a lion’s share of the work, he solved the mystery which was thousands of years old – we now know much more about the underwater world of this karst phenomenon, about the organisms living at great depths, sponges, sediment, water…
By the way, the Red Lake is named after the colour of the steep cliffs that surround it, and the people around it are the subject of many legends, especially the one about Gavan’s castle (inquire about it with the hospitable locals!). The mysterious character of the Red Lake is also compounded by the fact that you simply can’t throw a pebble into it – give it a try and let us know if you succeeded!
The Imotski Tourist Board has posted a four-minute-long promotional video on their YouTube channel, showing the amazing beauty of Imotski’s lakes. In addition to the Imotski Tourist Board, the video is also promoted by the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Split – Dalmatia County Tourist Board, the promotional video will also be featured at several European tourist film festivals.
The lakes are as if they have been divided – while the Red Lake is dark and inaccessible, and most admire it from afar, except for a few true lovers who have decided to tackle it (Frederic claims to have dived into many waters around the world, but the Red Lake completely fascinated him!), the Blue Lake is more ‘’gentle’’ and is also accessible for swimming.
Treat yourself to a great break from the classic sea and beach package and bathe in this lake of a truly magical colour, and if you find yourself in Imotski when it dries up, play football with the locals at its very bottom!
Lesser known, but no less beautiful are Lokvičićko Lake (or Mamić Lake), Knezović Lake and Galipovac.
Together with the Imotski field (Imotsko polje) and the opposite Prološko lake, this trefoil of lakes makes a unique whole. In addition to the most famous and largest of them all, Galipovac, there are vistas and landing sites, while Mamić and Knezović are lakes, although they are much smaller in terms of their surface area, their inaccessibility and surrounding environment are similar to that of the Red Lake.
And the real star among the less developed lakes of the Imotski area is the Green Lake – because of its beautiful, icy turquoise green, it has attracted foreign filmmakers as well as numerous guests who agree on one thing: ‘’This is not a trendy trip, but it is worth the effort.’’
‘’A great environment and hiking opportunities!’’.
If you want to find out what the magic is all about, get the team together and head over to Imotski this weekend!
More: www.dalmatia.hr
Photo: www.dalmatia.hr, TB Imotski
This post is also available in: Croatian
