Address: Russia, Yaroslavl region, near Pereslavl Zalesky
Area: 51 km²
Maximum depth: 25 m
Coordinates: 56 ° 46'10.5 "N 38 ° 46'44.1" E
Content:
The rounded freshwater lake in the Yaroslavl region is not in vain considered an adornment of the "Golden Ring" of Russia. It has attracted people for a long time. And in memory of the ancient Finno-Ugric tribes, names remained for us - Veksa, Sluda and Kuhmar. The lake was formed 30 thousand years ago and retained traces of glaciation and deep karst geological processes. Many thousands of travelers come to its shores every year to admire the beauty of the sunsets, sail or visit monasteries and holy springs.
The origin of Pleshcheyevo lake
The almost oval-shaped reservoir has a size of 9.5 by 6.5 km. Its coastline stretches for 27 km, and it lies at an altitude of 170 m above sea level. 19 rivers and streams bring their waters to the lake, the largest of which is the Trubezh River. And only Vexa flows from it.
According to scientists, the lake is of glacial-karst origin. It has a funnel-shaped bottom, with a maximum depth of 25m. For many thousands of years, thanks to sediments brought by rivers and streams, it was covered with a large layer of silt. In the deepest places, the thick silt layer reaches 15-17 m.
Like all lakes of glacial origin, Pleshcheyevo is very transparent. In spring, through the water column, it is visible at 9-10 m, and at the end of summer, during the "blooming" period - up to 1 m. The lake thaws from ice in May, and usually freezes in early December, covered with 60-70 cm of ice.
Sights of Pleshcheyevo Lake
It is not difficult to drive around the lake. On its banks and in the surrounding villages, you can see a lot of interesting things. The highest point from which lake distances, reed thickets along the banks, roofs of villages and domes of temples open in all their glory is Aleksandrovskaya Gora. Many pilgrims come to the famous Varvarin spring for healing water.
Lovers of history and archeology on the shores of Lake Pleshcheevo are attracted by low earthen ramparts. These are traces of the ancient city of Kleshchino, founded in the 8th century. Archaeologists have also found here more than two thousand Meryan burial mounds and a primitive man's site. This means that the lake has attracted people since ancient times as a convenient place for settlement, fishing and hunting.
Peter I built the famous Amusement Flotilla on Lake Pleshcheyevo. In memory of this, a whole complex called "Peter's Boat" was opened. It includes a museum, which houses a wooden boat on which the king sailed, a gatehouse, a rotunda, a triumphal gate and a palace.
In the villages located near Lake Pleshcheyevo, there are several interesting and unusual museums dedicated to teapots, gramophone records, old steam locomotives and the history of money. The house in which Mikhail Mikhailovich Prishvin lived and wrote his famous "Pantry of the Sun" is also preserved here.
On the northeast coast is one of the most visited local attractions - the Blue Stone. It attracts many people to Lake Pleshcheyevo - those who believe in its miraculous properties, geologists who want to know its composition, as well as local historians who are trying to find and describe everything interesting on the Pereslavl land.
Kitesurfing & Widsurfing in Plescheyka
It so happened that Lake Pleshcheyevo or Pleshcheyka (Pleshka) has become a popular skiing destination for lovers of kitesurfing and windsurfing. This happened primarily because it is convenient to get to it from Moscow and Yaroslavl. There is also almost always a steady south, west and south-west wind here. And, finally, most of the coastal areas of this lake, several hundred meters from the shore, are not very deep. And the bottom is almost everywhere even and muddy. So it's safe to fight the wind on the board here - 300 meters from the shore, the depth will be chest-deep.
On weekends and holidays, you can see up to 100 bright domes in a row on the lake. And no one complains about the tightness. The most popular places for skiing are recognized as "Polyana" (or "Kite place"), "Botik Petra", "Glade at Botik", as well as places near the recreation center "Urev" and the city beach of Pereslavl.
Fishing on Pleshcheyevo lake
The lake is considered by connoisseurs to be an excellent place for fishing. There are 16 species of fish in its fresh waters. Most of all, you can catch roach, ruff and silver bream, which the locals call "basket". The pikes in the lake are not very large. And it will be very lucky to those who will be able to catch ide, bream or large perch in this reservoir. The valuable commercial fish vendace, for which Lake Pleshcheyevo is famous, is not caught here with hook tackle.
The main fishing spots are along the west coast. You can drive up to them from the Yaroslavl highway along the Kalyazinsky tract.
Recently, winter ice fishing has become increasingly popular, especially among Muscovites. The catch becomes larger in spring, when melt water from the rivers rushes into the lake. Then the fishermen try to fish closer to the mouth of the rivers flowing into Lake Pleshcheyevo. However, near Veksa, during spawning, fishing for roach is not allowed on the lake. The worst thing to fish in these parts is in the fall, during storms. Because on rainy, windy days, fish from shallow water escape from large waves at depth.
National Park "Lake Pleshcheyevo"
The protected area of the park, created in 1988, includes the entire catchment area of Lake Pleshcheev and the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky... The lake is, of course, the key ecological pivot of the national park, because in many of its indicators, this reservoir has no analogues in the European part of Russia. In addition to the endemic species - the Pereslavl vendace, it is home to 2 fish species, and along the banks there live 14 bird species and 3 mammalian species listed as endangered in the Red Book of Russia.
The dendrological garden named after S.F. Kharitonova is one of the striking sights of the Yaroslavl region. It is a unique man-made corner of nature, where more than 600 species of shrubs and trees grow, collected from different parts of the world. The territory of the dendrological garden stretches over 58 hectares and is equipped in a landscape style. You can visit this beautiful garden on your own or as part of an organized excursion. It is located to the southwest of Pereslavl-Zalessky, on a beautiful hill, from where a picturesque panorama of both the ancient city and Pleshcheyevo Lake opens up.
Where to stay
There are several options for overnight stays on the coast of Lake Pleshcheyevo. Several quite comfortable recreation centers have been built here - "Blue Stone", "Pleshcheevo", "Ohana" and "Urev". In addition, hotels and guest houses are always happy to receive guests.
In many places, you can also camp for free. Money for a tent-place is taken only at the equipped parking lot near the Blue Stone and at paid tourist parking lots. The National Park "Lake Pleshcheyevo" has two such equipped sites for tent camps - "Botik" and "Kukhmar". The camp can also be set up at paid parking in the Dubki recreation area, the kite area at the northeastern shore of the lake and in the Veslevo recreation park.
How to get to Lake Pleshcheyevo
By private car along the Yaroslavl highway, you need to get to Pereslavl-Zalessky. It is about 130 km from Moscow. Regular buses also run from the Moscow central bus station to Pereslavl-Zalessky. And the easiest way to get from the city bus station to the place you need on Lake Pleshcheyevo is by taxi.
