Lake Plateliai
Encyclopedia
Lake Plateliai is the biggest lake
in Samogitia
and 9th biggest in Lithuania
. It is the central attraction in the Žemaitija National Park
. It covers about 12 km² and reaches up to 47 m in depth. It has seven islands, one of them housed a castle and now is called Castle Island. Archeologists found remains of two castles and think it might be the Queen Bona castle. The lake has both diving and yacht clubs. Plateliai
town is located on the west bank of the lake.
Lake Plateliai is famous for several events. It hosted rock music festival Roko naktys (English: Nights of Rock) since 2002. However, it seems the festival will have to relocate as the little town cannot accommodate more than 4,000 people attending the event. For 25 years swimmers have competed in a marathon in the lake. In 2006, a record number of people participated: 21 people swam a distance of 3.5 km and 154 of 1.8 km.
The lake is one of the most interesting for underwater archeology. Scientist think that the water level was much lower years ago and some islands are now underwater. For example, in 2002 divers found a big stone with human-made markings, that resemble the letter L. The stone was surrounded by smaller stones and a hypothesis was raised that it was a sacred place for the pagans. In 2002, on the bottom of the lake archeologists found three boats, about 5.5 meters in length, dated to the times of Vytautas the Great
.
There are the remains of an old Soviet nuclear missile base in the Plokštinė forest, not far from the lake.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
and 9th biggest in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. It is the central attraction in the Žemaitija National Park
Žemaitija National Park
Žemaitija National Park is a national park in Lithuania. It is situated on Žemaičių Highlands, 45 km from the Baltic Sea. Lakes cover more than 7% of its territory. Lake Plateliai is the largest lake. The town of Plateliai, situated on the shore of the lake, is the seat of the park's...
. It covers about 12 km² and reaches up to 47 m in depth. It has seven islands, one of them housed a castle and now is called Castle Island. Archeologists found remains of two castles and think it might be the Queen Bona castle. The lake has both diving and yacht clubs. Plateliai
Plateliai
Plateliai is a town in Samogitia, Lithuania. It is situated on the west bank of Lake Plateliai, the largest lake in Samogitia. The town with the population of about 1,100 people is the center of an elderate in Plungė district municipality. It is the administrative center of the Žemaitija National...
town is located on the west bank of the lake.
Lake Plateliai is famous for several events. It hosted rock music festival Roko naktys (English: Nights of Rock) since 2002. However, it seems the festival will have to relocate as the little town cannot accommodate more than 4,000 people attending the event. For 25 years swimmers have competed in a marathon in the lake. In 2006, a record number of people participated: 21 people swam a distance of 3.5 km and 154 of 1.8 km.
The lake is one of the most interesting for underwater archeology. Scientist think that the water level was much lower years ago and some islands are now underwater. For example, in 2002 divers found a big stone with human-made markings, that resemble the letter L. The stone was surrounded by smaller stones and a hypothesis was raised that it was a sacred place for the pagans. In 2002, on the bottom of the lake archeologists found three boats, about 5.5 meters in length, dated to the times of Vytautas the Great
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas ; styled "the Great" from the 15th century onwards; c. 1350 October 27, 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. Vytautas was the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians...
.
There are the remains of an old Soviet nuclear missile base in the Plokštinė forest, not far from the lake.