Fields of sunflowers, wind vanes, lavender, and more wind vanes, and heavy ears of wheat… As far as the eye can see. We travel north of Varna. We pass through picturesque villages. Feeling the taste of the sea from the east. And the further north we go, the sense of mystery and adventure intensifies. Yes, we are close to the “Games of Will” on Durankulak beach, but we are not going to the arena. Because just 6 km from the Bulgarian-Romanian border there is another game we want to dive into. An ancient water world where time seems to have stood still. Lake Durankulak – a place where the waters keep secrets of past civilizations and unique nature even in the present.
Literally translated, Durankulak means “standing ear” or “standing on the ear”. And some interpret it as “standing water in the form of an ear”. Observed from above, the lake is indeed shaped like an ear.
Some of the oldest names of the village of the same name next to it are Rakari and Blatnitsa. It was also Durankulak during the Ottoman rule. After the liberation it became again Blatnitsa and by the 60-70s of the last century it regained the name Durankulak, says the mayor of the village Veselin Yordanov. There are reports that it was originally located next to the lake itself, but due to malaria it moved further away. In its present form, the village is over 300 years old.
The magic of nature here has attracted people for millennia. This is evidenced by the oldest worked gold in the world found only a year ago. (A few centuries older than the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis.) It was here about 7-8 thousand years ago that an extraordinary culture called Hamanjiya emerged. It is believed to be the first European proto-civilization. Part of it can be touched in the archaeological complex “Durankulak – Hamandjiya” on the Big Island. It is located in the very protected area “Durankulak Lake “* and offers magnificent views of the water mirror. It is on this site that the largest prehistoric necropolis has been discovered, as well as the oldest stone architecture in Europe from the 5th millennium BC. One of the halls in the Green Education Centre in Shabla is dedicated to the archaeological site. Here one can see authentic objects from the Hamandjian lifestyle.
For thousands of years until the present day, Lake Durankulak has also remained one of the most significant natural habitats and wetlands in the region. Together with Lake Shablensko-Ezeretsko, it is the only preserved natural coastal estuary on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Around its southern shores are remnants of former primary steppes – one of the rarest ecosystem types in Bulgaria.
As a liman-type lake, it represents a drowned river valley. Once there was a river that ended in the sea. It is one of the largest natural reservoirs – a source of fresh fresh water in the region, a place where many underground water sources are concentrated, says Ivaylo Ivanov from the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development.
Here you can unlock all your senses. To listen to the hundreds of bird species that find refuge near Durankulak. To see plants that are typical only for this region. To meet beekeepers who, as small children, enjoy bee-eating. Its extremely beautiful plumage cannot remain hidden in the loose banks of the lake. And these waters are the only ones in the whole of Bulgaria that are a proven habitat for wild carp. In the waters of the lake various species of rare and threatened with extinction tadpoles also dart.
During migration, practically all bird species that occur along the coast stop here for rest and food. During the two migration periods over 260 species of birds fly over the lake waters.
The Durankulak lake is of international importance for the conservation of the small water bull, as well as of particular importance for the nesting of the white-eyed dunlin, mute swan, reed warbler, and Indian warbler. Until a few years ago, 90% of the world’s population of Red-breasted Goose was concentrated here. Currently, however, only a few dozen individuals are seen during wintering. The species is permanently moving further north of Bulgaria. One of the reasons is the change in climate, the decrease in cold days and severe winters, said Ivaylo Ivanov. Another reason, according to him, is the great hunting pressure the area was subjected to years ago. The great white-fronted goose is also disappearing from the lake.
Between 1944 and 1989 there were unsuccessful attempts to manage the lake in order to raise its water level. There is a concrete dike built on the side of the dunes that greatly affects its natural runoff process. This deteriorates the water quality and leads to overgrowth due to the disturbed natural dynamics of the lake, explains the ecologist. Another problem is a dike built in the middle of the water basin, which divides it into a southern and northern part. It has been partially breached and there are now plans to remove it entirely. This should largely improve the hydrodynamics, Ivaylo Ivanov believes. The fish ponds in the north-western part of the lake also have a negative impact, fragmenting the lake bed and taking away part of the lake shores in an atypical way.
In the management plans of the protected area, the lake is planned to be discharged into the sea. However, the built overflow walls do not have much effect, as it has to be more water to pass the level of the overflow wall, says the mayor of Durankulak Veselin Yordanov.
At the moment, the lake is not being used to its full potential because it is overgrown with reeds, which take away oxygen and silt up its waters. “We can’t go inside with boats, we can’t do a tourist tour. This is a dream for us,” says Daniela Todorova from the Green Education Centre in Shabla.
And according to the observations of the mayor of Durankulak, the reed has increased enormously in recent years. Although the cleaning of the reed has started, the process is slow. Vassilev hopes that the effect will become visible, albeit after years, so that the water mirrors open up and the lake does not become silted up.
When a thing has been broken, the only way for it to continue to exist is to have drastic intervention in it – to glue it back together, to restore the condition of the lake bowl, to clean the deposits on the bottom that clog some of the springs, Ivaylo Ivanov says. According to him, all this is possible to restore, but the will and focus must be on it.
For a long time, the livelihood of the people who live around the lake has been farming, fishing and tourism. The village of the same name today has about 250 people living permanently. People have always had a connection with the lake as it enters the village itself, says the mayor. Apart from being the main livelihood of the fishermen, it has also been used for irrigating vegetable crops and watering animals. In recent years, however, these practices have ceased. That is why the water is now stagnant.
The mayor is convinced that the lake should be opened for irrigation to renew it. This region has long been renowned for its vegetable production and the Shabla caper is a trademark and a byword for quality native vegetables.
Farmer Petar Petrov grows 60 acres of pepper next to the lake. “The land is valuable, it is fertile. The water is next to us. Everything thrives. Everything was pepper here at the time,” Peter points to the field. On the very shore of the lake is a family-run hotel-restaurant, “Kibela” where the dishes are prepared from Peter’s vegetables. According to one of the owners, Ina Petrova, the place is frequented by people of different social status and nationality. The most numerous, besides Bulgarian and Romanian tourists, are German and Polish.
Along with traditional livelihoods, new activities are beginning to develop that both create livelihoods and protect the region’s resources. Last year, the agricultural cooperative in the neighbouring village of Granicar launched an innovative production of eco-briquettes from straw. This is both a sustainable way to deal with waste from agricultural production and at the same time create employment in the inactive period for agriculture. The agricultural cooperative grows wheat, sunflower and maize on 11 500 acres of farmland. Because of the drought, canola production has ceased.
The tranquility of the area is what keeps people of active age in the hamlet with just over 100 permanent residents, says the chairman of the cooperative in Granichar, Veselin Vassilev. “There is no comparison with the big city. Quite a lot of foreign people are interested in our area. Many Poles have bought houses in the village for several years. Maybe there are about 15 already. The local population does not have the opportunity to develop tourism, but the people who bought property do,” Vassilev says.
Along with new technology and new settlers, there are more than one or two locals who are trying to restore old crafts, such as Dorothea Atanasova, who makes art fabrics and souvenirs by dry-felting wool and runs craft workshops for children. Why she does it here and not in the big city, where the opportunities are so much more, Dorothea has a logical answer.
The young woman strongly hopes that they will be able to protect nature from the concrete. And… the natives, and the settlers, to begin to appreciate more what they have.
Happiness is the word that unites the people of these lands. No matter the hardships, at the border between land and sea, lies the key to this feeling. Lake Durankulak – when you look at its waters, time slows down. It is the magic that has given life to the whole region for millennia. You have to touch it to feel it, love it and keep it.
Photos.
*Durankulak Lake Protected Area was declared a “natural landmark” under the Protected Areas Act in 1980. It was recategorised as a “protected area” in 2002 by order of the Minister of Environment and Water. The territory falls within the lands of the villages of Vaklino, Durankulak, Krapets, Shabla municipality.
Durankulak Lake was designated as a protected area for the conservation of wild birds under the Biodiversity Act in March 2010, as amended and supplemented by an order of the Minister of Environment and Water of August 2020.
