Lake Brebeneskul

Brebeneskul is the highest mountain lake in the Ukrainian Carpathians (1801 m above sea level), a hydrological natural monument of local importance (registered as Lake Berbenyaskul), and a tourist attraction. It is located in the Chornohora massif and is part of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. The length is 147 m, width is 67 m, and the maximum depth is 3.2 m. The lake is incredibly picturesque and popular among tourists. A particularly beautiful view can be seen from the slopes and isthmus of Mount Gutyn-Tomnatyk. Brebeneskul is part of the most popular hiking route along the Montenegrin ridge, but sometimes tourists avoid it.

The lake lies at the bottom of a glacial karoo. The shores are high, with stone scree. It is fed by precipitation and groundwater. The water is clear, blue, slightly mineralized. The bottom is rocky, rising in the eastern direction, covered with gray silt at depth.

The lake is 67 m wide and 147 m long. The maximum depth is 2.8 m. During the warm season, the water level can rise and fall by several tens of centimeters depending on the amount of precipitation. The lake has no permanent surface outflow, but there are signs of water filtration through the ridge on the eastern side. The Brebeneskul River of the same name (Tisza basin) starts from it. An interesting fact is that the river does not flow directly out of the lake, but does so underground, through the thickness of soil and stones.

The lake is located within the Rakhiv district of Zakarpattia region, on the southwestern slope of the Chornohora ridge, in the basin between Mount Brebeneskul (2038 m) and Hutyn Tomnatyk (2016 m), on the territory of the Chornohora Protected Area (part of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve). The name of this natural monument means "periwinkle" in Romanian. Although there are also opinions about the Ukrainian origin of the name, namely from the word "berbenytsia".

There is no coastal (littoral) vegetation. Grass cover begins directly from the water's edge. There are no fish in Brebeneskul. The fauna is represented by microscopic crustaceans and amphibians, including the Carpathian Newt, Mountain Newt, and the Fast Toad. Among the small crustaceans in the reservoir are Cladocera and Copepoda, and Paracyclops fambriatus near the bottom.

The first scientific description was made by GP. Miller in 1964, where it is noted that the lake has a surface runoff, and its dimensions are much smaller than today (width 44 m, length 134 m, maximum depth 2.8 m).

In 1997, the lake became part of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.

In appearance, the lake resembles an oval, its shores are steep, high grass or rocky, and at any time of the year the water is always clear. Every year, hundreds of tourists come here to swim in the reservoir and fully enjoy its vastness. Sometimes you can see more than 50 tents on the shore of Brebeneskul. Unfortunately, this leads to massive felling of mountain pine (fir) thickets. For cooking, it is best not to take water directly from the lake, but to use springs on the slopes of the Gutyn Tomatika or Brebeneskula mountains. In summer, the water warms up to 15 degrees, however, the weather is mostly cloudy here, which is due to the location of the lake: a high ridge covers it almost everywhere, so the sun disappears earlier in the evening in this area and appears much later than dawn. Those wishing to spend the night here should be aware that strong winds are constantly blowing and there is no firewood. So you need to have a gas burner with you.

The panorama of the lake is complemented by flowering paths, and dense spruce forests grow below the subalpine belt. Here you can see the magical world of nature, which has not yet been touched by human hands. The highest peak of the Carpathians, Mount Hoverla, is another 8-9 km away. Almost the same distance separates the lake from the other end of the ridge, Mount Pip Ivan, so it lies almost in the middle of the Chornohora range.

Lake Brebeneskul in Zakarpattia impresses with its beauty, small size, steep mountain slopes, and belongs to the hydrological natural monuments of local importance. There are numerous interesting sports hiking trails here.

Brebeneskul, like the rest of the lakes in the Montenegrin massif, suffers from excessive tourist attention. The southern shore is convenient for setting up tent camps and bonfires, from where garbage partially enters the lake waters, but mostly accumulates in the lower reaches of the Brebeneskul River.

The massive littering of Lake Brebeneskul and its surroundings requires an urgent response from the administration of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve: tourists cut down the slaty mountain pine to build fires, leave garbage - there are natural dumps of such "recreation products" near the reservoir.

All the routes around the lake can be found in the Hiking Routes section.