Veľká Domaša reservoir

Veľká Domaša (often just Domaša) is a large reservoir on the Ondava river in the Ondavská vrchovina hills, south of the Low Beskids ridge, in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia. Two thirds of its area lie in the Vranov nad Topľou district, the northern part in the Stropkov district. The reservoir is about 14 km long and up to 4 km wide in its southern part (500–1,000 m in the north and middle); the water surface covers 14.22 km² (sources give 14.2 to 15.1 km² as the level varies), it holds 187.5 million m³, and the greatest depth is about 32–35 m. The average water level is 156 m above sea level (Slovak Wikipedia gives 162.4 m as the design level). By area it is one of the largest bodies of water in Slovakia.

Construction began in February 1962; the earth dam was completed in September 1966, the hydroelectric plant in December 1966 and the whole scheme in December 1967. The reservoir’s main task is to protect the East Slovak Lowland from the Ondava’s spring floods; it also supplies industrial water and serves recreation. The villages of Dobrá nad Ondavou, Trepec, Kelča, Valkov, Petejovce and Veľká Domaša itself disappeared under the water, and Bžany and Turany nad Ondavou partly; their inhabitants were resettled. The village of Veľká Domaša had already been burnt by German soldiers on 20 November 1944 for helping partisans. All that remains of Kelča is the Baroque twin-towered church of St Stephen the King (1780): it stands below the normal water level, surrounded by a special embankment; the new village of Nová Kelča was built on the slope above.

What to see and do

• The shores: the western one steep and almost entirely wooded, the eastern one gentler, with meadows and fields.
• Swimming and water sports: in summer the water warms up to 23 °C, the bathing season runs from June to mid-September; sailing and motor boats and water-skiing are allowed. Since 2019 the double-deck excursion boat «Bohemia» has sailed from Dobrá.
• Fishing: carp, pike, zander, catfish and chub.
• Birds: black storks, herons, swans and ducks can be seen along the shores.
• The church of drowned Kelča near Nová Kelča — a quiet reminder of the reservoir’s history.

Getting there

National road No. 15 Svidník – Stropkov – Vranov nad Topľou runs along the eastern shore. To reach the western shore, drive from Prešov via Hanušovce nad Topľou: the last 10 km lead through beech forests to the Dobrá recreation centre. The main leisure spots are Dobrá and Valkov on the western shore and Poľany, Eva, Nová Kelča and Petejovce on the eastern one. This is not a hike but a drive with walks along the shore, convenient for families with children; below the dam, a kilometre and a half to the south, lies the small Malá Domaša balancing reservoir.

Season and safety

The best time is June to September; in autumn it is quiet and less busy. The water level fluctuates strongly during the year because of uneven rainfall and water withdrawal, so the banks erode and landslides are activated on the adjacent slopes — keep away from undercut banks. Swim in designated places, watch out for motor boats and water-skiers; fishing only under local rules. The reservoir is not part of a national park. Emergency number — 112. As of October 2026.

Nearby

To the north are Krásny Brod Monastery: ruins and pilgrimage site and the Wooden Church of St Michael the Archangel, Ladomirová; to the south-east lies another large «Slovak sea», Zemplínska šírava — the “Slovak Sea” below the Vihorlat.

Photos: Scotch Mist, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Palickap, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Ing.Mgr.Jozef Kotulič, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; P.matel, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons; Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.