The Rabishko lake
Rabishko Lake is the largest inland lake in Bulgaria. It is located next to the Magura cave. The area of the lake is 3.25 m2, the length – up to 1.4 km, and its depth is up to 10-15 m. The bottom of the lake is made of waterproof geological rocks, which alternate from bottom to top in the following sequence – marls, sandstones and clays, covered at the top with mud. The lake has almost no catchment area and is drainless – the water collected in it does not flow naturally to the surrounding plains and valleys. However, the taste of the water in the lake is sweet, without any smell, and the color is clear. The temperature of the water in the lake changes sharply, as in the upper layers the waters are warm and at depth they become icy. Although the locals define the lake as a great place for swimming, great care must be taken because of the sharp temperature inversion of the water!
A dam wall with a height of 12.85 m has been built on the western side of the lake, which turns the natural lake into a dam. The lake is a great place for fishing, it has carp, silver carp, grass carp, catfish, tench, redfin, perch, perch. Along the lake there are many nice places to spend the night in tents.
According to the legends in the region, the Rabishko Lake is inhabited by a strange creature – a monster with a bull’s head, but without horns, legs like seal fins and fish gills. The monster is affectionately called by the local Rabbis and according to the legend is the child of a dragon, which was buried in a collapse in one of the halls of the Magurata cave (the hall is the Landslide and you were probably already in it). According to legend, Rabbi suffered for the death of his father and out of grief sought another place to live. Coming out of the cave exit, he reached the lake, which became a new home for him. Since the monster started living in the lake, there has been a terrible roar at night and Ravi has been going out to hunt large domestic animals. To appease the beast, the locals left him a bloody tax every year – the most beautiful girl in the village.
To this day, in foggy weather, a loud roar is heard from the lake, which according to the locals comes from the monster. An explanation for these loud sounds that come from the lake and resemble the mooing of a bull can also be found in the presence of night birds of the heron family, called the Great Water Bull. These migratory birds fly to the area in March, and in September they fly back to the warmer countries. During their breeding season, male birds make loud noises reminiscent of bull torment.
EN 
BG