Liptovská Mara

Liptovská Mara was filled in 1975 by damming the Váh across the Liptov basin, and thirteen villages went under the water, their populations moved and their churches mostly demolished first. The tower of the church at Liptovská Mara village stood above the water for years. It is now the largest reservoir in Slovakia by volume and the main watersports centre, with sailing, windsurfing and marinas, and the Tatras standing behind it.

Background

Work on the dam ran from 1965 to 1975, and it takes its name from one of the villages that went under the water. Filling the valley also meant moving a major railway and a road. The reservoir spreads over 22 km², reaches a maximum depth of 45 m and holds 360 million m³. Its main job is flood prevention, though it produces electricity as well. On a hill above the dam stands Havránok, a Celtic oppidum that has been reconstructed. Today the dam also serves as a recreational site.

Source: Wikipedia, "Liptovská Mara"

Highlights

• The reservoir - the largest body of stored water in Slovakia.
• The drowned villages - thirteen settlements under the water since 1975.
• The Tatra backdrop - the mountains rising behind the northern shore.
• The watersports - sailing and windsurfing from marinas along the shore.

When to go

June to September is the watersports season and the only time the water is warm enough. Levels drop through the autumn and expose the shoreline. Winter is bleak and windy.

Practical notes

Water levels vary a great deal and low years leave wide mud margins. The water is cold even in high summer. The drowned villages are not visible except in exceptional drought.

Nearby

Liptovsky Mikulas is east, and the Low Tatras are south.

Key facts