The drive to Karagöl was not easy or pleasant. Translating into Black Lake, Karagöl is located high in the mountains of Borçka.
It does not appear on printed maps, considered too small to be of any significance. It is highly recommended to visit though, if you can face the treacherous ride up the mountain.
Driving to the Black Lake of Borçka
Many of the roads in this area are poorly constructed and have no safety barriers in place. They are narrow and wind sharply up the mountain making turns impossible to navigate. At certain points, drivers beep their horns, as it is impossible to see if cars are coming from the opposite direction.
If your driver loses concentration or control of the car, the drop down the side of the mountain will make any roller coaster ride you previously had, pale in comparison.
There is a saying among the locals…
” If you have an accident on these roads, it will be the very last thing you ever do”.
I sat in the back seat of the car and closed my eyes at every potential accident hot spot.
To get rid of my fears, I occupied my mind with making notes for the article that I was going to write, if I survived the journey!
My one comforting thought, was that if our car went tumbling down the side of the mountain, I had made good use of my time on earth.
Obviously because I am now writing about my visit to Karagöl, it means I had a good driver who navigated the roads like a pro.
We reached Karagöl after what seemed like hours, only stopping to take pictures of a tall, fast flowing waterfall.
The lake itself, lacks any tell-tale signs of beauty and would certainly not win any amazing photo competition.
The water has a muddy appearance and the landscape is only compensated by the abundance of greenery and fog slowly descending in the distance.
In winter times the lake freezes over and I suspect that is when it becomes a picture postcard scene worth admiring.
The area is protected so no fishing is allowed. I even saw a sign, forbidding the playing of trumpets.
I thought this rather unusual at the time; however, soon learned during my trip, that the locals of the black sea do not wait for special occasions to bring out instruments, to joyfully sing and dance with friends, neighbours, family, and strangers.
Was the visit to Karagöl worth it?
Definitely, despite the lack of beauty, there is a calming and peaceful aura surrounding the lake.
There was one thing missing though. I would like to have gone out on the lake in a small dinghy boat and cracked open a nice ice cold bottle of beer, to celebrate surviving the treacherous drive to Karagöl.
Readers Question? Would you brave the roads to see this lake?
amazing wot a beautiful country.
It is Lindo but there are so many places more beautiful then this
I just love these photos and the lake is inviting. I wanna take tons of photos on the waterfalls too.
There is definitely loads of waterfalls in that region Doc – enought to fill a whole memory stick full of pictures
Wow that is some funky water.. but the forest around is so green!
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I think the forest makes up the landscape EB as the water was quite muddy in parts
I guess that all the thrill and scare of travel is worth it. The place looks so great! I would love to spend weeks in that picturesque environment.
The thrill and the scare is sometimes what makes travel worth it but those roads were too much for my nerves Harley!
Natalie recently wrote about..Göcek –Sophistication that is Not Part of My World
i’d like to go to the lake in the winter and see it frozen but i dont no if i could face the journey on frozen roads
I think those roads might actually be non accessible in winter Di. Think you would have to do a camping session and bring along your ice skates!
Natalie recently wrote about..St. Anthony of Padua Church in Istanbul
. . you should take up biology Natlie, you’d enjoy these places a lot more then.
Alan recently wrote about..Akdamar – A Name Carved Into History
I could not take any more hobbies Alan – struggle for time as it is. I think seeing the postcard of the lake in winter when it was frozen off, just made me wish I was seeing it in a different season
Natalie recently wrote about..A Honeymoon in Turkey – Ali and Andrew Tell Their Story
I am sorry that you did not find Borcka Black Lake beautiful. Your photos are beautiful though.
i think your blog is great and will be very useful for future travelers. keep up the good work.
The following was our first attempt at a very amateur blog on the same area, and includes quite a few photos:
http://www.google.com.tr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Feserahmetcelebilerblackseatrip1.blogspot.com%2F&ei=JogeUO3oEsjRhAeG3IGACw&usg=AFQjCNE60oKexmZqQuPKXfnpOO_nUfw-cg&sig2=N4Iq9HUz-Ec8ZeCKB7FsSQ
we also have webshots albums on various parts of Turkey including the Northeast and the ships that pass through the Bosphorus:
http://community.webshots.com/user/esercelebiler
ahmet celebiler (otherchelebi) recently wrote about..International Politics Lecture
Thanks Ahmet, glad you like the blog and thank you for posting your pictures as well.
Natalie recently wrote about..Getting to Know the Cuisine of Turkey
When I went to this lake it was so misty that you literally couldn’t see that it was a lake – so thanks for showing me what it would have looked like had I gone on a clearer day.
Lol – you can say you have seen it now Pat. You did not miss much!
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