Popovo Lake
| Popovo Lake | |
|---|---|
 View from Dzhano | |
| Coordinates | 41°42′28″N 23°30′29″E / 41.70778°N 23.50806°E |
| Primary inflows | precipitation |
| Basin countries | Bulgaria |
| Max. length | 480 m |
| Max. width | 336 m |
| Surface area | 123,600 m² |
| Max. depth | 29.5 m |
| Water volume | 1,270,000 m³ |
| Surface elevation | 2,234 m |
The Popovo Lake (Bulgarian: Попово езеро) is the largest of the eleven Popovo Lakes. The lake and its vicinity is among the most popular places for summer tourism in the Pirin National Park. The lake is situated at the bottom of the Popovski Cirque and is surrounded by the peaks Sivriya, Dzhano, Kralev dvor, Momin dvor and Dzhengal.
The lake is the largest and the deepest in Pirin, and has the largest volume as well. Its surface area is 123,600 m², which makes it fourth in Bulgaria by total area; it is 29.5 metres deep, which is second in the country after the Okoto lake in Rila; it is 480 m long and 336 m wide. Is volume is around 1,270,000 m³. The lake is situated at an altitude of 2,234 m. It takes water from rainfall, snowfall and two tiny springs which pour into the southern end of the lake. The biggest amount of water can be observed in the late spring, which is due to melting of the snow on the surrounding peaks.
The water pours out of the lake with a small steep stream which goes to the seven Fish Popovski Lakes in the lower parts of the cirque. Thus one of the main tributaries of the Mesta river is created. The area around the lake is dotted with meadows and pine-scrub.
In Bulgarian the name of the lake literary means the Lake of the Priest. There are two legends about it origin. According to the more popular one, a priest threw himself into the water because the Turks had violated his daughter. His cap surfaced and made the little islet in the middle of the lake. The other legend suggests that after the Christianization of Bulgaria in the 9th century, a priest decided to climb the Pirin mountain and expel the Slavic god Perun. He found him but Perun was enraged by his audacity and threw him into the lake. Again, his cap emerged from the water and formed the islet.