Lake Berești

Introduction

A few dozen kilometres from Bacău, between the domed fields of the Siret, stretches Lake Berești – a mirror of water that gathers around it the silence, the sky and the birds’ flights. Here, time seems to slow down: the dam, the reeds, the surrounding villages and the light changing over the shimmering lake give the place a simple but profound beauty. The Berești is not just a reservoir, but also a small natural world where people come to fish, watch the sunset or simply to be still with the water.

Key facts and location

Berești Lake is located in Bacău County, on the Siret River, and stretches over the municipalities of Sascut, Corbasca, Orbeni, Tătărești, Valea Seacă and Parava.

Area: about 2,250 hectares
Length: about 15 km
Average width: 1 km
Year of utilisation: 1986
Purpose: reservoir for hydropower and to regularise the flow of the Siret

Access is easy from the E85 motorway (Bacău-Bucuresti), with a detour to the east, and the road offers sweeping views of the valley and surrounding villages.

A living ecosystem

Although artificial, Berești Lake has quickly become a complex ecosystem, integrated in a Natura 2000 site of avifauna importance.
Here have been identified:

over 140 bird species,
19 mammal species,
13 species of reptiles and amphibians,
23 species of fish.

Swans, herons, terns, grebes, lizards and blackbirds can be spotted along the banks. On the lake’s sandy bottom, carp, catfish and grey mullet dominate the underwater world. The rich vegetation – reeds, reed, poppies, willows – completes the picture of a nature that has regained its balance.

Fishing and recreation

Berresti is a well-known destination for anglers from all over the region.
The wilder eastern shores are favoured for their tranquillity and sense of closeness to nature.

Outside of fishing, the place attracts photographers, nature lovers and families looking for a day’s escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Bird watching

For nature lovers, Lake Berești is not just a stretch of water, but a living scene where every flight has its own story. At dawn, above the reeds, you can hear the high-pitched calls of crocodiles and the discreet buzzing of wild ducks. Swans, dippers and terns float on the calm shimmering lake, and great egrets, nagers and steppe gulls can be spotted on the shores.

The best times for birdwatching are early spring and late autumn, when the lake becomes a veritable highway for migratory birds. In the summer months, the stillness of the water is broken by colonies of choughs and red-breasted blackbirds feeding their young in the reeds.

Binoculars, patience and a bit of luck are all you need for an authentic experience. Those who come unhurriedly may discover that the lake has a breath of its own – when the mists rise, when the sun caresses the water, when a bird cuts the sky and all becomes silence.