Which lake is the deepest in the Balkans, reaching 288 meters?

Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake in the Balkans, reaching a maximum depth of 288 metres. It straddles the border between North Macedonia and Albania and is also one of Europe’s oldest lakes.

Ohrid occupies a tectonic basin formed by long-term crustal movement. Its great age—often estimated at several million years—has allowed an unusually distinctive ecosystem to develop. More than 200 species are endemic, including organisms found nowhere else on Earth.

The lake covers about 358 square kilometres and receives much of its water from underground springs. More than 20 percent of its inflow comes through underground karst channels from higher Lake Prespa. Its outlet is the Black Drin River, which eventually carries water toward the Adriatic Sea.

The North Macedonian shore became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979, with the cultural heritage of Ohrid added in 1980; Albania’s portion received World Heritage recognition in 2019. Lake Prespa, Lake Skadar, and Lake Doiran are important Balkan lakes, but none reaches Ohrid’s 288-metre depth.