Lake Peipus

Rich in fish

The Lake Peipus (Estonian Peipsi Pihkva järv; Russian Псковско - Чудское озеро or Чудско - Псковское озеро, Pskowsko - Tschudskoje Ozero or Tschudsko - Pskowskoje Ozero, " Pskov - Chud - and -See ") is a located between Estonia and Russia inland waters. With 3555 km ² it is about seven times as large as Lake Constance and is among the largest lakes in Europe in fifth place - after the Ladoga and Onega lakes in Russia and the Swedish Vänern and the Finnish Saimaa.

The Lake Peipsi is divided into three parts:

• Great Lake (Estonian Peipsi järv or Suurjärv, Russian Чудское озеро Tschudskoje Ozero ) with 2610 km ² in the north, which is referred to in many card works as an actual Peipussee
• Warmer lake (Estonian Lämmijärv, Russian Тёплое озеро Tjoploje Ozero ), with 235 km ² in the middle
• Pskov lake (Estonian Pihkva järv, Russian Псковское озеро Pskowskoje Ozero ) at 710 km ² in the south, which is almost entirely on Russian territory

The lake stretches from north to south 143 km and is up to 50 km wide. Together with the Narva, its outflow to the Baltic Sea, it forms almost the entire eastern border of Estonia to the Russian Federation and is so since 1 May 2004, part of the external border of the European Union. Of the total area located 1570 km ² (44%) on Estonian territory, the rest belongs to Russia. He has over thirty mostly smaller tributaries, but with the Narva only a single drain.

The Lake Peipsi is an average of only 8 m deep; the deepest point is almost 15 m in Pskov lake. Due to the low depth, it heats up in the summer up to 22 ° C. The Lake Peipsi is therefore very popular for bathing, especially on the tree of vast sand dunes and forests, the northern section of the shore between the towns Kauksi and Vasknarva. There you will find some easy- equipped camping ( telklaager ). Apart from the easily accessible northern bank of the lake is hardly used for tourism. In winter the lake freezes mostly ( maximum ice thickness: 50 to 60 cm in March ). The spring thaw causes a rise in the water level by up to 1 m and an increase in the surface area by up to 780 km ² with appropriate flooding at the very sparsely populated shore zone.

The lake is extremely rich in fish; the average annual catch of 10,000 tons. However, he is increasingly exposed to environmental stress.

Of great historical importance, the battle was on the Ice: On the ice of the frozen lake was inaugurated on April 5, 1242, a Russian army under the Novgorod prince Alexander Nevsky, the Danish and German crusaders of the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order and their Estonian allies devastating.