07/06/2018
Atanasovsko lake - The Pink mud bath lake is a salt coastal lake north of Burgas, Bulgaria, located in direct proximity of the Black Sea.
The lake is about 5 km long and divided into two by a strip of sand in the middle. The lake is particularly known for the diversity of flora and fauna and is surrounded by swamps and canals that drain the whole local basin into the sea.
Due to the water of Lake Atanasovsko's high salt content that increases every year because of the link with the sea, salt has been produced in it since 1906, with 40,000 tons of sea salt being obtained a year.
The lake's north part, a nature reserve since 1980, is connected by a canal to the Black Sea, while the smaller south one that is mostly used for salt production is a buffer zone to the reserve. A road connecting Varna with Burgas passes through the sand strip in the middle of the lake
The lake is home to over 230 species of vascular plants, of which 7 endangered in Bulgaria. It is also inhabited by the Etruscan pygmy shrew, the smallest mammal by mass. Lake Atanasovsko is also one of the key ornithological locations in the country, with 314 species of birds being present, 70% of all in Bulgaria. 12 of them are globally endangered, including the pygmy cormorant, the red-breasted goose, the ferruginous duck, the Dalmatian pelican and the corn crake. In addition, 17 local species of birds in danger of extinction in Bulgaria also live in the lake, such as the common tern and the Audouin's gull. The high number of birds is due to the lake's location on the important Via Pontica bird migration route, the lake being most populated by birds during the autumn migration.
Therapeutic mud is a sedimentary product of the closed Salt Lake. It is pure and homogeneous, dark gray to black in color and smells of hydrogen sulfide due to the many decaying microorganisms. It contains inorganic ingredients such as silica, sand, gypsum, iron and aluminum compounds, hydroxides and salts. This composition was formed by millennia of decay of single-celled organisms, algae, fish, crabs, mussels. One centimeter of therapeutic mud is formed for at least one year.
The essence of mud treatment is an overall impact on the entire peripheral nervous system. The thermal properties of the mud expand the blood vessels and open new capillaries. This reduces swelling and pain, heals and reduces scars, enhance metabolism and regeneration processes. In addition to healing, the mud makes people look younger and more beautiful because calcium, iodine, phosphorus, etc. pass through the skin. The mud can treat almost the entire range of skin diseases, arthritis, disc hernia, gynecological problems, plexitis. It is counter-indicative only for tuberculosis, venereal diseases and cancer.
