Klaipėda District Municipality
Seaside Regional Park
relict coastal lake of lagoon origin
near Kalotė village, Seaside Regional Park, Klaipėda District
55.78530, 21.10850
30-60 minutes, or half a day with the coast
spring and autumn for bird migration
Der Kollater See
Kalotė Lake: a coastal lake behind the dunes
Kalotė Lake is a shallow, reed-fringed coastal lake in Seaside Regional Park, only about 2 km from the Baltic Sea and about 10 km north of Klaipėda, near Kalotė village. It is a quiet place favoured by birds and reached by forest and bicycle trails.
The site is for nature rather than swimming: the water is shallow and silty, so the lake is valuable mainly as a bird stop and landscape element. It combines well with coastal trails and nearby Plazė Lake.
A lake of lagoon origin
According to Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija, Kalotė Lake is of lagoon origin: it was once an open Baltic bay, later separated from the sea by a coastal dune belt, after which the water became fresh. It should not be confused with nearby Plazė Lake, which is of glacial origin.
The lake is shallow: maximum depth is about 2.4 m, average depth only about 1 m, and area, depending on the source, is given at about 50 ha. The stream Cypa flows out of the lake and into the Baltic Sea; the northern shores are low, marshy, and shrub-covered.
Kalotė Reserve and birds
The lake is the heart of Kalotė Botanical-Zoological Reserve, established in 1997 and covering about 390 ha. The reserve protects rare plants, birds, and the surrounding wet forest, so it is much broader than the lake itself.
In spring and autumn, rare migratory bird species stop at the lake. This is one of the site's main values. The reserve is one of six reserves in Seaside Regional Park, which was established in 1992 and extends along the coast between Klaipėda and Palanga.
How to visit
The lake is an open natural site without a ticket. The most convenient way to reach it is by bicycle or on foot through the forest from Giruliai via Kukuliškiai Forest, following signs to Kalotė Lake. A rest area with tables and benches is installed on the southwestern shore, and several campsites are on the southeastern side.
Swimming is not worthwhile because the lake is shallow and silty. Windsurfers and kitesurfers look not to the lake but to the nearby sea coast. Combine the lake with Plazė Lake, Olando Kepurė, and the Karklė coast.
