Whenever you go to any of the cities of Iran, a beautiful and unique nature appears before your eyes. The city of Ardabil in northwestern Iran has a pristine and spectacular nature with a pleasant climate, and one of its natural attractions is the fresh water lake of Neor.
Neor Lake is a lake between Ardabil and Khalkhal, which is located on the border between Gilan and Ardabil provinces. After going 35 km from Ardabil to Khalkhal, you will reach Budalaloo village. From there, you have to go 13 km to the top of the mountain, and after passing Abbasabad village, you will reach this beautiful lake with an area of 210 hectares and a depth of 5 meters. The path to the lake is completely asphalt, but the road around the lake is dirt. There are rainbow trout in this lake, which are taken out of the lake every year before winter, because the frozen water of the lake causes the death of the fish, and when the winter is over, these small farmed fish are left free in the lake again.
Existence of suitable rainfall and abundant springs in this area has ensured that the lake is always full of water. In the warm season, many tourists go to the lake to enjoy the fresh air and relax in the pristine nature around the lake for a while. There are no facilities to stay by the lake and you can only stay in a tent.
A variety of plants grow here. Some migratory birds also spend some time in the lake. The areas around the lake are located in the Lisar Protected Area and according to special laws of the protected areas, hunting of water birds of this lake is prohibited and therefore no wildlife is endangered. It also has habitat- ecotourism- beekeeping- Agriculture and animal husbandry values. This area has a variety of vegetation including clover, chamomile, yarrow, and mint.
Many birds migrate to this area in the hot season. Anchovy (a bird of the duck family) is one of the most famous guests of this region during the migration season. In addition, partridges, hawks, quails, eagles, and sparrows migrate along the lake as the air cools.
Those who are interested in the plains and nature, every year in the spring, climb the road from Neor to Subatan, which is one of the most famous nature trails in the north of the country, and immerse themselves in the indescribable nature of this region. This lake is the largest natural and fresh water lake in Ardabil.
Lake Neor consists of two small and large lakes that join in the spring and form a single lake with a maximum depth of 5.5 meters and a maximum of 13 meters. The water of this lake is used for irrigation of agricultural lands. In 1987, in order to store water for agricultural uses, a dam was built and operated at the only exit of the lake (Qanli Darreh) and every year a small amount of baby Rainbow trout are released in the lake. The catchment area of Lake Neor is 45 square kilometers and is one of the summer pastures of Fandoqlu nomads.
Subatan summer, which is one of the most beautiful summer areas in the country, is located 19 km southeast of Lake Neor, so if you go to see this beautiful lake, do not miss this green summer and visit it.
The approximately 19 km route from Subatan to Neor is another reason that can take us to this lake. The northeastern dirt road is the main Neor-Subatan route.
On this road we pass through pristine and untouched nature. In the plains between Subatan and Neor, we may also see nomads who have set up their tents in this area. On the way, the beauty of horses left in nature cannot be ignored.
On this route, we pass by the wild flowers at the foothills of Talesh Mountain, rest by the Varzan waterfalls and springs for a few minutes to reach our destination.
The attraction of this route for some tourists is so much that they are willing to experience the suffering of 19 km of walking and be about 10 hours on the road to remember the spectacular route.
Sometimes cycling groups decide to cycle this route. There is also a dirt road on this route that off-roaders use to get around as the weather warms up. The people of Lisar take passengers to the lake from Subatan for a small fare. Sometimes locals travel in non-chassis cars on this route and may welcome passengers to Subatan or Neor.
By traveling to Neor, you can also experience camping by the lake. There are not many facilities near this lake and we can only pitch a tent and wake up in the morning with a pristine view of the fresh waters of Neor and the green mountains of Talesh.
This is a pristine plain and we should not expect much from it. This area has a bathroom, buffet, and a platform for spreading something to rest on. These possibilities are too much for those who love adventure travel. In the cold season, Neor freezes for three to five months. At a temperature of minus 20 degrees, from five meters deep in the lake, about 80 centimeters of it turns to ice and turns it into a natural ski slope. Locals and officials advise us not to swim in the water. Neor mud, as well as plants in the water, pulls people down and is therefore not recommended.
