Pikrolimni (lake)
| Pikrolimni | |
|---|---|
| Πικρολίμνη (Greek) | |
View of lake Pikrolimni | |
| Location | Kilkis, Central Macedonia, Greece |
| Coordinates | 40°50′05″N 22°48′46″E / 40.83472°N 22.81278°E |
| Type | hypersaline lake |
| Etymology | "Bitter lake" (in Greek) |
| Primary inflows | none (endorheic) |
| Catchment area | 42.5 km2 (16.4 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Greece |
| Designation | Natura 2000 protected area CORINE biotope |
| Max. length | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Max. width | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| Surface area | 3.7 km2 (1.4 sq mi) (average) |
| Average depth | 0.7 m (2 ft 4 in) |
| Max. depth | 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) |
| Salinity | 153‰ |
| Shore length1 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Frozen | never |
| Settlements | Nea Filadelfeia Mikrokampos |
| Website | Natura 2000 SDF |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Pikrolimni (Greek: Πικρολίμνη 'bitter lake') is an endorheic, alkaline salt lake in Kilkis prefecture, Greece. It is located on the border of the Kilkis and Thessaloniki regional units, about 40 km northwest of Thessaloniki. The lake is hypersaline, has rather shallow waters (0.5–0.7 m) and a shoreline of about 8.5 km. The water surface area shows significant seasonal variation (3.2–4.5 km2) due to evaporation in the summer months, with an average value of 3.7 km2.
Pikrolimni is the only salt lake in Greece and constitutes a biotope with rare halophytic vegetation surrounded by common reeds, which is home to various common and endangered bird species. The habitat has been listed since 1996 as a Natura 2000 site of community interest and special protection area, while also protected by the Ramsar convention.
The lake was known in ancient times as Chalastra (Ancient Greek: Χαλάστρα), a famous source of natron and trona for Graeco-Roman glassmaking. In modern times it has been a site of pelo- and balneotherapy, with a spa specialising in such treatments using the lake's briny water and characteristic black mud.