Hámori Lake

Hámori Lake is an artificially enlarged lake on the border of Felsőhámor and Lillafüred, near Miskolc.

Its average depth is nine metres, that is, deeper than Balaton. The lake initially had no name, and was only called Taj (after the German Teich – lake). In an article published in the Sunday Newspaper in 1861 it was called Diósgyőri Lake, “which undoubtedly forms one of the most picturesque points of the Diósgyőr region”. Few locals use the name “bottomless lake”.

History

The Ómassai furnace built in the 1700s could no longer expand around the 1800s. The “new furnace” site was designated as Újmassá, but there was no water sufficient for operation there. The most suitable place was the confluence of the Garadna and Szinva streams at the upper end of the Hámor settlement, where there was already a lake called Fel Lake, whose water was considered to have healing properties. At the wide-water spring in the middle of the lake the mud depth was 25–30 metres.

The creation of the present lake is attributed to Frigyes Fazola, who also participated in the dam construction and gained expertise in Selmecbánya in 1797. The first surveys for the dam were already carried out in 1799, and the topic was taken up again in 1809. The design work for the lake dam was carried out by chamber engineer Anton Seidl. The dam was built of clay rolled between a dolomite base and a hedge fence. By 1813, when the still new furnace at Újmassá was put into operation, most of the floodgate dam had been completed, with the final completion set for 1815.

Between 1925 and 1929 the Lillafüred Palace Hotel was built, and the Szinva was diverted primarily so that there would be space for the hotel and floods would not have to be feared. With this diversion the Szinva, bypassing the lake, meets the Garadna flowing out of the dam at the Lillafüred waterfall in Felső-Hámor. Therefore the water after‑flow was reduced.

In 1932–33 the dam's clay core was re‑lined with stone set in cement, and in 1951 the lake was drained because of the installation of new bottom sluices and dam reinforcement.

Utilization

From the 1900s until the Second World War boating was very popular, bringing good revenue. From 1956 the Miskolc Spa Company restarted the boating opportunity on a part of the lake. Before the construction of the Palotaszálló the abundant trout stock was consumed by local residents, afterwards it was tied to the permission of the Palotaszálló.

Since the lake water is 20–22 °C down to a depth of two metres, a floating beach pool was built in 1932, which was later anchored to piles.

After 1945, for decades annual boat and kayak competitions were also held on the lake.

Accidents

In the 1800s five floods came to Miskolc from the Szinva, which at that time still passed through Hámori Lake. There is no data on the role of the Hámori protective dam. On 13 December 1913 the dam broke. At that time it was paved with blocks of tuff found on the site. In later years the population of wandering rats that moved into the dam undermined it so much that in 1931 the part of the dam beside the highway slipped, and another rupture was feared. By opening the bottom sluice they quickly drained the water, and then the arriving workers re‑paved it with pine logs.

The chance of the dam breaking also existed during the 2010 flood. If it had actually broken, 0.4 million m³ of water would have flowed through Miskolc, which was already suffering from floods. To prevent this, the water had to be released from the lake.

The biggest accident of Miskolc bus traffic occurred near the lake. On 5 October 1972 a bus overturned and fell into the Garadna-patak, injuring 20 people.

Current goals

The lake still fulfills its primary purpose, water storage and mitigation of water level fluctuations, although steelworks no longer operate. Without the reservoir, a larger flood could occur during spring melt, which the Hámori Lake also mitigates. It plays an important role in tourism, as its natural beauty adds to the attraction of Lillafüred. A tourist trail runs along the southern shore, with small rest areas. Boating is possible on roughly half of the lake, the water‑bike rental was initially at the curved bridge called Görbe Bridge of the small railway, but it was moved higher up to the Palotaszálló.

Access by public transport

The lake is also reachable by the Lillafüredi State Forest Railway, which runs through the most beautiful landscapes of the Bükk. The station closest to the lake is Lillafüred station, from there one must travel northward.

From buses 5 and 15 one must get off at the Palotaszálló stop, bus 5 at the small railway station, bus 15 directly at the lake.