Lake Orfű

The Orfű Lakes artificial lake system is located about 10 km northwest of Pécs, at the northern foot of the Mecsek.

The approximately 5 km long lake system consists of four lakes: Orfű Lake, Pécs Lake, Herman Ottó Lake and Kovácsszénája Lake.

The Orfű lake system is fed by the Vízfő spring's abundant karst water, from a 32 km² catchment area, delivering annually about 4.5 million m³ of characteristically calcium‑hydrogen carbonate water.

The plan for the creation of the lake system originated in the early 1960s. Its purpose was to exploit the abundant karst spring and, at the same time, to create adjoining resort areas.

The Orfű Lake was completed first in 1962, with a water surface of 17 cadastral holds, making it the smallest lake at that time. The lake lies between Orfű and Mecsekrákos. The lake, surrounded by dams, has since become a famous recreation centre, a paradise for swimmers and anglers.

The lake, as a reservoir, has multiple purposes. In addition to flood protection, the creation of a resort zone and water‑sport facilities, sport fishing also received a prominent role. The lake’s water level is 70 m higher than the level of Lake Balaton, with an average depth of 3.3 m. The lake’s depth distribution shows an interesting picture: 44 % of the water is 3–7 m deep, 56 % is between 0–3 m.

Next to the lake, a Mill Museum and a grinding‑history exhibition opened, as well as a forestry antler collection can be seen here. In an outdoor display case, an exhibition titled “The Fish as Living Being and Food” is arranged.