Lake Velesht; The Lost Paradise Of Marzanabad – Urban life, with all its pollution, worries and problems, big and small, brings moments when we feel tired with all our being.

 For this reason, at the first opportunity we gather our luggage and take refuge in the nearest promenade; Where you have not yet been caught in the trap of unruly urban constructions and you can spend a few hours in the heart of nature away from noise, smoke and stress. Lake Velesht is one of these cozy and relaxing resorts that you will learn more about below.

We go out of town to not let the hustle and bustle of city life make us bored, frustrated and unhappy. At such times, we hold our mobile phones and search for the nearest tourist spots so that we may read something or see a photo that stimulates our curiosity and we will go there. 

Sometimes we ask friends and acquaintances for the most beautiful place they have just been to and are well aware of, and we want them to guide us. Then, according to the weather conditions, we gather the necessary equipment and leave.

The content of this page tries to guide you in choosing a suitable place for tourism. This time head to Lake Walesht we have visited as the lost paradise of the border villages and we have provided you with complete information about what you should know for a day of fun there.

Lake Waltz; A cultural heritage

Velesht Lake is one of the natural monuments of Iran, which was registered in the list of our cultural heritage monuments in October 2009 as the 72nd national natural monument. This lake is located northeast of Kelardasht and 25 km from Chalous Road, near the city of Marznabad.

Due to the location of the lake on the eastern side of Kelardasht (since Kelardasht is known as the city of oxygen in Iran), its nature has an extraordinary climate. The water of the lake is supplied by rainfall and springs on the bottom of the lake. For this reason, the water depth varies in different seasons of the year, but in no fish of the year does the lake become waterlogged and dry.

 The maximum water depth in the middle part of the lake is approximately 22 meters and the lake edge is approximately 9 meters deep, which makes watering easier for swimmers.

Before the cultural heritage had a special view of Lake Velesht, a small number of people came to explore it in nature, which were locals who instinctively went to the green pastures to spend their leisure time. It is safe to say that until a decade ago, many people had not even heard of the lake, but after the historical record of the lake, everything changed.

Now, as locals at the beginning of the road to the lake say, “One in 10 travelers who take the Chalous Road and want to spend a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city ends up on the lake; “It is a lake that many have not seen until yesterday, and these days we see its image in many virtual networks.”

Let’s go and leave

Assuming the origin of the trip to the lake is Tehran, the distance between Tehran and Lake Velesht is about 169 km. If we drive at an average speed of 60 kilometers per hour, it will take us less than 3 hours to reach the lake, which is an extraordinary time for a day trip, but taking into account the constant traffic of Karaj road and dirt road leading to the lake from the middle We take the Marzneabad route to reach the lake, a little hard work and the travel time is one hour longer than our expected time.

10 km from this route is the dirt road that goes to the heart of the lake. Not much has been done to pave the way and build roads in this area. The road is quite rocky and dirt, making it difficult for drivers, especially first-time travelers. 

Therefore, this 10 km is traveled very slowly and cautiously and lasts more than an hour in the dark. If you are one of those people who enjoy watching nature on the way and your intention is not just to reach the destination, you will enjoy the road to the lake to infinity.

Ways to access Lake Velesht

Lake Velesht is one of the usual options for day trips. Therefore, if you are interested in tourism with leisure tours, you can easily call one of the tour leaders two days before the trip and if the capacity is empty, register in the tour. Of course, if the day you plan to travel is closed, it is better to contact them at least 5 days before the time you want.

If you want to drive to Velesht with your personal car, choose the Tehran-Karaj highway and change the route as soon as you reach the Chalous road intersection. After that, drive on Chalous Road until you reach Marzanabad sign. Shortly before Marznabad, on your right you will see a side road that takes you to the lake.

If you plan to travel by intercity buses, get a Tehran-Chalous ticket. Ask the bus driver to drop you off at the beginning of Marzanebad. Ask the shops on the right side of the road to give you the agency number or telephone taxis in the area. Many locals have given their numbers to shopkeepers to call if they need a passenger. In this case, you can rest assured that as soon as you get off the bus, a car is waiting to take you to your destination.

 

Fishing on Lake Velesht is free

We suggest that you equip yourself for a few hours to visit Lake Velesht. Since swimming and swimming in the lake is not forbidden (of course, with caution), if you are a water lover in the lake, it is better to have some clothes with you.

Duck, blue snake and frog are among the lake’s aquatic animals. Due to the existence of several popular fish species, Lake Velesht is one of the fishing places for the villagers downstream and the residents of Marzneabad. As soon as the weather clears, they pick up their fishing hooks and buckets of bait and head for the lake. If you are interested in fishing, be sure to bring fishing hooks and fish bait.

The restaurant and coffee shop in the protected area of ​​the lake are ready to serve visitors to the lake until 10 pm, but are closed from 10 pm to 10 am tomorrow. Since there is no problem in lighting a fire around the lake, you can take semi-prepared food with you, which does not spoil along the way due to the hot weather.

If you plan to stay on the lake, it is essential to have a travel tent, a blanket (the lake is very cold at night), a canopy, comfortable shoes suitable for walking on rocky terrain, a sun hat, sunscreen and a power bank.

Velesht, a lake above the clouds

When the air becomes cloudy, the lake and the surrounding plains are above the clouds. When we come to the lake from the village, it is as if the clouds lift their curtains a little to take a half-view of the lake. Everything here is like a dream. In the evenings, when the air is slightly cloudy and due to the evaporation of the lake water, drops of dew are scattered in the air, a beautiful rainbow bridges over the lake that cannot be overlooked.

It is impossible to see all this beauty and not get the camera. Everything indicates that the locals have the right to call the lake a lost paradise. For those of us who have escaped from the hustle and bustle of the city to have a quiet and clean day in nature, this is no less than heaven; This is heaven itself.

If you come early in the morning and watch the sun shine on the fish scales, nothing can force you to return in the evening. For this reason, it is better to experience staying by the lake for one night until 6 o’clock in the morning. The silence of the lake, the sound of birds, the sound of the horses of the village house on the other side of the lake; Everything makes you feel good for a long time. Undoubtedly, Velesht is a lost paradise that has shown itself to us in these hot days to make us feel better.

Stay overnight by Lake Velesht

A little lower than the lake, in the middle of the dirt road, there is a small inn where you can spend the night, but if you want to spend the night in nature, you can camp by the lake and rest assured that there is no danger.

It has been several years since the Marzanebad governor’s office set up a 24-hour guard kiosk for the lake. To cross the guard, each personal car must pay 8,000 tomans, which seems to be a reasonable and ideal rate for a protected area.

Also, since the beginning of this year, with the increase of facilities around the lake, including equipping the area around the lake with restaurants, coffee shops, small supermarkets for selling drinks and snacks, equipping and developing toilets, pavilions, prayer halls and… accommodation around the lake has become easier. In general, everything is available for enjoying nature and refreshing. All you have to do is decide and go.