Lake Saint Anne
A crater lake in one of the extinct volcanic craters of the Transylvanian Csomád/Ciomatu Mountains, near Tusnádfürdő/Băile Tușnad. It is part of the Mohos Nature Reserve, which includes two craters of the Chomád.
The other crater contains the Mohos peat bog. The lake can be reached by road from Sepsibukszád/Bixad.
The lake has a surface area of 0.22 km², a nearly circular shape and a funnel-shaped bed, which was once the crater of the volcano. The water has a low plankton content and low salinity (32 mg/l), but the blackish-brown silt deposited on the bottom makes the lake appear turbid.
A famous legend is linked to the origin of the lake:
"Once upon a time, on the site of today's Lake St Anne, there was a high hill with a castle on top. Across the hill, an hour away, there was also a huge castle on the Bálványos Hill (the ruins of which can still be seen today). Two brothers lived in the two castles, both of them proud, haughty, envious, and they did not like each other.
Once, a great lord arrived at the castle of Bálványos in a beautiful carriage decorated with gold, silver and diamonds, drawn by six wild horses. The host was very fond of the carriage and the horses, and asked the guest to sell it to him. In return, he promised seven villages, but the guest refused to hear of it, and, however much he urged him, he was adamant. When the lord of the castle saw this, he resorted to a ruse. He arranged a great feast, where he won the carriage by throwing dice. His first business the next day was to visit his brother. His brother was very envious of the carriage and vowed that within a day he would have a different carriage, not six but twelve horses.
He racked his brains, but could come up with nothing. But what did he suddenly think of? He ordered the most beautiful girls in the area to the castle. In less than half a day, hundreds of girls had gathered, the most beautiful of whom was one named Anna. The lord of the castle chose her first, and then eleven more, and made them follow in his carriage. But the girls could not move the carriage. The lord was terribly angry, and he cracked his whip at Anna, who was standing in front. The lord lashed out a second time, and Anna cursed him to go underground. And at that moment the sky went black, and with a terrible thunder the castle collapsed. The ruins sank lower and lower until the whole was under water and a lake was formed."
