Lake Ritsa is a natural mountainous, alpine-like, lake that can be found in the northwestern part of the partially recognized Republic of Abkhazia, in the vicinity of the border with the Russian Federation, within the northwestern part of the Republic of Georgia. Surrounded by plentiful mountains from the Caucasus mountain region, the lake is a superb place where people can relax and enjoy the impressive nature Georgia offers.
Lake Ritsa is considered to be among the deepest lakes that can be found in the region, and its maximum depth has been measured at 116 meters (381 feet). As this natural lake has numerous rivers that feed it, interestingly enough, there is only one river that flows out, and that is the Iupshara River.
This Abkhazian gem is located within the Ritsa National Park, there is one bigger settlement named Avadhara, which is standing at an elevation of 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) above sea level. This settlement is surrounded by amazing forests that are composed of fir, spruce, and beech, and create a landscape that reminds the visitors of some Swiss or Austrian mountains.
Due to the ongoing conflict Georgia has with Abkhazia, most of the tourists visiting Lake Ritsa are from Russia, where even the former Soviet leaders Joseph Stalin and Leonid Brezhnev had one of their summer houses here. Today, those houses are open as museums, and the government of Abkhazia is in charge of them.
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In fact, the climate is considered to be mountainous, with the lake’s waters always cold, between 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) in summertime, while in winter it gets to 3 degrees Celsius (37 degrees Fahrenheit), and it is strictly forbidden for people to swim in the lake.
It is not a secret that the changing of the water colors from greenish-blue to emerald-blue is attracting visitors every season, and as it is usual, there is a very rich environment for the trout to thrive here.
All in all, a very well-developed area where everyone can enjoy in this mesmerizing Abkhaz-Georgian beauty, which seems to be gaining more attention with the globalization, and having in mind that there were the Sochi Olympic games in the vicinity of Lake Ritsa, which actually made the general public more aware about the beauty of the region.
