Darscho

The Darscho is a shallow salt lake in Austria’s Seewinkel region of Burgenland. Its name comes from Hungarian and means ‘warm lake’. About 500 000 square metres of water lie north of Apetlon village on the sealed farm track to Frauenkirchen. The lake belongs to the Fertő/Neusiedler See UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Birdwatchers come to see waterfowl such as sandpipers, gulls and herons. The Darscho is one of the few semi-permanent salt pans in the area. A thick layer of mud seals the water column from the ground below, yet at the edges water can seep out and fresh groundwater can seep in depending on the water-table level. The chemistry of the lake still shows clear traces of this groundwater influence. Like other central Seewinkel pans, the Darscho has suffered from a drop of up to one metre in the regional groundwater table. Visitors walk the dirt track to the water’s edge and scan the surface for birds. The lake’s shallow basin often appears pink in summer from salt-loving algae. The surrounding steppe grassland is planted with vineyards whose wines carry the Darscho name. In dry spells park rangers move fish to safer waters to protect them until the pan refills.