🦢 Lake Elton

Lake Elton is a salt lake in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, near the border with Kazakhstan. It has an area of 152 square kilometres (59 sq mi) and is normally about 0.1 metres (4 in) deep, and about 0.7 to 0.8 metres in spring. Its surface is 18 metres (60 ft) below sea level. The lake's name originates from the Mongol language: “Altyn-Nor”. Long ago local nomads used the lake's mineral-rich mud for skin and respiratory treatments. For centuries, Lake Elton was a favorite location for Russian rulers and nobles. One can still see remnants of Catherine II's "bath” there.