We present to you a selection of the most mysterious and mysterious swamps, a visit to which requires fortitude and courage.
Since ancient times, swamps were considered a kind of abode of evil - a refuge of evil spirits. Even now, the swamps have not the best reputation and are associated primarily with a bad place, which, however, does not frighten those who like to tickle their nerves.
1. Manchak swamps in Louisiana
These dead swamps are worthy of being praised by Edgar Poe and Howard Lovecraft: huge trees, branches touching the surface of the water, eerily protruding roots, as if trying to grab someone ... At the beginning of the twentieth century, they tried to drain these swamps, but the enterprise was defeated: the villages were built destroyed by the hurricane, and all the locals were killed. One involuntarily recalls Lovecraft's story "The Swamp of the Moon", where a certain "guardian of the swamp" did not allow the swamp to be drained, and ghosts took the workers and local residents into the bog.
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The Manchak swamps are covered with legends. Locals claim that werewolves live here and at night you can hear their howls. The beauty of the swamp is added by the periodically emerging corpses of long-dead people. It is believed that these swamps were cursed by the Voodoo witch - Maria Laveau.
The swamps are located close to New Orleans and are popular with adventure travelers on boat tours. Night canoeing is in great demand, when the moon is reflected on the black surface, and only splashes of water cut through the silence of the night. However, you should be careful when testing your nerves for strength - alligators live in these seemingly uninhabited places.
2. Bangweulu swamps in Zambia
The place where water meets the sky - this is how Bangweulu is translated, the largest water system located on the Congo River and uniting the lake, swamps and floodplain. These swamps also have their own legend: according to myths, the beast Emela-Ntouka lives in the bog, which looks like a huge rhinoceros. Locals believe that he is capable of killing an elephant.
3. Pinsk swamps
Ancient Pinsk bogs are located in the south of Belarus and north-west of Ukraine. They are picturesquely spread out on the territory of Polesie. Thanks to the impenetrable swamps, species of plants and animals that are threatened with extinction have been preserved here, and the swamps had a huge impact on the culture of Polesie, where ancient Slavic pagan rituals are still practiced.
In the folklore of Polesie, the Pripyat bogs occupy an important place. According to legend, the whole city once went under the water - having come to the swamp, sometimes you can hear the chime of the bells of the sunken city. Another legend says about a swamp snake named Smutak. Perhaps it is in these mysterious places that have preserved the atmosphere of ancient times that you will be lucky enough to find a fern flower that bloomed on Ivan Kupala, which will open the hidden treasures of the endless Pinsk bogs.
4. Pantanal (Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay)
In the Pantanal - the largest wetland - there is nothing to be surprised at, because you will just get tired of doing it. You will not find such an abundance of exotic animals and plants, perhaps, anywhere else: there are about 20 million crocodiles alone! Pantanal is an ideal place for those who strive for unity with nature, who want to get as close as possible to the natural habitat of animals and observe their life.
The reserve attracts not only tourists: adventurers still flock here in search of gold - according to legend, Eldorado is somewhere nearby. It is also believed that in the depths of the Pantanal lies untold riches - allegedly the Indian tribes who lived here earlier threw jewelry into the lake while serving the gods.
How to get there: You can take a flight from the capital of Brazil, São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro to Cuiaba. From Cuiaba, you can book a guided tour or get there on your own along the Transpantaneira and Estrada Park roads by renting a car.
5. Keava Swamp in Estonia
The swamp is known for dropping at the edges instead of rising up to form hills. Scientists are at a loss as to why this is happening, and put forward hypotheses: someone believes that this is due to a decrease in the level of groundwater, others are of the opinion that thermokarst is to blame for everything, but still others say that this is due to the underground channel of the stream. One way or another, thanks to the bad fame of the quagmire, a huge number of tourists flock to it to feel its energy.
The mysterious swamp is located in the Kõnnumaa nature reserve. A narrow boardwalk with a length of 800 meters runs along it, which leads to a bog window. Here you can swim - if there is such a daredevil, of course - it is believed that this water has healing power.
