Hidden Albania: Lake Neuron and the wine it inspired
Deep beneath the limestone ridges of southern Albania, near the border with Greece, lies one of the most remarkable recent discoveries in the Balkans: Lake Neuron, the world’s largest known underground thermal lake. And above it, in the same rugged region of Leskovik, the family-run Max Mavrud Winery, has transformed this geological wonder into vinous art -a wine named Neuron, born from the native Mavrud grape and the earth’s own heat.
LAKE NEURON: A HIDDEN WORLD BENEATH LESKOVIK
In early 2025, a team of Czech speleologists and geoscientists uncovered a vast underground lake in the Vromoner area of Leskovik. Situated at the bottom of a 100-meter-deep chasm, the discovery stunned both scientists and local communities. Named Lake Neuron after the Czech Neuron Foundation that financed the expedition, the lake has an estimated volume of 8,300 m³ of geothermal water -roughly three and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools. Its dimensions are impressive: about 138 meters long, 42 meters wide, and 345 meters in perimeter. The water’s temperature remains naturally warm year-round, linked to deep geothermal activity beneath the mountains of southeastern Albania. The lake is part of a complex karstic system that connects subterranean springs, rivers, and limestone caverns. Scientists believe it could hold important clues to the region’s hydrogeology and even host unique subterranean ecosystems. Beyond its scientific value, the lake is already being described as a potential cornerstone of eco-tourism in Leskovik, combining speleology, nature, and cultural exploration in one of Albania’s least-known destinations.
THE WINE NEURON: A TRIBUTE IN A BOTTLE
Just a few kilometers from the site stands Max Mavrud Winery, a family-owned estate run by the Fejzulla family, who have revived Leskovik’s long-forgotten winemaking traditions. When the discovery of Lake Neuron made international headlines, the Fejzullas found the perfect inspiration for a new creation: a wine that captures the depth and mystery of the land. Produced exclusively from 100% Mavrud grapes, Neuron is a bold red wine that embodies the essence of the high-altitude terroir of Leskovik -calcareous soils (pH 7.2), vineyards planted at 750–780 meters above sea level, and a climate marked by strong thermal shifts between day and night. The winery’s approach focuses on small yields, natural expression, and minimal intervention, letting the native grape speak for the land. Like the winery’s other acclaimed label, Trio3 (aged four months in French and Hungarian oaks), Neuron is structured, complex, and deeply expressive -with notes of dark cherry, wild herbs, and the minerality of Leskovik’s limestone soils. More than a wine, Neuron is a declaration of identity. It symbolizes the connection between the visible and the hidden, between the vineyards that reach for the sun and the mysterious waters that flow beneath them. <<For us, Neuron represents the soul of this place>>, says Maksim Fejzulla, the owner of Max Mavrud. <<It’s a story of energy, depth, and discovery. Just like the lake itself>>.
A FUTURE WRITTEN IN STONE AND WINE
The discovery of Lake Neuron has placed Leskovik on the scientific map, while wines like Neuron are helping to put it on the cultural one. Together, they tell a story of hidden potential of a land that holds, quite literally, worlds beneath its surface. Here, in Albania’s southeast, nature and craftsmanship converge: geothermal heat meets vineyard roots, and scientific discovery becomes a source of artistic inspiration. In every glass of Neuron, one can taste both: the power of the earth and the quiet resilience of a region that is being rediscovered.
Per info: Max Mavrud Winery
