Lake Skadar: the back story

About Lake Skadar: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Podgorica Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Half an hour south of Podgorica, Lake Skadar spreads between the mountains, its edges a maze of reeds, water lilies and channels. The Montenegrin part has been a national park since 1983, and it is one of the most important bird habitats in Europe.

The great lake

Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans, shared between Montenegro and Albania. Its size changes with the seasons, swelling in winter and shrinking in summer, and its shores hide fishing villages, island monasteries and old fortresses.

Birds

More than 270 bird species have been recorded here, among them the Dalmatian pelican, which nests on the lake. Early morning boat trips are the best time to see them.

In early summer, the bays of Lake Skadar are carpeted with water lilies, and pelicans glide overhead.

Rijeka Crnojevića

On the north-west side, the river Rijeka Crnojevića winds to the lake through a green valley. Its village, with an arched stone bridge of 1853, was a market town of the Montenegrin princes; above it, the viewpoint of Pavlova Strana looks down on a perfect horseshoe bend of the river.

Virpazar and the wine villages

Virpazar, on the railway and the road from Podgorica to Bar, is the main base for boat trips. The villages of Crmnica around it are wine country, where families welcome visitors for a tasting of vranac.

Our advice: take a small-boat trip from Virpazar or Rijeka Crnojevića in the morning, stop at Pavlova Strana for the view, and finish with lunch of lake fish and a glass of local wine. Bring insect repellent in summer.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Lake Skadar: the back story before you go.