Lake Skadar
Podgorica, Montenegro
Spanning the border of Montenegro and Albania, Lake Skadar is a large, tranquil lake teeming with birds and the occasional ruin. In Montenegro, its main gateways are the towns of Vranjina and Virpazar on either side of the lake’s bridge. Hilltop viewpoints overlook Lake Skadar’s green shores lined with lilies and the iconic horseshoe bend at the lake’s northwest point.
Lake Skadar is large, but most travelers explore the lake northwest of the Skadar Lake Bridge. It's where you find landmarks such as Lesendro fort, Kom Monastery, and the Pavlova Strana Viewpoint. But there are also scattered landmarks on islands farther down the western shore.
Expect to spend at least half a day exploring Lake Skadar, with tours from Budva and the broader coast available to help you streamline the experience. As for boat tours of the lake, they leave from Virpazar and can easily fill half a day.
Visitors looking for restaurants have the most luck around Virpazar and Vranjina, with several located around each town.
Lake Skadar is an excellent place for those who love the outdoors, from hiking to kayaking on the lake.
Wine lovers should seek out the wineries north of the lake near Meterizi.
If you want to swim at Lake Skadar, head to Murići Beach.
Lake Skadar is due south of Podgorica, with the E80 running directly from the capital to Vranjina and Virpazar. Since local buses/trains only stop at Virpazar en route to Bar, they’re mostly only helpful in seeing the town. Renting a car allows you to drive to the lake’s viewpoints and landmarks, but boat tours offer the most comprehensive experience as they can reach the lake’s islands.
Summer is the most popular time to visit Lake Skadar, as people come to Montenegro’s coast for its hot weather and to take day trips to the lake. It’s also when you can see blankets of lilies on the lake. Birders will be more interested in coming in winter when tens of thousands of birds visit Lake Skadar; however, birds are active on either side of summer, in April, May, September, and October.
The boat tours of Lake Skadar are so appealing because they enable travelers to see many of the lake’s island attractions. With a boat tour, you can see the tiny island that hosts the 19th-century ruins of Grmozur fortress and prison. Exploring the lake also includes seeing many of Lake Skadar’s island monasteries, with two of the main ones on larger islands being Beska Monastery and Kom Monastery.
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