Skadar Lake - Skadar Lake

Skadar Lake - why go there?

Our journey starts from Podgorica Airport towards Skadar Lake. The lake is the largest lake in the Balkans and stretches all the way to Albania. We drive from the highway towards Rijeka Crnojevica - from here it gets adventurous. The roads are very narrow, the locals are pushing behind you, and suddenly you have to maintain a speed of 30 km/h - you never know what kind of vehicle is waiting for you around the next curve. On the drive, you can stop on the side and fully enjoy the beauty of the lake. This tranquility, this silence, this idyll - far away from any tourists. In general, you should plan at least 3 full days to fully enjoy the beauty of the lake. From this viewpoint, you have a breathtaking view of the entire river valley - the Crnojevica.

Rijeka Crnojevica - starting point for numerous boat tours

We stop in Rijeka Crnojevica, the first place we pass on our way to the apartment. Dogs are playing around, numerous boats are moored on the riverbank, and for the first time, we come in contact with locals who offer these boat tours. We politely decline because we want to get to the apartment as quickly as possible and rest from the journey. We are considering coming back tomorrow to take a boat tour. The sweet, little town is not very touristy. From here, it is wonderful to book one of the tours and cruise along the river or lake. If you don't take a boat tour here, you've really missed out! The first day exceeded our expectations! The tour was amazing! You couldn't get enough of the animals and nature - a true biotope and that peace...wow!

How much does a boat tour cost?

The prices are different - can you negotiate? Unfortunately, I don't think we're very good at it, but we spontaneously shared a boat with another couple, so we paid 80€ for the whole boat. I have also heard from other tourists who paid 80€ for 2 people. In addition, there is the national park fee - unfortunately, you can't avoid it in Montenegro, I think it was 6€ per person. It depends on who you find and what offer you negotiate. Our tour was arranged by the lady from our apartment! That means we paid 26€ per person for just over 2 hours of boat tour, including a stop at the oldest monastery in Montenegro.

From our apartment 'Rooms Dujeva Drago Resort' (booked through Booking), we had a breathtaking view of the river valley. There are not as many apartments around the river, like in Virpazar (I'll write about it below).

In addition, the hosts offer homemade products, which we tried for dinner, including the trout from the lake and homemade wine. All this at sunset - our highlight! Wine is very popular in this region of Montenegro. Wherever you drive, wine is produced and sold everywhere.

For breakfast, we had traditional Montenegrin pastry balls with honey and jam, all homemade! You won't go hungry there! However, the wasps ruined the beautiful view and ambiance :(

After breakfast and on the way to Virpazar, we stop at a cute bar where we enjoy homemade juices from bamboo straws and have an indescribable view over the river valley. I can really recommend this stop!

Virpazar - the largest town on Lake Skadar

The next day we set off towards Virpazar. I would say it is the most touristy place around Lake Skadar. That's probably why we didn't like it as much as the area around Rijeka Crnojevica! Virpazar invites you to take a leisurely walk through the village. Numerous restaurants and cafes line up there. You can also book boat tours and rent kayaks here. At every corner, people are waiting to sell you a different tour...a bit annoying! You probably get a group boat tour cheaper there, but the question is if you want that!

Drive from Virpazar to the Albanian border

Afterwards, we decided to drive along the entire lake to the Albanian border on our way to the coast. I already want to warn you about the only road that runs along the lake. It is not for the faint of heart, especially not for novice drivers! It takes about 2 hours to drive along this road from Virpazar. But the adventure rewards you with the most stunning views of Lake Skadar - you can even look over to Albania! The drive is definitely a highlight!