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Montenegro: Trebjesa and Skadarsko jezero Lake

For our first longer 2022 vacation, Nada, Bronco and me decided to have a road trip to the Balkans with our target countries being Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

On our fifth day we left Durmitor National Park and headed South. We stopped in Nikšič, where we made a short hike on their local hill called Trebjesa and after a while we did a boat trip in Skadarsko jezero lake. We weren't sure, if Bronco will board the boat, but he did it. We ended the day on the coast in Budva.

Previous days of our vacation: Day 4 - 15686, Day 3 - 15685, Day 2 - 15684, Day 1 - 15683.

Nikšić is the second largest city in Montenegro.

 

We spotted the convoy of Caterpillars, so I quickly escaped on a tree.

Easy hike on Trebjesa - Garmin Connect.

In a village Virpazar, we diced to go on a boat trip. Bronco was scared at first, but in the end he loved it.

First row on the boat. Skadarsko jezero - Lake Skadar is the largest lake in Southern Europe.

 

Like in a movie. Hopefully we won't end the same.

Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula with a surface area that seasonally fluctuates between 370 km² and 530 km². The lake is located in the border area between Albania and Montenegro, the Montenegrin share of the area of the lake is slightly larger than the Albanian. The lake's water level also varies seasonally from 4.7 to 9.8 metres above sea level.

The lake is a cryptodepression, filled by the river Morača and drained into the Adriatic by the 41 km long Bojana.

 

Lake Skadar is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe, having 270 bird species, among which are some of the last pelicans in Europe, and thus popular with birders. The lake also contains habitats of seagulls and herons.

It is abundant in fish, especially in carp, bleak and eel. Of the 34 native fish species, 7 are endemic to Lake Skadar.

The lake is named after the city of Shkodër in northern Albania (Albanian: Shkodër or Shkodra; Serbo-Croatian: Скадар, romanized: Skadar).

Lotus flowers on the lake.

Bronco, Nada and a fresh Lotus flower.

The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surroundings has been part of a national park since 1983, whilst the Albanian area is a Managed Nature Reserve. As of 1996 Skadar was included in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. In late 2011 the lake area was formally nominated for a UNESCO heritage status.

  

The water of the lake is completely changed in 2 to 2 and a half times every year.

Numerous medicinal herbs as well as plenty of orchid species can be found along the lake’s coast.

Bronco wasn't interested in the lake anymore, so he fell asleep.

The surrounding mountains on the lake shores are home to wild tortoises, lizards, amphibians, snakes, wild boars and wolves.

In region of Skadar Lake there are 20 monasteries, churches, villages, fortresses and sacred monuments. This lake is witness of Montenegrin history from 11th century up to now.

Returning back to port in Virpazar.

We drove to a sightseeing point, where we found a geocache and admired the view.

One last photo and we said goodbye to Lake Skadar and hello Budva.

Geocache found:

- Another view to Lake Skadar, GC6NTY4, that received a visit by trackable items "Chakkuri's Community Volunteer Travel Tag", TB676DY, "Get a photo of a tree", TB8JV00 and "Magic: The Gathering, Rivals of Ixalan Trackable: Vampire Die Bonbon Dose", TB8Q8AY

#CatahoulaLeopardDog #Balkans #geocaching