Lake Skadar, Freshwater lake on the Montenegro–Albania border
Lake Skadar is a karst lake on the border of Montenegro and Albania, about 44 km long and seasonally 370 to 530 km² in area. Its southwestern shore is steep and rocky, with small islands such as Beška and Grmožur, while the northern side is a broad, flood-prone plain.
The lake's basin is tectonic, formed by folding and faulting in the High Karst Zone during the Cenozoic. Its present shape took form over the last 18,000 years, after the connection with the sea was cut in the younger Pliocene. The Montenegrin section became a national park in 1983, and the Albanian part a nature reserve in 2005.
Traditional fishing communities around the lake maintain centuries-old methods of catching carp, bleak, and eel that shape daily life in nearby villages. These practices continue to define the local economy and connection to the water.
The town of Virpazar on the shoreline offers boat tours, kayak rentals, and guided excursions for visitors. The best season for activities runs from spring through fall when weather conditions are favorable.
Grmožur island holds the ruins of a 19th-century fortress that later served as a prison, while Beška has two churches. Near the mouth of Rijeka Crnojevića, 11 m below the surface, lies the wreck of the steamboat Skanderbeg, sunk by partisans in 1942.
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