Zvornik Lake, lake
Zvornik Lake is an artificial reservoir on the Drina River, sitting on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia near the towns of Zvornik and Mali Zvornik. A concrete dam holds back the water, and the lake runs for a considerable length with varying widths along both shorelines.
Work on the dam began in 1948, shortly after World War II, and the lake was fully formed by 1955. The flooding covered several villages and farmland in the area, and residents were forced to leave their homes.
The lake takes its name from the Bosnian town on its shore and today draws people from both sides of the border for fishing and swimming. Walking along the banks, you notice a relaxed pace of daily life where the water feels like a natural extension of the two towns.
The lake sits on an international border, so it is worth checking whether a travel document is needed for crossing between the two sides. Accommodation and restaurants are found along both shores within easy reach of the towns, and the banks are accessible on foot or by bike.
The border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia runs directly through the middle of the lake, meaning a swimmer or a boat can cross from one country into the other without touching land. The power plant attached to the dam still supplies electricity to homes and businesses on both sides of that line.
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