Lake Skadar Scenic Drive

Lake Skadar — known locally as Skadarsko Jezero — is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula and one of the most ecologically significant wetlands in Europe. Shared between Montenegro (roughly two-thirds) and Albania, it supports over 280 bird species including the rare Dalmatian pelican, and its shoreline of floating water-lily meadows, submerged karst springs, and vine-covered hills feels more like the Danube Delta than the Adriatic coast just thirty kilometres away. The scenic drive from Virpazar to Bar, approximately ninety kilometres along the lake's western and southern shores, is Montenegro's most underrated slow-travel route — flat, quiet, and rich in wine, wildlife, and unexpected beauty.

Virpazar is the gateway. This small lakeside village of stone houses and waterfront restaurants serves as the main access point for Lake Skadar National Park. From here, boat trips depart daily (€15–30 per person, two to three hours) to see pelican colonies, island monasteries like Beška and Starčevo, and the floating meadows of lirići — water plants that carpet the shallows in green. Even if you skip the boat, Virpazar's wine cellars offer tastings of Vranac, Montenegro's indigenous red grape, for a few euros a glass. The national park visitor centre provides maps and birding guides.

The road northwest from Virpazar toward Rijeka Crnojevića follows the Crnojević River as it bends through the famous horseshoe curve at Pavlova Strana — one of the most photographed landscapes in Montenegro, where the river doubles back on itself beneath vine-covered hills. Rijeka Crnojevića itself is a tiny settlement with a restored stone bridge and kayak rental; the viewpoint above the bend is a five-minute walk from a roadside pullout. Continuing south, the road passes Vranjina — a hill-island connected to the mainland by a causeway, with monastery ruins and excellent birdwatching from the shore.

The southern shore toward Bar is quieter and less developed. Small fishing villages, roadside honey sellers, and olive groves line the route. Bar itself combines a modern port town with Stari Bar — a ruined medieval city on the hillside above, abandoned after an earthquake in 1979 and now a haunting open-air museum of stone walls, cypress trees, and a still-functioning aqueduct. The old town's olive tree, claimed to be over 2,000 years old, is worth the climb.

For VW T3 drivers, this route is a relief after Kotor's serpentines — essentially flat, well-paved, and uncrowded outside August. The M2.4 lakeside sections are narrow with soft gravel shoulders; take care when meeting oncoming traffic. Allow two days: one for the drive with stops, one for a boat trip from Virpazar. May and June bring wildflowers and nesting birds; September offers grape harvest in the surrounding vineyards.