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Lake Skadar National Park is one of Europe’s most pristine wilderness areas, where rolling wetlands, lush reed beds, and open waters create an unparalleled nature experience. Home to over 280 bird species, this vast freshwater ecosystem is a sanctuary for wildlife and a must-visit destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike.
From majestic Dalmatian pelicans to flocks of migratory waterbirds, Lake Skadar offers unforgettable wildlife encounters throughout the year.
Lake Skadar’s ecosystem is very complex. It is of a sub-Mediterranean type dominated by freshwater and wetland biotopes, particulary along the northern shore, as well as by presence of scrub forests, garigues and rocky terrains on the south karst slopes, which on the whole indicates the floristic and vegetation diversity and abundance.
During summer, floating wetland species, white and yellow water lilies and water caltrop (kasaronja), cover large areas of water, giving the lake a recognizable feature. Extending from them, one can find a wide and dense population of reeds and sedges.
Different species of willows exist in floodable fields, forming willow groves, as well as a dense willow forest along the Morača river confluence. On land, along the north side, there are trees of endemic Skadar oak (Qurcus robur scutariensis), protected as a rare endangered species.
Thanks primarily to preserved ecosystems and inaccessibility of some parts of the lace, particularly along northern, marshy shore, Lake Skadar is a „paradise for birds“ with 280 bird species, most of them rare and endangered. The most popular are curly pelican, grey, white and yellow heron, grebes, wild ducks, moorhens etc.
The overall ornithifauna represents an important element of the Lake Skadar biodiversity and a stability factor for wetland ecosystem, as well as a hot spot, i.e. the most important area for wetland birds in Europe during their nesting and wintering season. The richness and diversity of ichtyiofauna are illustrated by facts showing that there are 48 species of fish living in the waters of the Lake Skadar basin, of which 15 are endemic. In addition to autochthonous species, such as eel, mullet, flathead mullet and Alice shad is also very interesting.
According to an old local legend, Skadar Lake was once a fertile valley with villages, churches and fields. One day, a spring was left open and water began to rise, slowly flooding the land and forming the lake.
Locals say that on very quiet nights, church bells can still be heard beneath the water.
It is believed that monks chose the island of Kom for its silence and natural protection by water. For centuries, it served as a place of prayer, refuge and spiritual strength.
