There were only two places I would be disappointed to leave Montenegro without visiting, Skadar Lake and Durmitor National Park. The park will still have to wait, but luckily the social club through the marina offered a last minute trip out to the lake, complete with a wine tasting. Most of our boat projects are done, so we were happy to jump on board.
We made a quick stop on the way out to take photographs of Sveti Stefan. This island was leased by the government to an exclusive resort ($5,000/night) which hosts all sorts of fabulous celebrities. Unfortunately they had to close during COVID, and then a dispute arose with local authorities over the rights to the beach. The resort has refused to re-open their doors and instead is suing the Montenegrin government. A total waste in my opinion, but still a photogenic spot.
Skadar Lake is the largest lake in southern Europe, and shares a border with Albania. The biggest source of flow to the lake is from the MoraÄa River, which we had driven along earlier in March, along with karstic springs. Our boat cruise was only 90 minutes, which barely touched the surface of the boundaries of the lake. I had brought my binoculars, so we were able to do some birding as we puttered along. We also went past the island of Grmožur, a former prison now turned nesting site.
After the boat tour, we walked up the hill to the Besac Fortress for a local wine tasting.
The Besac Fortress was originally built by the Ottomans in 1478, and it later fell into the hands of local Montenegrins at the beginning of the 18th century. During World War II, Italians used it as a prison, after which it was later abandoned. A massive earthquake in 1979 decimated the fortress, but with funding from UNESCO, they were able to rebuild. The fortress now encompasses a restaurant, and we had a lovely afternoon sampling local wines and local dishes – my favorite being all the smoked fish!
They had a local guitarist playing, so Trip and I couldnāt resistā¦
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