Whenever we were returning from the Montenegrin coast, tired of the very difficult and winding road through the canyon of the Moraca river, the obligatory stop is the beautiful Lake Biograd. Located on the Bjelasica mountain, surrounded by a dense forest of centuries-old trees, its magical shades of green relax everyone who is near it. Everything about this lake is perfect, the environment, the smell of the air, the dense forest, the diverse flora and fauna, and the numerous endemic species. Here I present to you this corner of the wilderness that I adore and to which I am always happy to return.
Lake Biograd is located at 1094 meters above sea level and is the largest mountain lake in Montenegro. It is part of the Biogradska Gora national park, one of the oldest protected areas in the Balkans. More precisely, this area was protected only a few years after Yeoluston became the first national park in the world.
And now for my favorite part :) How did this lake come to be? Lake Biograd belongs to the group of glacial and accumulation lakes.
Namely, during the Pleistocene, the peaks of Montenegro were covered by huge glaciers. It was the same in Bjelasica. The current Biograd river, which flows into the lake, is located on the site of a former glacier. As the glacier descended it pushed the so-called moraine material in front up to a height of 1000m above sea level. When the glacier melted, the limestone moraine material served as a natural dam that retained the water, and this is how this beautiful lake was formed.
It is filled with water by the tributary Biogradska river, but over time the Jezersica River was formed, which drains the water of Biogradska Jezera into the Tara River. In addition, an abyss has formed at the bottom of the lake, and the moraine material, which is like a natural limestone dam, has begun to be destroyed by erosion, so Lake Biograd is disappearing at a rapid pace. There are plans to stop this, but I don't see any concrete steps being taken to keep the lake from disappearing.
The disappearance of the lake is a natural process. The lake is maximally protected from people, everything is adapted to nature and here the tourist is only a mute visitor whose role is to enjoy the preserved nature. However, the passivity of the state to slow down the process of water disappearing from the lake disappointed many nature lovers, who are in love with Lake Biograd. The plan exists, but the implementation has not yet started
Around the lake, there is a well-maintained trail about four kilometers long, with information boards about the specifics of this region. There are also wooden benches along the path where you can rest and enjoy the emerald colors of the lake.
This large wooden xylophone caught the attention of my children. Namely, the xylophone consists of pieces of trunks of different species of trees, which are hung with a thick rope so that they hang. The point is that hitting each of them produces a different sound, because each tree produces a different sound, so you can compose your own unique melody.
The surroundings of the lake are also amazing. The trees are huge and up to 400 years old, so the whole environment at times reminded me of a park from the Jurassic period.
The lake is surrounded by a 1,600-hectare rainforest, one of the three last remaining virgin forests in Europe, rich in plant and animal species. Over eighty species of trees, colossal in size and age, surround Lake Biograd and give it a unique emerald color.
Here is a photo of some of the largest and oldest species.
Since the trail is full of information boards, which introduce you to the specifics of the lake and the flora and fauna that surrounds it, it is called the Educational Trail for a reason.
The surroundings of the lake are protected from mass tourism. There is accommodation in bungalows and wooden houses that are in harmony with the environment, there is also a restaurant on the shore of the lake that is also made of wood and in a completely natural environment. Not far from the lake, there is a camping site. But it is very important to reserve your place in time because due to the limited accommodation capacity, everything sells out quickly.
On the lake, you can rent a boat and go out into the beautiful greenery.
Our time by the lake passed quickly. Since we were coming from the sea coast, the mountain freshness and 20 degrees lower temperature awaited us. The camp was full of nature lovers, besides us Balkans, there were also Poles and French. If you are a true nature lover, you must visit this temple of nature. In addition to Biograd Lake, there are four more glacial lakes within the Biogradska Gora National Park, as well as plenty of marked hiking trails that lead you through the dense forest to beautiful viewpoints. If you want to learn more about the lake, you can hire a guide with wonderful stories.
Lake Biograd conquers both heart and soul. We will definitely visit it again, and until then I hope that steps will be taken to protect it from disappearing I firmly believe that the Montenegrin authorities will do their best not to lose such an emerald in the heart of the European virgin forest.
See you soon Lake Biograd!💚
