LAKE OF SHKODRA
The largest lake in the Balkans is of little interest in Albania. Two thirds are in Montenegro.
Shared with Montenegro, the largest lake in the Balkans presents, it has to be said, very little of interest in its Albanian part: bleak swamp landscapes, almost no boating activity and only a few restaurants on its shores. Called Lake Shkodra (Liqeni i Shkodrës) in Albanian or Lake Skadar (Скадарско Језеро/Skadarsko Jezero) in Montenegrin, it is shallow (6 meters on average), has around 200 kilometers of coastline and its surface area varies, depending on the season, from 370 to 530 km2, two-thirds of which is in Montenegro. On this side, the karst lake offers beautiful scenery. Its steep, jagged coasts form islands and peninsulas that are home to delightful monasteries and churches. Montenegro is also home to the Lake Skadar National Park (400 km2), well organized for sightseeing. Since 2022, the Albanian part has been part of the Lake Shkodra Nature Reserve (260 km2). But as is often the case in Albania, protected areas are largely theoretical, since almost no financial resources are allocated to them. In any case, it's a sign that the rich biodiversity of the lake is being taken into account. Since 1996, the entire lake has been included on the Ramsar Convention's list of Wetlands of International Importance. It is one of Europe's largest reserves of lake birds and migratory birds: 270 species have been recorded in the Montenegrin part of the lake, including a number of endangered species such as the Dalmatian pelican and the pygmy cormorant.
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