You can reach Virpazar, once renowned as the largest market in Montenegro, by car or by using local transportation from Bar via the Sozina tunnel.
Today, Virpazar is a rare and growing holiday destination. Once a temporary stop for journeys across Lake Skadar, many visitors, including celebrities, continue to return. Virpazar’s magical beauty in the summer, combined with its ambiance, grayed by rain and snow on cold winter days, adds to its allure. Numerous canoes, barges and larger taxi boats are tied up on the shore, carrying tourists eager to experience the beauty of a lake, its air warmed by the wood-scented smoke rising from its chimneys. They cast their hopeful nets into the lake waters in the hope of finding the abundance of carp, blackfish or eels that Virpazar will generously offer them. As irresistible as these beauties are, we cannot help but say that you will enjoy “Virpazar”, which was once known as “Vir”, during the good summer months..
NNo matter where you stay, you’re sure to leave your room quickly, as the call of Lake Skadar and its countless historical monuments will instantly invite you to embark on a journey into its depths. If you’d like to join this invitation, you can hop on one of the tourist taxis that depart from the ancient bridge and enjoy the scenery of Virpazar and Lake Skadar. You’ll be amazed by the fact that Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans and the second largest in Europe, and you’ll witness the presence of 200 different bird species. In fact, this unique experience has led to a surge in birdwatching and tourism in the region in recent years.
Lake Skadar is today the largest pelican settlement in Europe. It is home to 12 species of woodcock, 3 species of duck, and over 160 other bird species. Bird inhabitants of the Lake Skadar region include cormorants, gulls, various duck species, geese, and pheasants. Storks, herons (white, yellow, and gray), loons, and other rare bird species are frequently seen here. Fishing is very common in Lake Skadar, with carp and eels being the most frequently caught.
As you pass through the lake, you can also encounter unique vegetation. Water lilies and white lotus flowers are just a few examples.
We recommend getting acquainted with the kasoranja (a black, irregularly shaped hairy fruit) in the ecological zones of Lake Skadar, next to the decorative stalks of flowering reeds, and then going to the island of Grmozur, which used to be a prison, then visiting the old churches, a beach called Murici, where you can cool off in the lake water, relax under the century-old trees and fill your stomach with a wonderful lake meal (usually thick fish soup and fried carp).