Tag: Lake Shkodra

If you've been researching a trip to the largest lake in the Balkans, you've probably noticed something confusing. Some maps call it Skadar Lake. Others say Lake Shkodra or Lake Shkodër. Some sources put it in Montenegro. Others in Albania. UNESCO appears to use different names for what might be the same place. And now it's a World Biosphere Reserve — or is it two? Here is the short answer: Lake Skadar and Lake Shkodra are one lake, shared by two countries – Albania and Montenegro. It has just become one of the most officially protected wetland ecosystems in Europe in recognition of its exceptional biodiversity (you'll see a lot of waterbirds, even pelicans). We've been running trips here for 16 years, and this spectacular wetland is central to several of our holidays: our Lake Skadar Activity Holiday (Montenegro), our North Albania Activity Week (Albania), our Cross-Border Lake Kayaking Holiday (Montenegro to Albania) and our specialist retreats for art, yoga, paddlesports or birdwatching. Here's everything you need to know — and a case for why this lake deserves to be on your radar. Is it Lake Skadar or Lake Shkodra? It's both. The confusion comes from the fact that it sits across an international border, with roughly two thirds of its waters in Montenegro and one third in Albania. Each country uses its own name: Skadarsko Jezero in Montenegro, Liqeni i Shkodrës in Albania. The lake of many names The Illyrians called this lake 'Labeatis'. The Romans knew it as 'Scodra', which was slavicised to 'Skadar' after the arrival of Slavic tribes in the 6th and 7th centuries. The Ottomans (Turks) called it İşkodra and ruled the entire area for a time. Modern Albanians say Shkodër (or Shkodrës). Older English language texts sometimes use Lake Scutari, borrowed from the Italian,