The blinding beauty of mountain eyes

Hrid Lake

Of the numerous mountain lakes in Montenegro, Hridsko jezero stands out for its beauty and uniqueness.

It is located in the northern part of the Prokletije National Park, at an altitude of 1970 meters, which makes it one of the highest lakes in Montenegro. It is surrounded by a dense coniferous forest behind which, towards the southeast, the granite rocks of the Bogićevica mountain rise. Thanks to the inaccessible roads and the isolated position in the border zone, Hridsko jezero represents an area of ​​magical, untouched wilderness.

Mountain Bogićevica belongs to the northern part of Prokletije, which has a different color and facets compared to the southern part of the massif. The reason for this is the different structure of the soil. Due to the dominant presence of volcanic rocks and younger geological layers, the relief forms here are milder, in contrast to the sharp karst forms that dominate in the southern part of the massif. It is here that the crown of the Dinarides through the Prokletije of Metohija "melts" into the Šarsko-Korapski system to the east.

Hridsko jezero is not big and can be visited in about thirty minutes. In places where there is no path, it is necessary to jump over fallen trees or cross large stones. The lake is not too deep, the highest depth does not exceed a few meters, and that is in the period when it is not under a thick layer of melting snow.

Although the lake is only 20 kilometers from the center of Plav, you cannot "jump in passing" to the lake. It is a real challenge, unless you intend to reach the lake on foot. It is about 12,5 km from the mountain lodge in Babin Polje. There and back.

A look at the official map of the National Park indicates the existence of a panoramic circular road on Bogićevica, which passes through Babino Polje and Bajrovića katun right next to Hrid Lake.

However, most of this road, especially from Katun to the lake, will make every "real" off-roader tired. It takes a lot of patience, careful driving with favorable weather conditions to reach the lake. The road is full of gullies from the previous winter, large stones and real trenches.

It takes two whole hours from Plav to Hridsko jezera in optimal summer conditions and with a top-quality all-terrain vehicle. The forest trail from Bajrovića katun, which can be reached by vehicle with moderate effort, seems to be the best option for visiting the lake at the moment. About 7 km there and back. The sights and atmosphere around the lake itself quickly make any effort quickly forgotten.

The crystalline, transparent lake, the fragrant pine forest and the reflection of the surrounding peaks make this area unreal.

Bukumir lake

A distant descendant of the dragon that occasionally came out of the water at night and, according to legend, scared the Bukumirs is a non-Slavic tribe that wanted to settle in that very area. Once they decided to fight for the silence of the night. They built a big fire under the rocks. They threw huge red-hot stones into the lake. To the dragon's house. His wings caught fire and he angrily cursed Bukumir: "If I can't do it with others, I hope I can't do it with myself"! And, the folk storyteller says, the curse was fulfilled.

In the mutual fight, the Bukumirs, like so many others, disappeared. According to tradition, their cemetery is in Katun Momonjevo, but it is actually a Neolithic monument. The name of the tribe and the lake refers to the Vlachs, and also to the capital of Romania, Bucharest, and we know that there were Vlach nomads in other parts of Montenegro. In the mountains of Kučka krajina, there were even conflicts, but also mixing of Albanian, Slavic and other "visiting" tribes.

The lake is located at 1.443 m above sea level. It's not too big but it's deep. Length 210 m, width 130 m. As much as 17 m deep, quite enough for one or a couple of dragons. We don't know if dragons are "glacial", but Bukumir Lake is. The water is clean and cool, there are also water lilies, but it is not a problem for swimming. Several marked trails lead from the lake to the tops of the surrounding mountains. You can camp on the coast. Everything is still there as in the story. Uphill, a valley formed by a glacier. In the hinterland, stone giants and roofs of huts. And the night here is the night from the story. Stories about harmony, the consonance of the stars, beauty...

Rikavac Lake

Rikavačko Lake is located on the massif of the Kučki Planina, near the peak of Žijovo, along the very border with Albania. The lake is located at 1313 meters above sea level, and the waters of the Rikavac stream flow into it, and the waters sink into the rivers Cijevna and Ribnica.

Rikavačko lake was hidden under the Kučki mountains, along the very border with Albania. It can only be reached by off-road vehicle or on foot, so not too many people have reached it. It used to be a place for people and cattle from the Kuch area to stay during the summer, and later it became quite deserted. In recent years, the number of renovated cottages has been increasing and an increasing number of people spend their holidays on its shores. A curiosity for today is that no electricity or mobile phone signal reached there. The asphalt road ends near the village of Mokra.