Photo: young shanahan · CC BY 2.0
Country
Albania's lakes run from the high mountains on its borders down to the Adriatic and Ionian coasts. Two of Europe's oldest lakes, Ohrid and Prespa, lie on its eastern border, shared with North Macedonia and Greece.
In the north, Lake Shkodër (Skadar), the largest lake on the Balkan Peninsula, stretches into Montenegro, and the reservoirs of the Drin wind through deep mountain valleys, best seen from the ferry across Lake Koman. Along the coast, lagoons such as Karavasta and Narta are known for their birds.
Most lakes are a short drive from towns such as Pogradec and Shkodër, and summer is the season for swimming in the larger ones.
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Highlights
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0Albania (Southeastern Albania) · North Macedonia (Southwestern Region)
Lake Ohrid lies in a mountain basin on the border between North Macedonia and Albania, with the towns of Ohrid and Struga on the Macedonian shore and Pogradec on the Albanian one. It is among the oldest lakes in the…
Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania (Southeastern Albania) · Greece (Western Macedonia) · North Macedonia (Pelagonia)
Tectonic · natural
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania (Northern Albania) · Montenegro (Central Montenegro)
Karst, Tectonic · natural
Regions
41 lakes
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0Albania (Southeastern Albania) · North Macedonia (Southwestern Region)
Tectonic · natural
Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania (Southeastern Albania) · Greece (Western Macedonia) · North Macedonia (Pelagonia)
Tectonic · natural
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania (Northern Albania) · Montenegro (Central Montenegro)
Karst, Tectonic · natural
Photo: Todor Georgiev · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania (Southeastern Albania) · Greece (Western Macedonia)
Tectonic · natural
Photo: Inkey · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania · Southern Albania
Coastal lagoon · natural
Albania · Central Albania
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Marie Čcheidzeová · CC BY-SA 4.0Albania · Northern Albania
Reservoir · artificial
Albania · Northern Albania
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0Albania · Northern Albania
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Leeturtle · CC BY-SA 4.0Albania · Central Albania
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Meriboo · CC BY-SA 3.0Activities in Albania
Floating islands, a tortoise island, a church standing in the water, a lake that turns into a football pitch and remote Prokletije lakes: seven off-the-beaten-path lake stops in the Balkans.
Looking for a beach holiday without the Adriatic crowds? Six Balkan lakes with warm water, real beaches and room to breathe, with water temperatures, facilities and how to get there.
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