Photo: unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Shkopet is a narrow reservoir on the Mat in northern Albania, about 11 km long, between steep cliffs just downstream of Lake Ulza. Its turquoise water, in a gorge lined with waterfalls and oak forests, has made it one of the most photographed places in the Mat region. It is part of the Lake Ulza nature park.
How it formed
The Mat leaves Lake Ulza through the Ulza dam and runs on into this smaller reservoir, held back since 1963 by a dam at the Shkopet gorge.
Nature
Oak forests cover the slopes, and carp and catfish live in the lake. Dense vegetation fills the gorge, and bird watching is offered on the water.
Visit
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
Shkopet is about 65 km from Tirana, roughly an hour and a half by car, on a road fine for a small car, with free parking. Without a car, take a bus from Tirana towards Burrel and ask to be let off. The two suspension bridges are the main sight: the first is at a bend near a small pebble beach, five minutes’ walk from the road, and the second is about 5 km towards the dam, down a short descent. A viewpoint stands by the road between them. Expect crowds on the bridges, even out of season.
You can rent a small boat at the gorge, and guided kayak tours from Tirana paddle for two to three hours, with lunch of river fish, from February to November. Roadside restaurants serve local food, and another has opened on the southern shore, a short walk from a bridge.
Nearby lakes
Show on map
Albania · Northern Albania
Qafë Mollë Reservoir
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Usien · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources & data
- OpenStreetMap: None (way 225185130), OpenStreetMap contributors
- English Wikipedia: List of lakes of Albania, Wikimedia Foundation
- Albanian Wikipedia: Liqeni i Shkopetit, Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata: lake-shkopet (Q31668326), Wikimedia Foundation
- Ulza and Shkopet lakes, Albania Travel Guide
- Shkopet Lake, Alpventurer
- Lake Ulza Nature Park, Adria.fun
- Kayaking Eco Park Ulza–Shkopet day tour, Albrafting