Albania · Northern Albania

Lake Vau i Dejës

Directions

Liqeni i Vaut të Dejës

Lake Vau i Dejës is the reservoir behind the Vau i Dejës dam on the Drin river in northern Albania, near the settlement of Vau i Dejës. The hydroelectric station was completed in 1973 and is the most downstream of the three dams of the Drin cascade, below Fierza and Koman. It has been turned into a hybrid station with photovoltaic panels on one of its dams, and there are plans to add more solar panels, floating solar and wind turbines.

History

Shurdhah Island, the largest in the lake, became an island when the dam was finished. It holds the ruins of Sarda, an Illyrian settlement on the old road from Shkodër to Gjakova and a flourishing centre from the 8th to the 13th centuries, seat of a bishop and home of the Dukagjini family. The Ottomans destroyed it in 1491. An 11th-century castle with two rings of walls and towers, some of them now under water, a Byzantine church and foundations of a Roman fort remain; excavations in the 1960s found at least seven churches.

Gallery

3 photos

Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Helmut Kienzle · CC BY 4.0

Photo: U.S. Air Force 352SOW by Staff Sgt. Brandon Nelson · Public domain

Show all photos

Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Vau i Dejës

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Excursion boats leave regularly from the Sarda Island Resort at Rragam, about 10 km east of Shkodër, for the ten-minute crossing, and places along the road to Koman offer boat trips too. Full-day guided tours combine the island with Pëllumbat (Pigeons’) Cave, reached only by water, and the village of Gegaj; start early, wear comfortable shoes and bring some cash.

You can also paddle there: canoes and kayaks are available at Mlloja, about 800 m from the island, and the local operator advises on routes, as the lake has its own current and winds can rise unexpectedly. The south shore has boating, fishing and hiking. The cave’s prehistoric markings need a strong light to see.