Perućac Lake

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Перућачко језеро · Perućačko jezero

Lake Perućac is an artificial lake on the Drina river, on the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, created in 1966. It fills a natural bend of the river that encircles the Tara mountain, between Višegrad in Bosnia and Bajina Bašta in Serbia, and its dam stands on the Serbian side. Near the lake lies the medieval necropolis of Mramorje, a large complex of stećci, the medieval tombstones, protected by Serbia as a Cultural Monument of Exceptional Importance.

How it formed

The lake was made for the Bajina Bašta hydroelectric plant and fills the Drina canyon, which begins about 7 km from the dam. Its shores are steep and rocky, and its middle marks the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. A few kilometres from Višegrad the shore becomes pure wilderness, with no roads or settlements, only a few old farmhouses and fishermen’s boats.

Nature

Tara’s pine forests come down to the water, sheltering wild animals and many birds, and the Drina is known as one of the richest fish rivers of the region. Just below the dam flows the Vrelo, reputedly Serbia’s shortest river, which at 365 m long is called the year-long river.

Gallery

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Photo: Smooth_O (talk · contribs) · CC BY 3.0

Photo: Gorana Gomirac (VMRS) · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Perućac, a reservoir on the Drina formed by the Bajina Bašta dam in 1966, is the place to swim on the upper Drina: the river itself stays cold all year, while the lake has a beach with pontoons, children’s pools, a buoyed swimming area, lifeguards, slides and a diving board, and pedal boats and boats for hire. The best-known outing is the Drina Canyon cruise: two hours to the canyon entrance, or a whole day to Višegrad and back, and booking ahead in peak season is advised.

Rafting usually starts at Perućac and ends at the famous house on the rock, about 14 km on. Lookouts at Perućac, Kozja stena and Banjska stena give views over the lake, and the Drina Regatta takes place each July. The Tara-Drina tourist organisation in Bajina Bašta has current details.