Serbia · Western Serbia

Sjenica Lake

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Сјеничко језеро · Sjeničko jezero

Sjenica Lake, also called Uvac Lake, lies between the villages of Akmačići and Bukovik in south-western Serbia, between the Zlatar and Javor mountains, in the municipalities of Sjenica and Nova Varoš. It formed in 1979, when the dam near Akmačići closed the canyon of the Uvac for the Uvac hydroelectric plant. The lake lies at 985 m, is some 25 km long and up to 108 m deep, and fills a canyon known for its tightly wound meanders, cut by the Uvac into the limestone of the Pešter plateau. It belongs to the Uvac special nature reserve, set up to protect the largest colony of griffon vultures in the Balkans, and its water is rich in fish, among them carp, chub and catfish.

How it formed

The hydroelectric plant lowers the lake as it needs, so the level can change by tens of metres. In autumn 2018 it fell by about 20 m in 20 days, leaving parts of the bed exposed, which the reserve described as normal for the season.

History

Ruins of a Nemanjić-era fortress and a submerged Ottoman-era bridge can be seen from a boat.

Nature

Griffon vultures are the great sight of the reserve, with about 100 pairs nesting on the cliffs from late January and young birds taking to the air in late July or early August. A feeding site provides carcasses, and a rescue station looks after birds too light or too heavy to fly. The reserve counts 172 bird species, 24 of fish and 219 of plants.

Gallery

3 photos

Photo: Marko Randjic · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Maja1407 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Visit

Getting there

Nearest settlement: Sjenica

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Boat tours from the Nova Varoš side run from May to October and take about four hours: through the meanders, on to the Ice Cave, part of the Ušački cave system, and an easy walk to the Molitva viewpoint over the meanders and the vulture colony. Book two or three days ahead, and bring a light jacket for the cave. Vultures are most visible in the morning.

The roads around Sjenica are often gravel, and a lakeside restaurant serves trout and grilled food. Anglers catch catfish, pike-perch and carp; the sport fishing association Vapa in Sjenica can advise on permits. On the Pešter plateau, a special nature reserve since 2016, Sjenica is known for its white sheep’s cheese and for the Sultan Valide mosque.