Photo: Cornelius Bechtler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Višegrad Lake is an artificial reservoir on the Drina in Republika Srpska, created by the dam of the Višegrad hydroelectric plant. It stretches along the Drina valley through the municipalities of Višegrad, Novo Goražde and Rudo, from the town of Višegrad to Novo Goražde, and the building of the dam submerged the mouth of the Lim. The Dobrun monastery stands near it. Višegrad, the regional tourist centre, offers cruises on the lake and on the Drina in small tourist boats.
How it formed
Višegrad Lake dates from the late 1980s, when the dam of the Višegrad hydroelectric plant turned this stretch of the Drina into a calm, long reservoir upstream of the town. The Drina is formed from the Piva and the Tara at Šćepan polje and flows north to the Sava; three power plants have turned much of its course into lakes.
Nature
Pine forests line the valley, sheltering wild animals and many birds, and the Drina is known as one of the richest fish rivers of the region. The lake is used for fishing and water sports.
Visit
Getting there
Nearest settlement: Višegrad
Swimming
No reliable information
Tips
Višegrad’s best-known sight is the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge over the Drina, built between 1571 and 1577 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, the bridge of Ivo Andrić’s novel. Boat trips pass under its arches and go downstream past Andrićgrad to the Stari Brod memorial, or on through the canyon to Perućac. The soft light of early morning or late afternoon avoids the crowds.
The town is a day trip from Sarajevo, but check bus times, as services can be as thin as one a day. For fishing and water sports on the lake itself, ask at the Višegrad tourist organisation.
Nearby lakes
Show on map
Photo: Smooth_O (talk · contribs) · CC BY 3.0
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Drina Valley) · Serbia
Perućac Lake
Reservoir · artificial
Photo: Marko Randjic · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Sources & data
- Statistički godišnjak Republike Srpske 2024, table 2.3 "Jezera i ribnjaci", Republički zavod za statistiku Republike Srpske, 2024
- OpenStreetMap: Drina (relation 77388), OpenStreetMap contributors
- Wikidata: Višegradsko Lake (Q2349379), Wikimedia Foundation
- English Wikipedia: Višegradsko Lake, Wikimedia Foundation
- Serbian Wikipedia: Вишеградско језеро, Wikimedia Foundation
- Višegrad, Tourism BiH
- Drina river cruise, Višegrad Tourist Organisation
- Drina river canyon, Višegrad Tourist Organisation