Virpazar

Virpazar is a small village at the head of Skadar Lake and the main gateway to the national park. It sits where the Crmnica river meets the lake, about 35 km from Podgorica, and is where most boat trips onto the water begin.

Take a boat out onto Skadar Lake, climb to the Besac fortress above the village for the view over the wetlands, eat lake fish in the village restaurants, and use it as the base for the Crmnica wine villages just inland.

Two hours is the standard, taking in the lily fields, the bird colonies and usually one of the islet monasteries or the Grmozur fortress. Longer half-day trips go further out. Spring has the best birdlife and the flowering lilies; by late summer low water can limit the routes.

About 30 minutes by car from Podgorica, or 40 from Bar. The Podgorica-Bar railway stops here, which makes the lake an easy day trip without a car — but check return times, as evening services thin out.

Late spring is the pick: the water lilies flower, the migratory birds are in, and the heat has not yet arrived. Autumn is good for wine and quiet. Midsummer is hot and hazy over the water, and winter brings high water and few open restaurants.

For a night or two, yes, if you want the lake on your doorstep and an early boat. It is a village rather than a resort, with guesthouses rather than hotels, and most visitors come as a day trip from Podgorica or the coast.