HRIDSKO JEZERO, THE LAKE OF HAPPINESS

Last weekend we finally succeeded in visiting Hridsko Jezero (Hrid Lake), situated at an altitude of 1970m above sea level. For us, ‘active seniors’, it was too strenuous for a hiking tour, but we had read on internet that the Lake is now also accessible for passenger cars, and that was – of course – good news for us.

Description

First of all, Hridsko jezero is a glacial lake. It is not big – 300m long, 160m wide and around 5m deep -, but what makes it special is the fact that it is one of the highest – if not the highest – lakes of Montenegro. It is set in a spectacular landscape with high pine and spruce trees and interesting rock formations. No need to say that it is surrounded by craggy mountain peaks. A ‘craggy rock’ is called ‘hrid’ in Montenegrin, and the Lake is hidden under the steep cliffs of Hridski Krš and Mount Bogićevića.

The Lake is situated at a distance of around 20km from Plav, in the northwestern part of Prokletije National Park, near the border with Albania. And what is most important: nature is still untouched in this part of the ‘Accursed Mountains’ (‘proklet’ means accursed). It’s true, you can encounter some nature-loving hikers, but there are no human settlements in the wide surroundings. Pure nature and wild beauty!

The Legend

Why is Hridsko Jezero also called ‘the Lake of Happiness’? A legend says that Hrid Lake was created by the Gods. It was a hidden bathing place for fairies, where they could bathe, unseen by humans. In Albanian-speaking areas, it is still known as the Fairy Lake (Liqeni i Zanave).

If you believe the stories of the locals, bathing in the icy lake would give you health and happiness in your marriage. Throw a coin or a piece of jewelry – a ring, bracelet, chain – into the lake and have a wish. Maybe it will soon come true!

How to get there

Until this summer, Hrid Lake could be reached by hikers only. For 4×4 vehicles coming from Plav, there was another possibility: a narrow dirt road (once it must have been a paved road…) full of potholes until Hridska krivina (Hrid Curve) and another 10km on an extremely bad forest road.

But via internet we had learned that the reconstructed road from Hridska krivina leading to Hridsko Jezero was officially opened on July 13, 2019. .

I must admit, we thought that ‘reconstruction’ means that the road would be paved, but no – following the macadam road, we could only establish that the 10km long last section to Veliki Hrid (2062m) was certainly better and without potholes, that’s true, but it was still a great challenge for our small Peugeot….

We passed Bajrovića Katun, where hikers, coming from different directions, start their last climb through the pine forests to Hridsko Jezero (around 1.5 hours according to the signpost).

Altogether, it took us 1.5 hours to get to Veliki Hrid (2062m), from where we could easily walk to the Lake.

A walk to Hridsko Jezero

We found ourselves a few hundred meters above the Lake. From above, it seemed to be quite close; the signpost told us that the distance was 400m or a ten minutes walk. We could see the lake mysteriously shimmering through the dense woods.

A steep path descended through the forest, passing huge rocks, covered with yellowish-green moss. We climbed a kind of stone wall and suddenly we were struck not only by the view of the calm and silent lake but also by the tall pine and spruce trees mirrored in the water.

For a long time I watched the still surface of the blue-green water and the reflection of the trees. I felt humble to the beauty of this pure and wild nature.

Conclusion

Whenever I travel through the high mountains of Montenegro, I know that I belong to this country, to this nature. The untouched nature of Prokletije National Park and Hridsko Jezero makes me feel a very small part of Mother Earth. And that makes me feel free, happy and full of energy!

Tip

It is also possible to make a walk around Hridsko Jezero (0.9km). For skilled hikers, this walk takes around 30 minutes – be aware of the fact that at some places you have to jump from rock to rock…