Lake Skadar by Car: A Scenic Route Through Virpazar, Rijeka Crnojevića and the Wine Villages
Explore Lake Skadar by car in one day, from a boat trip in Virpazar and the wine villages of Crmnica to Rijeka Crnojevića and Pavlova Strana.
The best way to see Lake Skadar from several angles in a single day is a loop by car starting from Podgorica, about 80 kilometres long. The route takes you through Virpazar, the wine villages of Crmnica and Rijeka Crnojevića. The driving itself takes around two hours, while the rest of the day goes on a boat trip, wine tastings and lunch in nearby konobas, the traditional local taverns. 
A car makes the most sense on this route for the simple reason that the most interesting places lie off the bus lines and away from classic guided tours. Family wine cellars, viewpoints and small lakeside villages call for the freedom to stop whenever something catches your eye, and we believe that will happen more often than you think.
That is why we put together this guide, which follows the route in the most logical driving order, so you end the day at the Pavlova Strana viewpoint, above the famous bend of Rijeka Crnojevića. Before that, you will find out where to start, what the panoramic stretch is like and what to bring for a comfortable trip without unpleasant surprises. Let’s hit the road...
How long is the Lake Skadar loop and where does it start?
As mentioned at the start, the loop from Podgorica is about 80 kilometres long and fits easily into one day, with no need for an overnight stay. The route doesn’t cover all of Lake Skadar, but its northwestern part, where Virpazar, the Crmnica villages and Rijeka Crnojevića are linked by local roads. Still, your starting point depends on where you are staying, and the difference between Podgorica and the coast is bigger than it first seems.
Should you start from Podgorica or the coast?
From Podgorica you reach the lake in about thirty minutes, following the main road through Golubovci and across the bridge at Vranjina, with Virpazar another ten minutes further on. If time allows, stop right away at Vranjina, home to the Lake Skadar National Park visitor centre. As the Podgorica Tourist Organisation notes, the centre displays relief models of all of Montenegro’s national parks, so within a few minutes you get a clear picture of the area you are about to drive through.
From the coast, the fastest way is through the Sozina tunnel, just over four kilometres long, which links Sutomore with Virpazar without crossing the mountain. The toll for a passenger car is €2.50 one way, according to the Monteput price list, so remember to budget for the return trip as well. If you are coming from Budva or Kotor, consider doing the loop in reverse via Cetinje, so that Rijeka Crnojevića becomes your first stop and Virpazar your last.
What is worth seeing in Virpazar?
Virpazar is a small town on the Crmnica river, on the western shore, and the main starting point for boat trips on this part of the lake. Did you know that the 1941 uprising in Montenegro began right here, with an attack on the Italian garrison in Virpazar on 13 July? Most visitors, however, don’t come for the history, but for what they can see from the water and from the hill above the town.
Is a boat trip through Lake Skadar National Park worth it?
It is, because a boat trip is the best way to see Lake Skadar up close, while from the road you only catch a small part of the shore and islands. In season, small boats leave the Virpazar harbour for tours lasting one to three hours, through channels covered in water lilies and past islands with the remains of fortresses and monasteries. If you plan to drive the whole route to Rijeka Crnojevića, a shorter tour is plenty, while longer ones only make sense if you are ready to cut the rest of the day short.
Sailing through the park requires a ticket, which according to the National Parks of Montenegro price list costs €5 per person for the whole day and also covers the Vranjina visitor centre mentioned earlier. Once back on shore, walk up to Besac Fortress, built by the Ottomans in the late 15th century and used by the Italians as a prison during the Second World War. The walk up takes about fifteen minutes, and from the top you get a fine view of Virpazar, the Crmnica plain and the stretch of lake you have just sailed.
A few tips before you board:
- Set off in the morning or later in the afternoon, when the water is less crowded and the sun less intense.
- Ask the operator whether the park ticket is included in the tour price, so you don’t end up paying twice.
- If you prefer your own pace, the National Park rents out kayaks from €3 per hour.
- Shade is rare on open boats, so bring a hat and plenty of water.
Which wine villages around Lake Skadar should you visit?
For a short stop, the best choices are Godinje, Limljani and Boljevići, Crmnica villages just a few kilometres from Virpazar. Crmnica covers around twenty villages between Mount Sutorman and the lakeshore, takes its name from the reddish colour of its soil and is considered the most fertile part of Montenegro. This is also where vranac comes from, a grape that, according to 13. jul Plantaže, has been grown in the Lake Skadar basin since the 14th century.
Godinje, Limljani and Boljevići
Godinje lies four kilometres from Virpazar, on the road to Murići, and is best known for its stone houses joined in rows, with passageways between them. According to local tradition, the village was built this way for defence against the Ottomans, and it still feels like one connected whole today. Take your time walking around, because the edge of the village opens up a view of Lake Skadar, and several households welcome visitors for tastings.
Limljani sits at the foot of Mount Sutorman, along the Limštica river, and has several family cellars and konobas where you can taste wine exactly where it is made. Few visitors know that a narrow-gauge railway from Bar to Virpazar ran through this village until 1959, and the old station building still stands in the same spot. Boljevići is also just a stone’s throw from Virpazar, which makes it a good choice if you have a little time left before the panoramic road.
What to try besides vranac:
- Kratošija, Montenegro’s oldest grape variety, genetically identical to California’s Zinfandel.
- Homemade lozovača, the grape brandy that cellars usually serve alongside a tasting.
- Smoked carp or bleak from the lake, traditionally paired with vranac. If you are here in February, you can join the Wine and Bleak Festival.
- Local cheese and prosciutto, a regular part of any “serious” tasting.
What is the drive from Virpazar to Rijeka Crnojevića like?
The stretch from Virpazar to Rijeka Crnojevića is about 25 kilometres long and takes around thirty minutes, provided you never stop, which is unlikely, if not close to impossible. Right after Virpazar the road climbs the hill in a series of hairpin bends and then runs mostly high above the shore, with views of Lake Skadar and the islands below. Towards the end it drops into the river valley, giving you glimpses of its bends, which we will come back to at the end of the day.
How should you drive the panoramic road?
The road is paved all the way, but narrow and winding, so drive more slowly than you might think necessary. As the official panoramic roads map by the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism warns, on this very stretch you may have to reverse to let an oncoming vehicle pass. So keep an eye on the bends ahead, and as soon as you spot a wider section, use it to let the other car through rather than meeting on the narrowest part.
The same map notes that the road is not suitable for campervans longer than seven metres and that rockfall is possible after heavy rain. If you are travelling in a campervan or a larger van, it is better to reach Rijeka Crnojevića from the main road linking Podgorica and Cetinje. As for the best time to drive, it is definitely from May to October, when the days are longer and Lake Skadar is at its liveliest, with water lilies and plenty of birds on the water.
Why is Rijeka Crnojevića worth a longer stop than you planned?
Today Rijeka Crnojevića is a quiet town on the river of the same name, a few kilometres before it flows into Lake Skadar, yet in the late 15th century it was the capital of Montenegro. It later became the country’s largest port and trading centre, and traces of both periods show up at almost every step.
Danilo’s Bridge and the town’s history
Danilo’s Bridge is a double-arched stone bridge built by Prince Danilo in 1853 in memory of his father, Stanko Petrović. It connected the town with Obod hill, where Ivan Crnojević built a fortress in 1475 and, after the fall of Žabljak, moved the seat of his state. Both the river and the town were later named after his family. 
Obod also gave its name to the Crnojević family’s Obod printing house, where the Octoechos of the First Tone, the first printed Cyrillic book among the South Slavs, was completed in 1494. However, as noted in a paper published by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts, whether the printing house operated here or in Cetinje was long debated among historians. After crossing the bridge and walking up to the remains of the old town, head down for lunch at one of the riverside konobas, and if you didn’t get to try smoked carp and local wine in Crmnica, this is the perfect place to do it.
How do you get to the Pavlova Strana viewpoint?
Pavlova Strana is a viewpoint above Rijeka Crnojevića, overlooking the famous horseshoe, the river’s meander just before it reaches Lake Skadar. From the town, take the road up to the main highway in the direction of Podgorica, which is noticeably wider and easier to drive than the panoramic stretch behind you. If you are coming from the opposite direction, the viewpoint is about 6.6 kilometres from the turn-off on the main road between Podgorica and Cetinje.
There is enough space at the viewpoint to pull your car off the road, so there is no need to stop on the carriageway. The light is at its best in the late afternoon, which makes Pavlova Strana the natural last stop of the day. From here it is about half an hour’s drive back to Podgorica, so you close the loop without rushing and without tackling narrow bends in the dark.
Practical tips for exploring Lake Skadar by car
- Drive the panoramic stretch between Virpazar and Rijeka Crnojevića in daylight only because, as mentioned earlier, tight bends and few passing places quickly turn a night drive into hard work.
- Fill up your tank in Podgorica or on the coast before turning towards the lake, as there are no petrol stations on the road through the villages and mountains.
- Bring cash, since smaller family cellars and village konobas often don’t accept cards.
- Check the Lake Skadar National Park ticket price on the park’s official website before you set off, as prices change from time to time, and you can also buy your ticket online.
- The driver skips the tastings, because the legal blood alcohol limit in Montenegro is 0.03%, and a couple of glasses of vranac will easily put you over it. It is best to buy wine to take away and enjoy it in the evening at your accommodation.
- If you don’t have your own car, renting a car is a practical option for a trip like this, because a smaller car handles narrow roads more easily and you can stop wherever and whenever you like.
How do you make the most of a day trip around the lake?
Now that we have covered the whole route, from the bridge at Vranjina to Pavlova Strana, it is clear why this is not a trip to do “in a hurry”. On the map, an 80-kilometre loop looks short, but once you add a boat trip from Virpazar, a tasting in Crmnica, lunch in Rijeka Crnojevića and breaks at the viewpoints, the day fills up on its own. So start early and leave room for stops you didn’t plan, because they are often the best part of the journey.
And yes, the biggest advantage of this route is that you shape it yourself, so some will linger on the water, some in family cellars and some with the history of the Crnojević dynasty. Treat the order in this guide as a framework, not a schedule you have to follow to the last item. In the end, you only truly get to know Lake Skadar once you have seen it from the water, from the nearby villages and from a viewpoint, and by car you can do all of that in a single day.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the loop by car from Podgorica take?
The loop is about 80 kilometres long, and the driving itself takes around two hours. With a boat trip, a tasting, lunch and stops at viewpoints, plan for a full day.
How much is the national park ticket and where can you buy it?
According to the official price list, the ticket costs €5 per person and is valid for the whole day. You can buy it online or on site, and if you are going on a boat trip, check first whether it is already included in the tour price.
Is the panoramic road from Virpazar to Rijeka Crnojevića difficult to drive?
The road is paved, but narrow and winding, so you may sometimes have to reverse to let an oncoming vehicle pass. With slow driving and daylight, even less experienced drivers can handle it, but it is not suitable for campervans longer than seven metres.
When is the best time for this trip?
The best period is from May to October, when the days are longer and nature around the lake is at its liveliest. If you enjoy local events, the Wine and Bleak Festival takes place in Virpazar in mid-December.
Can you do the route if you are staying on the coast?
Yes, fastest through the Sozina tunnel, with a €2.50 one-way toll, or as a reverse loop via Cetinje if you are coming from Budva or Kotor. That way, even from the coast you can explore Lake Skadar in a single day, without an overnight stay.
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