The Black Lake in Durmitor, two lakes beneath Međed

The Black Lake is Durmitor’s postcard and, for a lot of people, the picture of the whole north. Dark water, a dense forest of fir and spruce down to the shore and, behind it, the bulk of Međed. It also has the great advantage of being a walk from town, three kilometres south-west of Žabljak, and of asking no effort at all, because the path round it is flat. That’s why it’s packed in summer, and why I’d aim to get there early.

A lake that is really two

MONSTAT gives it 0.52 km² at 1,418 metres, with a maximum depth of 49.1 metres. The Žabljak tourist board describes it as the largest lake in the national park and the second biggest by surface among the country’s mountain lakes. The twist is that it’s two basins, the Big and the Little lake, joined by a natural channel. In summer the level falls and that link can vanish for a while.

The name, the same board says, comes from the conifer forest reflected in the water, which turns it dark. It’s fed by snowmelt, by springs such as Čelina and by waterfalls that only run in spring, it freezes in winter, and in summer the water reaches about 20 °C, warm enough for a swim. It also has a hydrological quirk that I find fascinating. Its water drains underground towards two different rivers, the Tara and the Piva.

The lake has been protected since 1907, according to UNESCO, long before Durmitor National Park was created in 1952.

Walking round and taking a boat out

The path round the lake is about 3.5 km on the Žabljak tourist board’s figures, and National Parks allows an hour for its circular nature trail. You can walk it, run it or do it with children, and from it you see Međed over the water, with Savin Kuk and Crvena greda close by.

The park’s visitor centre is on the shore and comes with the same €5 ticket. A few steps away is a patch of woodland with hammocks and books for reading in the shade, which the park calls its reading forest. Wooden rowing boats and kayaks are hired from the warden at the lake, €10 an hour, or €5 if you launch your own. For me, half an hour rowing on the Big lake first thing is about the best value you’ll find anywhere in Durmitor.

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Trails that start at the Black Lake

The lake is the starting point for several of the park’s routes. National Parks recommends climbing from the shore to Ledena pećina, the ice cave, via Lokvice, where there’s a bivouac shelter open all year at 1,800 metres, and the route from Barno and Zminje that ends at the lake itself. From here you can also head for Bobotov Kuk, although that’s a long high-mountain day.

In winter, the 6.7 km snowshoe trail links the Savin Kuk ski area with the lake in about two hours, with gentle ups and downs through the forest. Snowshoe hire is at the same visitor centre.

Fishing, parking and food

Sport fishing is allowed from May to October on the Big lake, from 2pm to 7pm, every day except Monday, with a €20 day permit from the warden. It’s one rod and artificial bait only, and a maximum of four trout of 25 centimetres or more. The park encourages catch and release.

Parking costs €1 an hour for a car on the park’s price list. For food, the Žabljak tourist board includes the Crno Jezero restaurant among the eleven on its list, and otherwise town is three kilometres away.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Black Lake and pick one that fits your day.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Žabljak on Booking.com and filter by area before price.