Who isn’t a sucker for a view overlooking a horseshoe bend? Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans bordering both Montenegro and Albania and whilst many people head straight for the sailing trips on the lake, one thing that can’t be missed on a trip to Montenegro is a trip to this viewpoint.
Let’s start by saying the drive to this spot isn’t for the faint hearted (there’s not a lot of photos of the drive here because I actually am the faint hearted and thought I might throw up every time I looked out of the window). Thankfully, I wasn’t the driver. There are a few things to note before you set off for this trip and a few helpful pointers on how to find the viewpoint.
When you set off on your journey, you’ll need to type in ‘Pavlova Strana viewpoint’ into Google Maps. The map will show you something like this:
What to expect
The roads are extremely winding and get more narrow the more you continue on this route. From the point where you pass the ‘Skadar viewpoint’ you have to do a bit off off-road driving as the route becomes more gravel than actual road. Be prepared for some very sharp turns, that teeter on the mountain edge. This drive is probably suited for more experienced or confident drivers.
You’ll begin to get glimpses of the river bend but there will be a good spot to park up once you reach the abandoned hotel – you’ll know it when you see it, since it’s the only building on the road. This is a great spot to pull up and snap away – the view you get at this point is like the shots above.
As mentioned before, I couldn’t properly open my eyes without feeling weak, so I wasn’t able to take pictures of the rough road but as you pass the hotel and continue driving, the road stays narrow but starts to look more pleasant like below:
As you drive on further, you will come across other viewpoints – just make sure you pull up in a safe spot, as the road winds a lot creating blind spots for people approaching behind and in front. As you start descending towards the lake, you’ll be welcomed with more stunning views until eventually you hit lake level, where you can then continue your journey and find a spot to start your boat or kayaking trip!