Crno Jezero – Black Lake – Safe Return Doubtful

After the unseasonably warm and dry spell, the foreboding forecasts came to pass as winter duly announced itself overnight. There had been some sleety rain in the early hours that had frozen by first light, and the temperature didn’t get above 3C all morning.

After an indulgent weekend of 8 rugby matches, one of them the other code albeit, but some grand entertainment all in all, it was time to move on. The weekend had been a successful one the farm I stayed at, the weather holding for the horse rides they offer, and their new restaurant busy throughout both days. They have diversified in recent months, and to offer camper space is something new also. For their facilities they have, toilets, showers and water, they can well ask for more than 5 euros, and I suspect they will. Competitors around Zabljak may offer and electric hook-up, but are at least 15 euros, and often 25.

Roja and I walked the horse ride circuit through the meadow, just a few kilometres, but I wasn’t sure how much more we would get out; I had no plans other than chores in the town.

In turn, I filled up with water, stocked up at the supermarket and the pharmacy, and topped up with LPG. Though, as I have experienced before, a temperature of 2C is not a good day to do this, pressure means the tank may well be frozen, and therefore have less space. Mine took just 1 litre this morning when I expected it to take 3.

One of the main tourist attractions in Durmitor is Crno Jezero, or Black Lake, which lies just a couple of kilometres out of town, at the foot of Međed Peak. The lake consists of two smaller lakes, inventively called Big Lake (Veliko jezero) and Little Lake (Malo jezero). The lakes are connected by a narrow strait that dries up during the summer, creating two separate bodies of water.

Here, there’s an entry fee for the National Park of 5 euros. The main car park was quite busy, it seems it’s mid-term break for schools here, but still much less busy than it would have been over the weekend. There’s another car park though, a bit further out, which takes vans and motorhomes, and allows them to stay overnight. I had thought I might drive on to the canyon, but the cloud cleared as I arrived, and the fine winter morning proved too seductive.

The circuit around Big and Little is just over ten kilometres from the car park. One away from the cafe and souvenir shop, it was very quiet, though there were three coach loads, a couple of Asian visitors, and one of day-trippers from Kotor, which included some British.