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Plav Montenegro – meet the lake town in the foot of the mountain

In the northeastern part of Montenegro, hidden in the foot of the mountain Prokletije at the point where the river Lim flows into the lake, a beautiful town called Plav is nested. It is an urban settlement, located 1065 meters above sea level, with approximately 3,500 inhabitants.

According to its miraculous nature, endless green spaces, and a phenomenal view of the mountains that surrounds it, Plav is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Montenegro.

Many people describe lake Plav as a true treasure for everyone who loves spending their time in a peaceful town or villages, enriched with beautiful nature, and far away from the everyday city life and traffic jams.

Here is a story of one of the most magnificent lake towns in the Balkans, which will immediately make you fall in love with it.

Plav Montenegro – a story about the town’s past

The town and lake Plav were inhabited in the Iron Age, according to the drawing in the cave mountain near Gusinje, called “Vezirova brada”. These drawings prove that people have actually lived there for more than 2000 years ago.

The earliest documents about the town and the lake Plav indicate that the name “Plav” was related to the whole area of Gusinje basin. Because of its extremely rich nature, since the earliest days, Plav Gusinje was always a very tenacious place to live. It is believed that Plav got its name by Roman emperor Phlavius, while the region was under the Roman rule.

The people who lived in the Gusinje valley, in the earliest days, were Romans and Greeks. When Slavs came to the area in the late VI century, the Plav Gusinje basin was mostly inhabited with Romans and Illyrians. After the migration of the Slavs, this area became a place mostly inhabited with the mixture of Slavs and Illyrians.

Plav Montenegro since the Middle Ages until today

In the middle ages, the town Plav with cultural institutions and squares, as we know it today didn’t exist. It was the year of 1619 when the town Plav was finally established by the Ottomans, who ruled the entire Balkan peninsula until the early 20th century.

In the 15th century, the people of the area were very wealthy thanks to developed agriculture. This town was also the transit and trade centre in the country, at a time. It was full of merchants who travelled to Plav from all across Europe.

During the 16th century, Plav Montenegro was a stopover for Venetian merchants travelling from Kotor to Constantinople. Until the 19th century, Plav was a very popular place to live.

After the famous Balkan War in 1912, Montenegrins defeated Turks, and Plav became a part of the Kingdom of Montenegro. In the year 1941, the city was under the Italian occupation zone, but then the Partisans came and liberated the town in 1944. Today, Plav is a very important cultural town in the northern part of Montenegro.

The wonderful Plav Montenegro nature – the paradise for soul and eyes

When it comes to Plav Montenegro nature, the first things that come to mind are the lake Plav, fairytale-like greenery in the foot of the mount Prokletije, beautiful forests, many plants and animal species.

Since Prokletije National Park is settled across the Plav Gusinje basin, there are deciduous and coniferous forests, pastures, meadows, and criminogenic ecosystems. Forests are one of the most important natural resources. One of the top nature’s attractions worth visiting is definitely the famous Plav lake.

Plav lake – the pearl of Montenegro

They say that Plav lake is nature’s true masterpiece. Settled between mountain Prokletije and Visitor peak, at 906 meters above sea level. This lake is one of the main reasons why many people come to visit this area. Plav lake is 9 meters deep, 920 meters wide and 2160 meters long.

The river Lim flows out of the lake, while the river Luča flows in. It is one of the best tourist attractions, not just in Plav, but also in the whole Montenegro. The whole lake is completely renewed approximately 82 times a year thanks to the rapid inflow of the freshwater of the river.

The shores of Plav lake are surrounded by beautiful meadows and green shrubs which gives it a pretty wild and authentic look.

The fauna of Plav lake is rich of various fish species such as Danube salmon, trout, pike, chub, barbel and carp, huchen (mladica), the roach (crvenperka), grayling (lipljen), Chondrostoma nasus (skobalj), and others.

Lake Plav is considered to be the centre of ecotourism in the country. It is ideal for swimming in the summertime, sailing, diving, and rowing. There are lots of competitions in those watersports during the year.

Things to do in Plav Montenegro – great ideas for tourists

Since Plav is located near the Prokletije mountain, the first thing on a list of things to do in Pav Montenegro is to visit Prokletije National Park. It is the fifth largest National Park in Montenegro with more than 16.630 hectares, which includes two nature reserves, Volusnica and Hrid lake.

You can go walking and mountain hiking, while enjoying the beautiful nature and the view that is simply magnificent and gorgeous from the top. Besides the National Park, when it comes to Plav Montenegro, you can visit the so-called Redzepagic Tower, which is among the most beautiful and oldest towers in the whole area.

There is also a glorious Holy Trinity Orthodox Monastery and Redzepagic mosque, very significant places for religious people. The lake Plav is a number one on the list, especially if you are looking for a peaceful time by the water. Balkans Peaks Path – Plav via Grlata to Vusanje is one of the most famous trail peaks which is one of the best things you could do, especially if you are an adventurous kind of person.

If you are visiting Plav from Porto Montenegro, known for its amazing and luxurious marina, you can enjoy the exquisite Montenegrin landscapes that will leave you speechless for their remarkable beauty.