The peak of Stožina is located on the territory of the Durmitor National Park above the Pošćenska dolina. This is far from the highest point of Durmitor, however, due to its picturesqueness, it has become one of the symbols of the national park and one of the most frequently photographed peaks. It is called the gateway to South Durmitor.
Visit to one of the most beautiful lakes in BiH
Where is Prokoško Lake located?
On the territory of the district of Fojnica, which is part of the Central Bosnian canton (Bosnian: Srednjobosanski kanton) of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a natural attraction of amazing beauty - a lake of glacial origin, located high in the mountains and surrounded by wooden huts, picturesquely reflected in its waters. This is Prokoško Lake (Bosnian: Prokoško jezero).
How to get to Prokoško Lake?
There is no public transport to the lake. You can get to it on foot (there is a marked route, the rise from the R438 road will take about 2-3 hours) or by your own / rented car. True, keep in mind that in winter it may not be possible to drive directly to the lake - at such a height a lot of snow falls and, of course, no one cleans it.
The nearest town to the lake is Fojnica. It is from it, according to local residents, that the only normal road is laid to the lake. Like it or not, I can’t say for sure, since we got there and back exactly along it and didn’t check other ways.
"Normal" road can be called a huge stretch.
You will have to overcome 16 kilometers of primer to Prokoško Lake. In the photo, everything does not look so scary, but, believe me, driving along this path in an ordinary car is not very pleasant. It will be possible to quickly overcome the distance only on an SUV, in other cases it remains to drive at a speed of 10-30 kilometers per hour (depending on the section of the road, the parameters of the car and how much you feel sorry for it). We personally went upstairs for almost an hour, and went down twice as fast.
In warm weather, as a bonus, travelers get a thick layer of dust on all surfaces. And during the rainy season, it must be mud.
However, all these road inconveniences are forgotten as soon as you find yourself at the top. It immediately becomes clear that it was worth it.
And if you switch off from the discomfort of the road, you can even enjoy nature on the way.
Most of the road passes through a beech forest, especially picturesque, of course, in autumn, when the crowns are painted in different shades of yellow and red.
In the final section, evergreen coniferous forests appear. Bluish from afar, juicy green - up close.
A rare open piece of road is already high in the mountains.
If you drive from Fojnica, then right in front of the lake there will be a rock Hrid. It is the most easily accessible observation deck, which offers a view of the Prokoško Lake.
All travelers usually stop here to take photos and enjoy the scenery.
To be honest, this is not the best angle to view the lake itself, which the locals also poetically call the Mountain Eye.
But the complex of houses looks absolutely charming from here.
Although not so unusual, but the view in the other direction is also good - on mountain peaks and slopes densely covered with forest.
There is a parking lot in front of the first houses of the Prokoško Lake. During the season, entry to the territory of the village is prohibited for everyone, except for those who own real estate near the lake.
The rest of the time, in general, it’s really possible to drive straight to the lake. But it is better to leave the car at the entrance.
The cost of visiting Lake Prokoško
During the season, visitors are charged an entrance fee:
2 KM per adult (that is, approximately 1 euro)
and 10 KM per car (respectively, 5 euros).
We were at the lake on a weekend in the second half of October and by that time the visit had already become absolutely free.
Rest on the lake
Village - sightseeing and accommodation
Around the lake, as you may have read and noticed earlier, there are many wooden huts built. Here they are called katuns.
Once upon a time, a small shepherd's village was formed in front of the lake.
The shepherds are still here. They graze cows and sheep on the green elephants of the mountains and, they say, thanks to the excellent ecology, local cheeses and kajmak are especially tasty.
But still, those who are engaged in animal husbandry are now in the minority.
Some time ago, the village high in the mountains turned into a popular holiday destination.
By the way, despite the fact that there are already dozens of houses here, the village still does not have a name, the whole territory is simply called Prokoško Lake.
For the most part, katun owners do not live here permanently, but use their houses as summer cottages. Some rent them out to city dwellers who want to escape the hustle and bustle.
The average price of a house is 50-100 KM per day. The cost is determined by the number of beds and the position of the dwelling.
In addition to rent, locals make money on home-made products. They sell cheese, sour cream, kaimak, milk, lamb, and sometimes berries and mushrooms picked in the surrounding forests.
There are no shops in the village. Restaurants, officially, too, but there are handwritten announcements near a couple of houses. Their authors offer coffee, pies, grilled meat.
The settlement lacks not only catering establishments and retail outlets, but also things more familiar to most of us. Electricity, for example. True, the richer one eliminated this problem by installing solar panels.
The plumbing issue was resolved several years ago. Summer residents and villagers also have water - they take it from nearby sources.
Mobile communication is caught far from everywhere. With the Internet, of course, everything is also not very good.
However, when there is such beauty around, the benefits of civilization seem not so important.
Walk along the lake
The lake has an elongated shape and, if desired, it can be completely bypassed along the shore.
The walk takes 15 to 60 minutes. It all depends on how fast you go and how often you stop to admire the lake from new angles.
No matter where you look at the lake, it looks amazing.
One of the features of the lake - in good weather, it turns into a huge mirror.
Reflections of mountains and houses, sometimes very detailed and detailed, are simply mesmerizing.
The total length of the coastline is 1,060.5 m.
Of course, there are no embankments here, but numerous visitors have trodden paths in the low grass.
In recent years, the lake has become somewhat shallower. Now in the area where there was water before, something like a swamp with grass.
But it looks, by the way, also quite picturesque.
The basin of Prokoško Lake is filled not only with glacial waters, but also with several nearby sources, as well as precipitation and water formed as a result of snowmelt.
The lake is located on a mountain called Vranica, at an altitude of 1636 meters above sea level.
From several sides it is framed by hills and mountains. The height of some peaks is more than 2000 m above sea level.
Mountain landscape behind the lake from the northeast side.
The total basin area of the reservoir is 48,330 m².
This is because Prokoško Lake has the status of a natural monument.
For the first time, it received this title back in the days of Yugoslavia, in the 60s of the last century. After the collapse of the state, the status was reaffirmed in 2004-2005.
A few years ago, Prokoško Lake was one of the endangered natural objects, but the local authorities took measures: they began to monitor the construction, set up a security service, made a sewer so that waste would not pollute the lake. This improved the situation.
True, the issue of unauthorized construction has not yet been fully resolved. Every year, several new houses appear by the lake, and some of them are built illegally.
At the same time, the whole complex of katuns is designed in approximately the same traditional style.
Even wealthy people and persons in high positions build themselves not pompous villas, but all about the same simple houses with a wooden gable roof.
Despite the fact that the place is not particularly advertised and does not boast good infrastructure, this does not stop visitors. Approximately 10-20 thousand tourists visit Prokoško Lake annually.
Of course, there are no embankments here, but numerous visitors have trodden paths in the low grass.
In recent years, the lake has become somewhat shallower. Now in the area where there was water before, something like a swamp with grass.
But it looks, by the way, also quite picturesque.
The basin of Prokoško Lake is filled not only with glacial waters, but also with several nearby sources, as well as precipitation and water formed as a result of snowmelt.
The lake is located on a mountain called Vranica, at an altitude of 1636 meters above sea level.
From several sides it is framed by hills and mountains. The height of some peaks is more than 2000 m above sea level.
Mountain landscape behind the lake from the northeast side.
Prokoško Lake is 426 meters long.
Its average width is 113.4 m, and the maximum width is 191.3 m.
The total basin area of the reservoir is 48,330 m².
The average depth of the lake is 5.7 m, but at the maximum point it reaches 13 meters.
By the way, swimming in the reservoir is prohibited. And here you can’t fish and hunt, collect herbs, make a fire (except for areas specially designated for this).
This is because Prokoško Lake has the status of a natural monument.
For the first time, it received this title back in the days of Yugoslavia, in the 60s of the last century. After the collapse of the state, the status was reaffirmed in 2004-2005.
A few years ago, Prokoško Lake was one of the endangered natural objects, but the local authorities took measures: they began to monitor the construction, set up a security service, made a sewer so that waste would not pollute the lake. This improved the situation.
True, the issue of unauthorized construction has not yet been fully resolved. Every year, several new houses appear by the lake, and some of them are built illegally.
At the same time, the whole complex of katuns is designed in approximately the same traditional style.
Even wealthy people and persons in high positions build themselves not pompous villas, but all about the same simple houses with a wooden gable roof.
Despite the fact that the place is not particularly advertised and does not boast good infrastructure, this does not stop visitors. Approximately 10-20 thousand tourists visit Prokoško Lake annually.
The location attracts not only local residents, but also foreigners.
Even outside the tourist season, Prokoško Lake is a popular holiday destination.
People come here not only to live in their own or rented hut, but also just for one day. Relax, take a walk, breathe clean air, have a picnic.
While we were walking around the lake, we met a variety of groups of people: families with children, pensioners, young people (companies and couples).
The lake has its own special atmosphere. Perhaps the most accurate word to describe it is appeasement.
People choose this place not to drink alcohol and chat noisily, but to find harmony with nature. At least that was my impression during our visit.
What else can you do on Prokoško Lake ?
Of the entertainment in the summer, horseback riding is available.
And, of course, having seen enough of the lake, you can go to one of the surrounding mountains and enjoy the view of the reservoir from a bird's eye view.
Several routes are marked here, and in the most popular vacation spot (where everyone has picnics and tables with benches are placed), an information plate has been installed. On it you will find a list of peaks to which there are marked routes, and the approximate time of ascent.
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