Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Islands
An archipelago of islands traces the southern edge of the lake and, in true Montenegrin
fashion, many of them shelter monasteries.
Moračnik
is one such island monastery dating from at least the early 15th century. Its
small domed stone church dedicated to the Holy Virgin is watched over by a tower-like
accommodation block occupied by a friendly monk.
In the early years of the new millennium, an exceedingly welcoming community of
nuns revived
Beška Monastery
after 300 years of abandonment. Fourteenth-century St Ge-
orge's Church has been completely gutted, pending funds for restoration, but the smaller
Church of the Annunciation is in active use. It was built in 1440 and contains traces of
once extensive frescoes. An orchard of fruit trees has been lovingly rejuvenated by the
sisters; don't be surprised if they offer you some of their homegrown pomegranate juice.
Both this monastery and its neighbour on
Starčevo
were once famous for producing reli-
gious scripts. Starčevo Monastery was named somewhat unflatteringly after the hermit
who founded the monastery in 1377; it translates as Old Man's Monastery. Revived in the
last three decades, Starčevo has an old man once again - a hermit monk who would
prefer not to be disturbed (entertaining tourists isn't part of the hermit job description).
Grmožur
, closest to Virpazar, is topped by a fortress (1843) that was used mainly as a
prison and nicknamed 'the Montenegrin Alcatraz'.
On the other side of the causeway, in the swampy northwestern reaches of Lake
the best-preserved frescoes of any of the lake's many churches.
Getting There & Away
Moračnik, Beška and Starčevo are best reached from Murići. Boats are easy to find in
summer, but you might need to ask around at other times. Expect to pay about €20 per
hour.
Grmožur is a regular stop on boat trips from Virpazar and Vranjina (the boats are con-
siderably cheaper from Virpazar).
Kom is most easily reached by boat from Vranjina. In the height of summer it can be
approached by a path leading through the marshes from near Žabljak Crnojevića.
