Šas, Lake Šas and Štegvaš: a drive from Ulcinj

Svač was an episcopal centre on the route between Ulcinj and Shkodër, with a fort on the ridge and a settlement spreading below it. Its own bronze coinage, the follaro, provides evidence of its standing: surviving examples show St John and the town’s fortifications. The name Šas also refers to the nearby village, while Svač is often used to distinguish the archaeological town above the lake.

You can still recognise the fortified centre and the lower settlement as you explore. St Mary’s stands outside the walls on a broader plateau, while St John’s belongs to the upper, defended part. The remains of the gateway and walls show how the settlement used the ridge for protection and control of the surrounding ground.

St Mary’s retains tall walls, window openings and a decorated lintel. Gothic window forms appear alongside Romanesque elements, allowing details of the construction to be recognised even in the ruined building. Much of the church was damaged in the 1979 earthquake. Its interior is now open to the sky.

St John the Baptist was built in 1300 on the remains of an earlier church and against the defensive wall. Here the church, fortifications and ridge-top view come together: beside the former town centre, Lake Šas opens into view, with Briska Gora on the opposite side.

A local tradition associates Svač with 365 churches, one for each day of the year. The visit takes in the remains of far fewer buildings. St Mary’s and St John’s are the most conspicuous landmarks, while scattered wall fragments show how the settlement extended beyond them.

Lake Šas lies between the hill of Svač and Briska Gora and is linked to the Bojana River by a channel. Water also comes from submerged springs, including Begovo Oko, the lake’s deepest part. Seasonal changes in water level alter the balance between open water, reeds and shoreline.

From Svač, the shape of the lake is easy to see. At the water’s edge, its marshy margin becomes more apparent. Reeds and sedges form a dense belt between the land and open water. They provide habitat and shelter for wildlife, while also making an uninterrupted walk around the shore impractical.

Shasi is a lakeside restaurant that grew out of a family property beside the water. It is associated with lake fish and food from the surrounding area. Its food offering developed through purchases from neighbouring households, linking it to the produce of the Ulcinj hinterland.

At Štegvaš, the road crosses the hills above the Ulcinj hinterland and reveals Lake Skadar. The water lies well below the pass, with the Albanian mountains beyond. This elevated position reveals several layers of the landscape: the lake, inhabited slopes and the high mountain rim behind them.

The pass forms part of the scenic road linking Ulcinj and the villages of Krajina with Virpazar. Driving that whole connection requires a long, careful journey along the narrow lakeside road. This outing uses only the approach from Vladimir to the viewpoint, then returns the same way towards Vladimir and Ulcinj.

The name Štegvaš also appears beside another view on the Ulcinj-facing side of the hills, towards the Anamalit plain and Bojana. These are different places. The prepared navigation points to the pass itself and the panorama of Lake Skadar.