Seasons in Montenegro

At Lake Skadar, the seasons also change how much space the water occupies. National Parks of Montenegro gives an area ranging from about 370 square kilometers in summer to 540 in winter, depending on the water level. These figures cover the entire lake shared by Montenegro and Albania. The Montenegrin part of the lake has national park status, so the area of the whole lake should not be confused with the area of the park. The Morača and its tributaries supply most of the lake’s water, which flows out through the Bojana.

The National Parks description of plant life highlights the shallow northern shore, which is subject to flooding, with its wetland vegetation, willow groves, and meadows. In summer, white and yellow water lilies and kasoranja, an aquatic plant with floating leaves, cover large areas of the water. Below the surface, meadows of submerged plants provide food and shelter for aquatic animals.

The Katun Roads project, run by the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije, describes katuns as temporary herding settlements in the mountains. Families move there with their livestock for summer grazing, using the huts and pens during their stay on the pasture.

There is no single return date for every household. The description of the Granični visovi Katun Road distinguishes between herders who leave the katun as early as the beginning of September and those who move down to lower meadows, extending their stay until the snow arrives. The same source records rare cases of herders spending the winter at a katun when feeding the livestock there is more convenient than carrying hay to the village. Leaving or staying therefore also depends on the location of pastures, meadows, and stored feed, as well as the season.

The National Tourism Organization highlights fall and winter as the time when large flocks of migratory birds fly over Lake Skadar. The lake is also a wintering site: National Parks lists the coot and black-necked grebe among the waterbirds that spend the winter there.

The draft management plan for Lake Skadar National Park describes three roles the area serves for birds: a migratory stopover, a wintering site, and a breeding site. Migrating birds use it to rest and feed on their journeys, wintering birds spend the cold part of the year there, and breeding involves raising young.

According to the Herceg Novi Tourism Organization, mimosa blooms in winter and gives its name to the Mimosa Festival, an event devoted to the flower. Its flowering thus has a place in the public calendar: carnival parades, masquerade balls, a flower exhibition, and performances by brass bands and majorettes bring people together in the city in winter.

The parades and performances along the promenade take place outdoors. The program also includes exhibitions, literary events, and stage performances. The tourism organization also describes the festival as a welcome to spring and names JUK Herceg fest as the organizer.