Jezero Zaovine

Zaovine lake - the most important information

This artificial lake is located near Zaovine on the Tara Mountain and belongs to the municipality of Bajina Basta. It extends towards the mountain Zvjezda and towards the village Mitrovac. This part of Tara is known as "Ravna Tara". The clean water of Lake Zaovina, which is used for drinking with minimal processing, attracts swimmers, fishermen and families on vacation every year. It belongs to Tara National Park.

The origin of the lake Zaovine
The lake was formed between 1975 and 1983. Its creation was influenced by the dam on the river Beli Vrzav, which was placed near the top of Kik. It spreads at an altitude of 881.5 meters and at the greatest depth it reaches 110 meters.

The lake is connected by a vertical pipeline with the hydroelectric power plant "Bajina Basta" in Perucac. The level of the lake often oscillates a lot as it is used to turn turbines in case of low growth of the Drina or directly gets water in case of high growth and floods. On the other side of the dam is Lake Spajic, which is one of the 5 lakes from which water is transferred to Zaovinsko Lake by water systems. At its full capacity, the lake can supply the hydroelectric plant for 20 days.

The most beautiful places by the lake Zaovine
There is no landscaped beach on the lake, but that does not prevent swimmers from enjoying the water on several wild beaches. It is recommended to swim at the Lazici dam or on Lake Spajic, where the water and climate are more pleasant and perfect for camping and picnics.

Near the lake is a restaurant Tarsko jezero which offers a varied menu, especially fish specialties. The trout served in the restaurant originated from the pond on the lake where several species of trout and 14 species of fish are raised.

Village Djurici known for the discovery of Picea omorika, which was first discovered by Josif Pancic, is in the close vicinity of the Zaovine lake. Due to the rich nature and mountain climate, the tourist potential has been used by building a large number of lodgings and houses that are available for renting throughout the year.

What to see
Zaovina is adorned with 50% of the entire flora of Tara. Among the 600 recorded species, many of which are protected, are:

55 plant species from the Red List of Flora of Serbia
25 internationally significant plants
15 plants that are natural rarities

We recommend that you also visit:

Remains of a medieval fortress on Ravna Stena
Location Crkvine
Remains of a medieval basilica at the foot of Ravna stena
Excursion lookouts: Bela Voda, Zmajevac, Gavran

How to get to the lake Zaovine
It is best to get from Tara National Park by your own vehicle, as they are located at a distance of about 10 km. A well-maintained road and signalization will not be difficult to follow.

By car: head southwest to the resort of Jovanova livada, after which you should continue to the restaurant Tarsko jezero and follow the path to the road 403 that leads you to the destination

Additional information

If you come to Lake Zaovine to spend time on the water, we recommend that you check the water level due to frequent changes
As this part of Serbia is known for quality cheeses, kajmak, meat and milk, a visit to Lake Zaovina is an ideal opportunity to try all these specialties.
It is possible to rent mountaineering sticks for which is necessary to set aside 500 dinars a day