The Blue Lake (Modro jezero)

Iceland is one of the world’s top destinations, and besides its waterfalls, glaciers, ice caps, ice caves, geysers, volcanoes, northern lights and other wonders of nature, it is also famous for its lakes. They have quite a few and are very proud of them. Yet not one of them can compare in beauty with our Modro jezero (the “Blue Lake”) in Imotski.

If Modro jezero happened to be somewhere outside Croatia, in the West, it would surely be a top world attraction. Do we really want that? Crowds of people jostling and waiting for hours to get in, like the organisational debacle at the SkyWalk on Biokovo? Not really. Somehow it is nicer the way it is now. The lake is visited by the occasional foreigner looking for something more than the sea, while most of our locals — even those who have heard of it — are somehow not sure whether it is worth driving all the way to Imotski just to see it. Whenever we have been there, there were no crowds, and we are happy about that.

There are several viewpoints on the southern side, where a small parking lot can also be found by the road (43.44831017202871, 17.21001448884133). Some of these viewpoints are properly arranged, while others are “wild” and you have to push your way through the bushes to reach them. Either way, we definitely recommend the walk down to the lake as well! Count on about 30 minutes of easy walking, including stops for photos and admiring the view. Only by descending towards the lake can you truly experience the fascination of the landscape and the impressive cliffs surrounding you!

At the peak of the tourist season they may charge a symbolic entrance fee. The first part of the path is quite green and runs through the shade. As you go down, there are fewer and fewer trees and more and more rocks. Modro jezero is very shy and does not reveal all its splendour at once, so the element of anticipation is present throughout the descent for quite a while. How long, of course, depends on the water level. It varies through the year. The maximum water level was recorded in 1914, when the lake overflowed across the southern edge onto the road. That is 147 m. The northern cliff is higher, and the total difference, from the bottom of the lake to the top of the northern cliff, is around 290 m. That is a lot. As you descend, your eyes keep drifting up to the cliffs. The scene is very impressive and dramatic, and will hardly leave anyone indifferent.

The path is very well maintained and descends gently in switchbacks. Sometimes in summer the lake dries up completely, and football matches are traditionally played on its dried-out bed. If it does not dry up, the lake is ideal for swimming. We are used to fresh water always being cold, whether it is a lake or a river. Here the situation is reversed. The lake can be noticeably warmer than the sea on the same day, and the experience of swimming in its turquoise water, with imposing cliffs rising above, is truly out of the ordinary!

The colour of the lake varies. I have been there several times and each time it was different. It depends on the water level, the season and the weather. It ranges from grey and deep blue, through blue to milky blue, turquoise and green.

Finally, among the attractions, the Topana fortress on the eastern side of the lake should certainly be mentioned. It is believed to have been built on the remains of an earlier Illyrian fortress in the time of the Croatian Duke Trpimir in the 9th century. The Ottomans took it in 1493, and the Venetians in 1717. It is one of the most important fortresses of inland Dalmatia, and offers a wonderful view of the lake and its surroundings.