Masterplan Ulcinj - Ada Bojana

Image 5.26Sas:St. Mary’s basilica relics (13.c.)Image 5.27Sasko lake –natural paradiseImage 5.28:Tourist initiatives on Sasko LakeEven more mysterious than the remains of theOld Town of Bar are those of Sas. However,while the Old Town of Bar does not have to worryabout big number of visitors, because its capacityis such that it can receive a great demand, Saslocation is ecologically extremely attractive butyet sensitive one too. The remains of Sas arearound the Sasko Lake, which seems to be left tonature and it is birds paradise – it is one of themost important of all Ulcinj areas.Sas (Svacia Civitas) is first mentioned in the 11 thc. as the seat of the Bishop, in the 12 th c. it wasin the Kingdom of Zeta, which used to be thename of Montenegro, in 1242 it was devastatedby the Mongols and after the reconstruction in1571 it was destroyed again, this time forever.Some impressive ruins in beautiful natural settingare worth seeing.Sasko Lake has not been used in any way so far.Ornithologists determined: with other zones inthe Ulcinj area it belongs to the areas which arerichest in birds in former Yugoslavia (EnclosuresI,II and III).The intention to use Sas and Sasko Lake intourist purposes, goes back in time of formerYugoslavia. At that time, on the top of the rock, ahotel was built, something like a resort. Now, itsinterior is demolished.There is a small, excellent restaurant which waslately opened by a private entrepreneur. It wasmade of wood and it is in harmony with thesetting. Yet, it can cause problems. The activitiesof the guests in that ecologically sensitive area:Fishing, hunting, swimming, driving cars, picnics,radio noise etc. How can further similar initiativesbe guided when the first one is a success and isimitated?Sasko Lake, the Bojana River, the Ulcinj Valleyetc. need detailed, ecologically responsibletourist concept.In ornithologist experts circles the are of Ulcinj isregarded as one of the most valuable birdsareas, not only in Montenegro or formerYugoslavia, but in the whole of theMediterranean. Over 20 publications were issuedabout this. But resources are not yet known intotal, because there is no adequate managementof protection and maintenance. But, SlobodanPuzovic, who produced these data, during tworelatively short period of watching in 1988 and1991registered 251species in three sensitivezones (enclosure): in Salt Works basins in Ulcinj,on Velikaj Plaza, in the Milena Channel, in Ada,in the swamp area of the Ulcinj Valley, in thecourse and the mouth of the river Bojana and inSasko Lake and around it.We should add birds from the Skadar Lake,which are included in the list of SlobodanPuzovic.There – on the Montenegrin side- a small groupof pelicans can be found whose number, andreadiness hatch noticeably falls.S.Puzovic noticed curly pelican in the Ulcinj SaltWorks basins, while other ornithologists noticedDalmatian pelican and flamingoes.