Explore Macedonia’s national parks
MAVROVO
Mavrovo National Park is the largest of the three national parks of the Republic of Macedonia. It is located in western Macedonia and occupies an area of 73,088 hectares. And it is the largest among the three national parks in Macedonia, Pelister and Galicica. As a national park Mavrovo it was declared in 1949 and its geographical position is 41° 40’N and 20° 46’E. Within the limits of the park are the mountains: Korab, Desat, southwestern branches of Shar Mountain, most of Bistra and the northern parts of Krchin. The central part of the national park Mavrovo covers the valley and the river basin of Radika. The Mavrovo artificial lake is also within the national park.
National treasures
Mavrovo has 30 picturesque caves, including the Sharkova dupka cave near Rostushe. Mavrovo also has Lokuv, the lowest glacial lake in Macedonia. The picturesque canyon of the beautiful Radika river gives a special beauty to the park. The many ravines, steep slopes, rocks of different shapes and waterfalls create the diverse and specific landscape of Mavrovo.Within the boundaries of the National Park Mavrovo, there are over 52 mountain peaks with an altitude above 2000 metres, of which the peak Medenica of the Mountain Bistra, Velivar, Sandaktas and other are more famous. Special importance for the national park Mavrovo is given to the peak Golem Korab (2764 metres above the see level) which is at the same time the highest peak in the Republic of Macedonia.
PELISTER
Pelister National Park is a national park in the Municipality of Bitola, Macedonia. The park is located in the Baba Mountain massif and covers an area of 171.5 square kilometres (66.2 sq mi). The altitude of the park varies between 927 and 2,601 m (3,041 and 8,533 ft) above sea level and is filled with exquisite flora and fauna. Among flora elements, the presence is especially significant of the five-needle pine molica, Pinus peuce – a unique species of Cenozoic age being present on only a few mountains in the Balkan Peninsula. The beauty of the landscape is enhanced by the diverse wildlife: bears, roe deer, wolves, chamois, deer, wild boars, rabbits, several species of eagles, partridges, red-billed choughs, and the endemic Macedonian Pelagonia trout.
Pelister is the oldest and second largest national park in Macedonia after Mavrovo. It is one of the leading tourist areas in the country, since it is a well-known ski resort, along with Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Šapka, and Kruševo. From Pelister one can see the Pelagonia valley, Lake Prespa, mountains Nidže, Galičica, Jakupica, and the city of Bitola. Pelister is one of the most southern mountains in the Balkans that has an alpine character. Pelister is also known for its two mountain lakes, which are called Pelister’s Eyes. The Big lake is 2,218 metres (7,277 ft) above the sea level while the Small lake is 2,180 metres (7,150 ft) high. Here are the sources of many rivers. The climate in Pelister National Park is diverse.
Galicica
The National Park Galicica is situated on Mount Galicica, that is a part of the mountain range of Sara-Pind. Due to its exceptional natural beauty and extremely opulent and endemic flora and fauna, in 1958 the Macedonian section of the mountain was proclaimed a National Park. The Park covers an area of 227 km2 between the Lakes of Ohrid and Prespa, and it stretches in a meridian direction. The main geological surface on the major part of Mount Galicica are Paleozoic metamorphic silicates covered with 500-550 m horizons of massive limestone that have spongy structure and are highly porous. The massif has developed relief with large and deep valleys and a vast mountain crest that in the southern part of Galicica reaches the altitude of more than 2,000 m.
The flora of the National Park Galicica
The flora and fauna are important values of the National Park Galicica. Representatives of various floristic types exist in this area. They are located on steep and vertical rocks, the stony areas and taluses, or on shallow or deeper soil. Such a variety of the relief and pedological substrate, as well as other environmental factors, caused the appearance of various floral forms that are very rare or are inherent only for this space.
The flora is represented by over 600 floristic species, of which over 170 are of woody vegetation. Such diversity can not be observed on other mountains in the Republic of Macedonia. This does not apply only to the Republic of Macedonia, but also to a much wider area. In the area of the National Park Galicica, the variety of plant species and environmental conditions have created a large number of floristic communities.