Lesser and Great Prespa lakes are located in the northwestern part of Greece. What makes them unique?
The two Prespa Lake are among the 12 most important wetlands in Europe. The combination of Mediterranean and continental climate, the different geological bedrocks, the isolation at high altitudes, together with their estimated age of about 5 million years have provided Lesser and Great Prespa with rich flora and fauna.
Together with Ohrid, with which they are hydrologically connected underground, they are ancient lakes. Their age is estimated at 1.5 – 5 million years!
The two lakes create a unique lake ecosystem, geomorphologically isolated and with large differences in altitude, resulting in a small area with an extremely rich flora and fauna.In this very small area we find alpine meadows, beech and oak forests, junipers, a unique lakeside forest, settlements, pastures, crops and a rich, important wetland of international importance.
View from the mountain Galitsitsa (North Macedonia). On the left Lake Ohrid, on the right Great Prespa lake
Together with Ohrid lake, with which they are hydrologically connected underground, they are ancient lakes. Their age is estimated at 1.5 – 5 million years!
The two lakes create a unique lake ecosystem, geomorphologically isolated and with large differences in altitude, resulting in a small area with an extremely rich flora and fauna. In this very small area we find alpine meadows, beech and oak forests, junipers, a unique lakeside forest, settlements, pastures, crops and a rich and important wetland of international importance.
There are 45 habitat types in Prespa, 7 of which are priority habitats.
*Habitat: a terrestrial or wetland area distinguished from others mainly on the basis of the characteristic species of plants growing there, the form of vegetation and other geological and geographical characteristics, such as soil type, the presence or absence of rocks etc,
*Priority habitat: a habitat that is in danger of disappearing and for which action is being taken to save and conserve it.
More than 1,800 plant species have been counted in the Greek Prespa alone, which constitute approx. 30% of the total flora of Greece in an area of only 418km2.
It has a very rich fauna:
The lakes are home to 23 species of fish, 9 of which are endemic. This means that they are found in Prespa and nowhere else in the world! The 90 endemic species of the Prespa are: tsironi, small tsironi, bramble, moss, mackerel, chima, platica, mullet and Prespa trout.
It is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for butterfly watching, as 172 species of diurnal butterflies have been counted in the Greek part of Prespa alone (out of 234 living in Greece).
Great reed warbler (acrocephalus arundinaceus)
Over 272 species of birds, of which 161 are breeding, are found in Prespa. It is the westernmost colony in the Palaearctic zone, where the Roseate Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) nests and breeds. Prespa has the largest breeding colony on the planet of the “Near Threatened”* Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), counting between 1,200 and 1,500 breeding pairs until 2022, when a bird flu reduced the population by almost 1/3. Read more here.
12 species of amphibians and 22 species of reptiles have been recorded. Prespa is the southern European boundary of the northern species, i.e. those found mainly in central and northern Europe, such as the Vipera berus viper and the sand lizard Lacerta agilis, which occur in rare populations on Mount Varnous /Pelister.
There are 60 species of mammals (bears, wolves, otters, wild boars, etc.) including 27 species of bats, the biggest number than anywhere else in Greece!
In Prespa we find also the ecologically isolated population of the grey goose Anser anser, probably with genetic peculiarities, indicating that they are is a remnant of glacial times.
Apart from its ecological value, Prespa has great cultural value, as the lakes are shared by three countries (Greece, Albania, North Macedonia). The completely different social and political history of the three countries makes the area even more interesting.
The interaction between Man and Nature in Prespa is long-standing. There are findings that prove a continuous human presence in the lakes since Neolithic times!
Three boats coming from the three neighbouring countries meet in the middle of Great Prespa lake to celebrate 10 years of collaboration through Prespanet
A rare case of cross-border cooperation is developing in Prespa, both at the governmental level (Prespa Transboundary Park), but mainly at the level of non-governmental organisations (PrespaNET), which have joined forces to protect it.Prespa is a rare case of cross-border cooperation at the level of governmental and non-governmental organisations (PrespaNet) that have come together to protect it.
Prespa has many historical monuments from the 10th to the 19th century that have been preserved, as well as examples of traditional architecture.
Two villages of Prespa have been declared traditional settlements: Agios Germanos and Psarades.
One of the most impressive elements of the Prespa basin is the landscape. They have a calming and inspiring effect on all visitors and this is mainly what makes a visit in Prespa an unforgettable experience.