Visit the Lakes of Macedonia

Macedonia is often referred to as the country of lakes. This is not surprising considering the number of lakes dotting the entire region. Macedonia boasts of three large tectonic lakes and about fifteen artificial lakes. There are also some twenty-five odd glacial lakes located in the highest areas of the Macedonian mountain ranges – in fact, these lakes are believed to date back to the Ice Ages.

If you are feeling overwhelmed at the number of lakes that one can visit in Macedonia, let us quickly take you through some of the more important ones that you must visit while traveling in this region.

·    Lake Ohrid: Undoubtedly, the most beautiful, clean and compelling of them all, Lake Ohrid is naturally also the most famous. Believed to be the deepest lake in all of Europe, Lake Ohrid is the largest and most beautiful of Macedonia’s three tectonic lakes. Not only is its water surprisingly clean and clear, it is set amidst pristine mountain ranges and hence has an added allure. Having attracted visitors and inhabitants since prehistoric times, this lake is one of the biggest extending up to 30 kilometers or eighteen miles and is an astonishing 288 meters deep.

Three rivers feed the Lake Ohrid but the majority of its water comes from another famous lake, Lake Prespa, which is at a higher elevation when compared to Lake Ohrid. As a result, Lake Prespa keeps spilling its water down, which runs in the form of mountain springs down to Lake Ohrid.

To the great surprise of most visitors, many unique flora and fauna from the Tertiary Period (which is believed to be about two to three million years old) are still surviving in Lake Ohrid. Not surprisingly, Lake Ohrid is often referred to as the museum of living fossils! In fact, most of Lake Ohrid’s animal and plant species are very unique to the lake and it has been termed as one of Europe’s most precious biological reserves.

Another attraction of Lake Ohrid is the famous trout that is available almost year round. Even locals make the trip to this place to be to catch it and feast on it. Lake Ohrid also is home to a type of eel known as bleak, the scales of which are used to make the world-famous Ohrid pearl.

·    Lake Prespa: The second largest lake after Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa is also a tectonic lake and boasts of almost the same natural beauty as Lake Ohrid. In between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa lies the Galicica Mountain. This lake, ecologically speaking, is almost unspoilt by any human contact and birds and plant life grow in plentiful around it.

As we had mentioned above, there are endless number of lakes in Macedonia, each one outdoing the other in terms of sheer natural beauty, pristine surroundings, calm and serene atmosphere and an abundance of local flora and fauna. There is no better way to enjoy your holiday and spend some time with nature than by exploring the enchanting lakes of Macedonia.