A unique landscape for a visitor. From the mountain Col sinking into
Megali (Large) Prespa, we
can see the village of Psarades
on the left and in the north Megali
Prespa with its crystal-clear blue water.
Finally in the background there is a high mountain range being snowy
all year long with the historic village of Aghios
Germanos nesting at its foot.
Right ahead we can see a wide stretch of land above the surface of
Mikri (small) Prespa. Here the banks are swampy and full of water-lilies and reed
with the rarest species of birds nesting in it.
On the contrary, the banks of Megali
Prespa are absolutely clean and pebbly exactly the same as its bottom. Besides,
the fish living in it (trout, petaloudes, chubs, tsironia) differ from the ones
living in Mikri Prespa (grivadia, skoubouzia, gouliani, tsironia, trout and eel).
Prespes National Park is one of the ten National Parks in Hellas,
created mainly to protect the rare species of birds - pelicans, cormorants, herons,
vultures - nesting within it, as well as in a clump (unique in Europe) constisting
of perennial mountain cedars and cypresses.
Apart from the above, the creation of the National Park is justified
fro the following reasons:
• The landscape around the lakes and the surrounding mountains
are of exceptional beauty.
• Within the limited are of the National Park the habitat is
of great diversity.
• The species of flora and fauna existing in the area - that
is to say, its natural variation - are with regard to its extension, of the highest
number in Hellas and Europe
itself.
• The traditional villages as well as the Byzantine and post-Byzantine
monuments of Prespa are of high aesthetic and scientific value.
Spring is the best time of the year for one to see those rare water
birds (pelicans, herons and cormorants) during their reproduction procedures.
Except for the magnificent panoramic view of the lake a visitor can
have, all sights are characterized by a small, discrete scale and if one wants
to really enjoy them, one should come to them, "recognize" them, lean
over them and "feel" them.
Each place within the National Park has its own beauty and its own
special features.
(text: Andreas Andreou)
This text (extract) is cited October 2003 from the Prefecture
of Florina - Florina
Prefecture Tourism Committee tourist pamphlet.
The surface of the lake in the Greek territory is 43,5 square kilometres. The lake is iced over during winter time.
One kilometer east of the village of Platy is the church of Ayios Nikolaos, which according to the local tradition is dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Saviour and is called Ayia Sorita. Its simple exterior contrasts strongly with the lavishily painted interior decoration, which belongs to the end of the 16th c. Nearly Mikpi Prespa the visitor may see the ruins of the village of Opayia, which was abandoned before the 2nd World War due to malaria. The area limited by opayia, the Koula site and the asphalted road, includes the most sensitive part of the National Park core. Vromolimni ("Stinking Lake") is an internal body of water that communicates with the waters of Mikri Presra. Here large colonies of Pelicans and Cormorants can be found .Being such a delicate area, admission here is strictly forbidden. The visitor can watch the birds with binoculars or telescope from the observation post of the north, next to the road. This is one of the best places in Prespa for bird watching in spring.
This text is cited September 2004 from the Municipality of Prespes URL below, which contains images
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