Prespa National Park, National park in Korçë County, Albania.
Prespa National Park is a nature reserve in southwestern Albania, along the borders with Greece and North Macedonia, built around two lakes set between forested hills and wetlands. The Great Prespa Lake and the Small Prespa Lake together form the core of the park, surrounded by reeds, slopes, and rocky shores.
Prespa National Park was established in 1999 to protect the natural and cultural heritage of the region. It is part of the European Green Belt and the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme's World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Albania's section of Great Prespa is a Ramsar wetland and an Important Bird and Plant Area. The area shows human habitation from the Neolithic, and the Via Egnatia trade route passed nearby during classical antiquity.
The park's cultural landscape holds traces of habitation going back to the Neolithic, and the Via Egnatia trade route ran nearby in classical antiquity, when Illyrian, Greek and Roman groups lived in the area. Byzantine churches survive in the park, among them St. Mary's Church, and the caves of Zaver and Treni preserve prehistoric dwellings.
The park is best explored on foot along the trails or by boat on the lakes, and guided birdwatching tours are a good option for first-time visitors. Sturdy shoes and layers are worth bringing, as weather in the hills can change quickly at any time of year.
The water from Great Prespa Lake does not drain through a visible river but travels underground through limestone channels and reappears as springs along the shore of Lake Ohrid. This natural passage can be seen at the springs on the Ohrid side, where the water surfaces after passing through the rock.
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