Five representatives from the Protection, Maintenance, Safeguarding, Promotion and Utilisation of the National Park Department visited the Republic of North Macedonia in mid-June. North Macedonia has 4 national parks: Pelister, established in 1948, Mavrovo, established in 1949, Galičica, established in 1958, and Sharr Mountains, established in 2021. During the visit, the representatives were able to visit the Mavrovo, Galičica, and Pelister National Parks and share knowledge and experience with colleagues from North Macedonia, especially concerning national park protection, management practices, and challenges encountered.
The central area of the Mavrovo National Park encompasses the Radika river valley and basin and the park also contains the Mavrovo artificial lake. Mavrovo is the largest North Macedonian national park and it is also home to an exceptionally large population of chamois. Chamois is the symbol of the Mavrovo National Park and their preservation is funded by the revenue generated by the sale of timber gained from salvage logging, However, it must be noted that nature reserves in which this practice is prohibited have been established. The flora and fauna of the national park is exceptionally diverse and among the large carnivores, the Balkan lynx is of special interest, as its population has been gradually increasing. The representatives were also able to visit a small information centre and its souvenir shop in the village of Mavrovi Anovi. Due to a great number of peaks whose altitude exceeds 2000 m, the Mavrovo National Park is especially popular with hikers.
The Pelister National Park is the oldest national park in South-Eastern Europe. The park staff informed the representatives about its natural landmarks and shared the problems encountered in a small visitor centre they were also able to tour. Bears are the symbol of this national park and when it comes to its trees and bushes, the Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce, an endemic pine species) is particularly interesting. The Pelister National Park monitors the populations of the Balkan lynx and the brown bear and the park’s activities are also funded by salvage logging.
The Galičica National Park encompasses the mountainous area between Lakes Ohrid and Prespa and this park’s flora is a sight to behold. A juniper species Juniperus excelsa, commonly called the Greek juniper, stands out among the vegetation and the beauty of Quercus trojana, a tree species known as the Macedonian oak, is one to behold. Galičica also has a presentation centre and a souvenir shop and this national park is especially popular with hikers. Due to its proximity to the town of Ohrid, which is a popular North Macedonian tourist destination, the Galičica National Park has the largest number of visitors of all the country’s protected sites. The Balkan lynx is the symbol of the Galičica National Park and this species has been spotted in increasing numbers by camera traps. The park is also currently implementing a compelling project aiming to reintroduce the red deer. Furthermore, the representatives were able to visit the sources of the Black Drim river flowing out of Lake Ohrid, which can be reached by a rowing boat.
In addition to their visit to the North Macedonian national parks, the representatives also toured Matka, a canyon of the Treska river and a natural monument, the “Grozdanovski Jovica” Speleological Park, the Vrelo cave, and the Vevchani Springs natural monument. A dam was built upon a part of the Matka canyon and its reservoir is the oldest in North Macedonia. The upstream area of the canyon can be reached by a boat taking visitors to the Vrelo cave and the “Grozdanovski Jovica” Speleological Park. The Vevchani Springs natural monument is made up of springs from the village of Vevchani, also famous for its traditional architectural style with numerous churches and the Vevchani Carnival, traditional music, and cuisine. The protection of the Vevchani Springs was a hard-fought battle by the locals and it is a truly inspiring story.
The representatives also visited some of the cultural heritage sites, such as the the Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski and the Monastery of Saint Naum, as well as the cultural heritage of the town of Ohrid. Due to their outstanding natural and cultural values, Lake Ohrid and the town of Ohrid were both inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. In 2019, the protected area was extended to the south-eastern Albanian part of Lake Ohrid, including the Lin peninsula and the part of the land stretching along the coastline and connecting the peninsula to the North Macedonian border. It was a pleasure to listen to Mr Zoran Tanevski, the trip guide and driver, talk about the exceptionally rich history, culture and its landmarks, and natural heritage of the beautiful Republic of North Macedonia and its towns of Skopje, Ohrid, Struga, Bitola, Resen, Prilep, Veles, as well as other sites. Big thanks to Elizabeta Planinić as well for her organisation of the trip and recommendations for “the best of North Macedonia”.
The representatives would also like to thank the Mavrovo National Park hosts Mr Samir Ajdini, Head of the Mavrovo National Park Public Institution, colleague Toma Đorđevski, and the entire staff of the Mavrovo NP PI, who took the time to share their knowledge and experience with us. Thanks must also be extended to Mr Aleksandar Buzlevski, Head of the Galičica National Park Public Institution, and the entire staff of the Galičica National Park, who also took the time to share their knowledge and experience. When it comes to the Pelister National Park, the representatives would like to thank Mr Malik Šemšedini, Head of the Pelister National Park Public Institution, colleague Violeta Sotirovska, who held an informative presentation on the park’s natural and cultural values, as well as the rest of the staff of the Pelister NP PI, who took the time to share their knowledge and experience with us.
And finally, the representatives extend a special thank-you to Mr Andon Bojadži from the Galičica National Park Public Institution, who was of great help when organising meetings and sharing knowledge and experience with colleagues from the North Macedonian national parks.
Find out more about these protected areas by clicking the following links:
Meeting with colleagues from the Mavrovo National Park 
With colleague Andon Bojadži from the Galičica National Park 
Meeting with colleagues from the Pelister National Park 
The Matka canoyn of the Treska river 
The Matka canoyn of the Treska river 
The Matka canoyn of the Treska river 
The Vrelo cave in the canyon of the Treska river 
The Vrelo cave in the canyon of the Treska river 
The Mavrovo National Park Headquarters 
Lake Mavrovo 
The Radika river in the Mavrovo National Park 
The Vevchani Springs natural monument 
Lake Ohrid and the town of Ohrid, taken from Samuel’s Fortress 
The Galičica National Park 
The Galičica National Park 
The Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce) in the Pelister National Park 
The Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa) in the Galičica National Park
