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Pelister National Park (also know as Национален парк Пелистер in Macedonian and Parku Nacional Pelister in Albanian) is
a 171.5 km²
park located in the southern part of North Macedonia, close to the border with Greece. This under the radar park is the oldest in the country (and the 2nd largest) and has picturesque mountain villages and Pelister peak (2,601 m), 3rd highest mountain in North Macedonia. The National Park is perfect for relaxing and getting in touch with nature; it's the best place in the country to see the Macedonian pine (molika).How do I arrive to Pelister National Park?
The area isn't too difficult to be reached because it's close to Bitola although there is no public transportation.
- Car: from Bitola it can be reached many places like Dihovo (aprox. 10 minutes), Magarevo (aprox. 20 minutes), Kurbinovo and Resen (aprox. 35 minutes), Slivnica (aprox. 40 minutes), Ljubojno (aprox. 45 minutes) and Brajčino (aprox. 50 minutes). It can also be reached from the Greek side of the border like, for example, Florina or Ptolemaida.
History
It was an active region during Ilinden Uprising in 1903 and, after the Balkan War, the part north from Dolno Dupeni became part of the Kindom of Serbia (later Yugoslavia). During WW1 it was occupied by Bulgarians and the Macedonian front of the war was located just here. Pelister National Park was proclaimed on 1948, being the oldest national park in North Macedonia, located around Mountain Baba (more frequently named Pelister). Unfortunately there has been an important migration to cities, leaving rural areas with primarily elderly residents. Prespa became the center of the attention in 2018 when Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras signed the Prespa Agreement to end the Macedonia naming dispute, turning FYROM into North Macedonia.
What can I visit in Pelister National Park?
Pelister National Park (50 MKD) is quite developed, mainly because of being so close to Ohrid.
Many outdoors activities can be done here as well as discover its local
nature (with 13 endems exclusively found here). Now it will be explained what to do in the park according to
the town or village where they are or the nearest one:
- Resen (Ресен in Macedonian, Resne in Turkish, Resnja in Albanian): 8,748 inhabitants town located in the north (outside) of Pelister National Park. The town is mainly inhabited by Macedonian ethnic people but with important Turkish and Albanian population.
Saraj - Saraj (8-16 Mon-Fri): 20th century unique Neoclassical estate built by bey Ahmed Niyazi, inspired by French estates. Currently it works as a musueum, library and gallery. The museum is Dragi Tozija House of Culture, branch of the Museum of Macedonia, a gallery containing works of the painter Keraca Visulčeva and a ceramic colony member of the International Academy of Ceramics of UNESCO.
- Sts. Kiril i Metodij Macedonian Orthodox Church: 19th century church that was used by revolutionaries to hide during Ilinden uprising. Its outter part is white and has a wide dome, with a bell tower standing next to it.
- St. Ǵorǵi Macedonian Orthodox Church: 19th century church with frescoes inside and a porch on its sides.
- Only 3 km north it can be found Jankovec (Кичиница in Macedonian, Kiçnicë in Albanian), an 1,169 small town where it's located Jankovec Monastery, a 15th-century monastery with multiple churches. It has an active monastic life.
Views of Bitola from Pelister peak
- Magarevo (Магарево in Macedonian, Mãgãreva in Aromanian), an 87 inhabitants village with mostly ethnic Macedonian population, as well as an important Aromanian minority. It's the most frequent way to enter into the park and not far from here it can be found Hotel Molika, the starting point of most of the routes within the park.
- St. Dimitrij Macedonian Orthodox Church: 19th century church, similar to St. Dimitrij Church in Bitola. that witness the high cultural level that reached Magarevo in those years. It was damaged during WW1 (its iconostasis were sent to Bulgaria).
- Pelister Visitor Center (9-15:30 from Apr to Sep; 9-15 from Oct to Mar): office where getting information about the national park and with a small exhibition on the traditions of people who live here and local flora and fauna.
- Kopanki ski center: most important ski resort in the park.
Lake Golemo - Round Pelister peak trail (21 km): probably the best trail in Pelister National Park, as it reaches Pelister peak, but it's also quite steep.
- Pelister's Eyes trail (16 km): hard route that starts at Hotel Molika and, surrounding Pelister peak, it reaches the two lakes of Pelister National Park, the small lake Malo and the larger one, lake Golemo.
- Historical trail (2.5 km): easy round route that begins at Hotel Molika and goes till Pelister Visitor Center. It's a perfect introduction to the park's landscapes and to the impact that WW1 left in the area.
- Jorgov Kamen trail (4 km): easy trail that reaches Jorgov Kamen, a 1,744 m high mountain.
- Mala Livada trail (6 km): easy and short trail that reaches a wooden fountain, the picnic area Mala Livada and Pelister Visitor Center.
Traditional architecture in Dihovo
- Dihovo (Дихово in Macedonian): 310 inhabitants village located in the eastern part of Pelister National Park, only 7 km far from Bitola. This mountain village is very charming and its nature, impressing. From Dihovo there are nice views of Bitola and of Pelister mountains.
- St. Dimitrij Macedonian Orthodox Church: 19th century church built in 1830 with beautiful icons from 18th-19th centuries.
- Bee Garden BN (booking on advance): local honey farm perfect to learn about beekeeping and trying honey or royal jelly.
- Dihovo Waterfall: falls located on a 10 minute walk from the center of Dihovo, popular among locals to refresh during summer session.
In the village of Kurbinovo (Курбиново in Macedonian), inhabitants, it can be found the most important church in Prespa area, St. Ǵorǵi Macedonian Orthodox Church. It was built in 1191 under the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos and is regarded as a significant example of the Macedonian Renaissance period of Byzantine art. Its architecture is simple and has frescoes, in very good condition, both on the outside and the inside. Close to Kurbinovo is Pretor (Претор in Macedonian), a 142 ethnic Macedonian people village with St. Arhangel Mihail Macedonian Orthodox Church, 17th century church by lake Prespa, and Pretor beach.
Frescoes at St. Ǵorǵi Church, Kurbinovo - Going down by lake Prespa you arrive to the 188 ethnic Macedonian people village of Slivnica (Сливница in Macedonian). It's home of Slivnica Monastery, a 17th century monastery with frescoes and traditional dormitory buildings, and one of the best beaches in North Macedonia, Slivnica beach. Not far from Slivnica there's another beach, Krani beach.
Slvinica beach - Continuing that road the visitor reached Ljubojno (Љубојно in Macedonian, Lubonja in Albanian), 186 inhabitants village mainly inhabited by Orthodox Macedonians and some Albanians. Here it can be visited St. Jovan Bigorski Macedonian Orthodox Church, 19th century church burnt during Ilinden Uprising, and Ljubojno Monastery, monastery that dates back to the 1920s, interesting because of its location above a mountain (aprox. 30 minutes hike), from where getting nice views.
- Brajčino (Брајчино
in Macedonian): picturesque 134 inhabitants village in the southern
part of the National Park, widely regarded as one of the nicest villages in Pelister and in the whole country. Not only the village is very cute but its surrounding nature too.
St. Petka Monastery: beautiful 16th century monastery, considered the main tourist attraction in Brajčino. There are frescoes from the 16th and 18th centuries; the church's icons date from the 16th century too. Every August 7th the monastery gives free meals to anyone who comes, there is also music and dancing.
Brajčino - St. Bogorodica Macedonian Orthodox Church: church was built inside a large cave high up on a mountain. It is the hardest church to get to, only by foot, on a tough path that takes several hours (but it is worthy).
- St. Ilja Macedonian Orthodox Church: 19th century church built in 1864, first school in the village.
- Only some kilometers away from the border with Greece there's a charming beach, Dupeni beach.
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