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.
