Galicica National Park

About the Park

The Galichica National Park, proclaimed in 1958, is situated in the southwestern part of Macedonia, on the Galichica mountain massif, including Lake Prespa. The vast open spaces towards Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa, which border it from the east and west, contribute to its clear visual distinction as a separate entity.

The elevation of the Galichica mountain massif in Macedonia ranges from 695 meters above sea level (the level of Lake Ohrid) to 850 meters above sea level (the level of Lake Prespa), up to 2265 meters above sea level at border marker F10. Prominent elevations that dominate the relief include Magaro - 2254 meters above sea level; Lako Signoj - 1984 meters above sea level; Goga - 1737 meters above sea level, and others.

photo of the mountain overlooking the road and the lake

Flora

Covering an area of approximately 24,000 hectares, the Galichica National Park boasts over 37 types of habitats, 40 plant communities, around 1600 vascular plant taxa, over 143 species of lichenoid fungi, more than 480 species of fungi, and over 3279 taxa of fauna.

Among the plants of particular value in the Galichica National Park are the woody vegetation and the relic and endemic species.

Of the woody plants, special attention is deserved by the following: wild and tame beech, Macedonian pine and fir, the large-flowered oriental hornbeam, the hornbeam, wild pear, and others.

Regarding relic plants, mention should be made of: Morina percica, Stipa payeri, Phelipaea boiseieri, Ranonda nathaliae, Berberis croatica.

Endemic plants include: wild juniper (Juniperus exelsa), tame juniper (Juniperus foethoisima), Macedonian pine (Pinus peuce), Heldreich's pine (Pinus heldreichii), broom (Genista rediata), Lilium Heldreichii, Lilium candidum, Nepeta ernesti-mayeri.

Inspirational
quote!

Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!’. - Robin Williams

Fauna

The Galichica National Park is distinguished by its fascinating and diverse wildlife. Research on the large fauna indicates the presence of around 170 species of animals, including 10 species of amphibians, 18 species of reptiles, 124 species of birds, and 18 species of mammals. Additionally, there are thousands of other animals, with Lake Ohrid being the most extensively studied habitat for them.

Hydrography

The hydrographic features of the Galichica National Park are quite pronounced, despite the mountain belonging to the group of the driest spatial units in the Republic of North Macedonia. This characteristic of Galichica primarily stems from the geological composition of the mountain. It falls within the category of the most karstic mountains in North Macedonia, which means it is characterized by highly permeable terrain, resulting in the presence of few perennial surface watercourses. Nevertheless, despite this, the wider area of the national park exhibits constant springs and watercourses. Among them, the most notable are the springs near the Saint Naum Monastery, the springs in the locality of Letnica above the village of Ramne, and the river Cherava (its sources are in Albania). Of all these hydrographic phenomena, the springs near the Saint Naum Monastery hold the greatest significance.

The mountain itself serves as a boundary between the largest lake in North Macedonia, also the oldest in Europe - Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa.