Galičica

Galičica National Park was established in 1958 in south-western North Macedonia and protects some 227 km² on the limestone ridge that separates Lake Ohrid from Lake Prespa, near the point where the borders with Albania and Greece meet.

Its position is geologically notable: the two lakes lie at different altitudes, with Prespa some 150 metres above Ohrid, and they are connected by a system of underground karst conduits that cross the mountain. Water from Prespa soaks into the limestone and reappears in the springs on the Ohrid shore, among them those of St Naum, a well-documented hydrogeological phenomenon and one decisive for the balance of both lakes.

The combination of limestone bedrock, isolation and a position between Mediterranean and continental climates has produced a flora of exceptional richness, with more than a thousand plant species and numerous endemics confined to the massif. The fauna includes brown bear, Balkan chamois and the Balkan lynx, one of the most threatened cat populations in Europe. The park forms part of the Ohrid Region World Heritage property, and its management has been the subject of controversy over tourist and road development projects on its boundaries.