Prespa (North Macedonia)

Prespa (Macedonian: Преспа) is a region surrounding the Great Prespa Lake and Small Prespa Lake. This international region is shared by Albania, Greece, and North Macedonia, which contains a majority of the Great Prespa Lake. North Macedonia's share of the region is completely within Resen Municipality, bound by Galičica National Park to the west, Pelister National Park to the east, the borders with Albania and Greece to the south, and northern parts of Resen Municipality to the north. Prespa is a popular domestic vacation spot for Macedonians and even receives many foreign tourists and is home to some of the best beaches in this landlocked country. It is surrounded by two national parks containing spectacular mountainous terrain, making the area a major destination for recreation and wildlife viewing. The area is also home to some of the most charming villages in Macedonia, with the combined beauty of the natural scenery and the traditional village architecture.

Understand
Prespa is a rural area of natural beauty and important history. Galičica National Park separates the region from Lake Ohrid. The villages on the western shore of Prespa slope upwards toward Galičica Mountain. On the eastern side, the villages slope upwards toward Baba Mountain in Pelister National Park. This means there are many beautiful vistas to be seen of the lake, regardless of where you find yourself. The views only get better the further up into the mountains you go.

People
The Prespa area consists of the villages of (from the west going clockwise around the lake): Konjsko, Stenje, Leskoec, Oteševo, Šurlenci, Volkoderi, Pokrvenik, Preljublje, Perovo, Drmeni, Ezerani, Podomočani, Grnčari, Rajca, Asamati, Kurbinovo, Pretor, Slivnica, Krani, Arvati, Štrbovo, Nakolec, Ljubojno, Brajčino, and Dolno Dupeni. Over 4,500 people live in these villages as of the last census.

Prespa's inhabitants traditionally work in agriculture. Roughly half of the apples produced in the country are grown in Resen Municipality.

Ethnic Macedonians form a large majority in the area (77%), but there is ethnic diversity in Prespa with Albanians forming 22% and Turks forming 1%. Arvati, Grnčari, Krani, and Nakolec have ethnic Albanian majorities. Further north of Prespa toward Resen are larger Turkish communities. The Macedonians are typically Orthodox Christians, while Albanians and Turks are largely Muslims. Unlike other parts of the country, there haven't been any inter-ethnic incidents in Prespa even at the height of tensions in 2001.

Prespa, like many rural regions in North Macedonia, has suffered from youth migration to cities and foreign countries. The population in the last census is roughly half the 1981 number. Many villages have primarily elderly residents. In the summertime, the number of people in the area increases with many people returning to homes that have been in their families for generations.

History
This region's long history is evidenced by the archaeological sites found on the island of Golem Grad, as well as by the medieval churches and monasteries scattered around Prespa. The Ottoman history of Prespa is evident all over the area with the Ottoman-era village architecture visible in most every village.

Prespa was active during the Ilinden Uprising in 1903 and suffered severe attacks from the Ottomans. For instance, the village of Brajčino lost 27 lives and saw fires set to 77 houses and all but two churches.

Ottoman rule finally ended in 1912 when the Kingdom of Serbia (later the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes) took control of the area following the partition of Macedonia. The partition particularly affected this area because natural contact ended with villages south of the border at Dolno Dupeni. During World War I, the region was occupied by the Bulgarians. The Macedonian front ran right through the area. Following the war, Prespa was again under the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. During World War II, however, it fell under the Italian protectorate of Albania and then for a short period back under the Bulgarian fascists. After the National Liberation War, Prespa was under Yugoslav rule and then a part of the independent Republic of Macedonia in 1991.

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. The agreement was signed by the Lakeview Hotel and Resort in Oteševo.

By car
There are three ways to get into the Prespa area via car from other parts of North Macedonia, as well as neighbouring Albania. It was announced in 2019 that the border with Greece (at Dolno Dupeni) shall be re-opened for the first time since the 1960s.
 * Highway P504 splits off from P501, which runs north-south between Galičica and Lake Ohrid, near St Naum. P504 cuts across Galičica National Park connecting Lake Ohrid's eastern shore with Lake Prespa's western shore. There are a lot of twists and turns on this mountain road but the nature and views are spectacular.
 * E-65 is a highway that runs east-west through Resen, north of Prespa. Road R1307 splits from the highway in the town of Resen and runs through the western side of Prespa to the Albanian border crossing. Road 1308 splits off from the highway west of Resen and runs south on the eastern side of Prespa all the way to the Greek border.
 * One of North Macedonia's four border crossings with Albania sits between the Macedonian village of Stenje and the Albanian village of Gorna Gorica.

By taxi
Cabs can be hired from Resen, Ohrid, or Bitola (or further beyond for higher prices). From Resen, fare to the furthest villages of Prepsa should be no more than 600 denars. From Ohrid or Bitola, travelling to Resen is up to 1,000 denars and then onwards to Prespa villages can be about another 700-1,000 denars (cab drivers will often factor in the cost of getting back to their home city in which they picked you up). Agree on the price before getting in the taxi.

By car
The best and most convenient way to get around Prespa is by car. This is a rural region with villages often spread quite far from each other. Exploring the mountainside in Brajčino in the morning, hitting the beach in Dolno Dupeni in the afternoon, and then dancing the night away at the nightclub in Krani is not possible to do unless you have a car at your disposal, even though these three villages are considered neighbours. Just getting to Krani's beach from the village centre of Krani is quite the hike.

By bus
A bus company out of the village of Arvati operates a small network of buses that run from the villages of Prespa up to Resen a couple times per day. Ask the locals for bus times. This is convenient if you need to make a stop in the town for certain purchases or to get to a certain village (if you have a ride back to your start). Fare is equivalent to about one Euro or less, depending on from where you get on the bus.

By thumb
Hitchhikers in Prespa, as in most of North Macedonia, shouldn't have too much trouble hitching a ride. The biggest problem is picking a time of day where there simply aren't many cars passing by.

See
Aside from the natural scenery, the Prespa area is home to many historical sites. Golem Grad, often mistaken as the only island in the country, is certainly the most unique destination in the area. Most of Prespa's villages are home to historic churches and monasteries, some standing since the Middle Ages; the more well-known ones are listed below. As most of the churches are locked much of the time, ask around in the respective village for a key if you wish to access the inside. The locations below are listed going clockwise around Lake Prespa from Golem Grad.

Beaches
Prespa is the second-most popular destination for beaches in North Macedonia after Lake Ohrid. Most of the beaches are sandy. They often have trendy names but Macedonians usually call the beaches by the name of the village in which they are located.

Events
Many villages in Prespa have an annual celebration of a particular saint's day, usually a saint to whom a church within the village is dedicated.

Drink
Any restaurant listed above is also a good place to go for drinks. In addition, every general store in Prespa sells beer, wine, or liquor that can be enjoyed with the locals on the seating outside the store.

Go next

 * Resen. You most likely passed through it on your way into Prespa but, if not, stop by and check out the historic Saraj estate.
 * Pustec. Albania holds the southwestern portion of Lake Prespa and all of it falls within the Municipality of Pustec. There is a border crossing between North Macedonia's Stenje and Albania's Gorna Gorica, making this a very do-able next stop on a tour of Prespa. There are plenty of natural and cultural attractions on this side of the border.
 * Prespa (Greece). Though it sits just south of Dolno Dupeni, Greece's share of the Prespa region is not accessible from North Macedonia's share of Prepa. One must go around Baba Mountain to the crossing between Bitola and Florina and drive southwest or cross into Albania from Stenje and then cross into Greece south of Small Prespa Lake. The trek, however, is worth it to see this often overlooked corner of Greece. There are many important churches as well as the island that was once the capital of Tsar Samuel's empire. Not to mention, more beautiful scenery.
 * Just beyond the two national parks bordering the Prespa region are the Ohrid (to the west) and Bitola (to the east) areas. The former is a historic town listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the ancient lake on which it sits, and the latter is North Macedonia's second-largest city that was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire's European territory.