A bit of history

Since the Balkan Wars in 1913, Small Prespa Lake has been largely Greece’s’, though the then-new state of Albania would later receive a tiny southwestern tip. Although small, this lake is lined with rustling reed-beds hosting numerous bird species, making great for bird watching; though not swimming.  Besides, Great Prespa Lake, which dates one million years back, has been continuously feeding the equally old (but much larger) neighboring Lake Ohrid to the northwest through underground springs.

During the 1970’s, no visitors were allowed to approach and navigate the area without special permission and without the escort of a soldier, as the Balkan borders were a very sensitive area. Since then, of course, things have changed to a great extent. Just to name a few, a trans-boundary protected marshland area has been recognized, side-stepping the complexities of the relationships between these countries at a political level, so that ultimately men and nature will be in perfect balance reinforcing each other for the future generations. Yet, this common effort isn’t always made to help implement environmental regulations, as each of the Macedonians pin the blame on each other in a litany of stereotypes.