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Mavrovo (lake)
Encyclopedia
Mavrovo Lake is situated in the Mavrovo region, in the Mavrovo and Rostuša municipality
of the Republic of Macedonia
, less than 100 km from Skopje
. Abundant with trout, Lake Mavrovo is used for recreational activities such as swimming, boating and fishing during the summer. An additional point of interest is the half-submerged church in the lake. Spreading over an area of about 300 square miles (777 km²), the Mavrovo National Park features deep canyons, snowy peaks and blue lakes combine with dense forests that abound with diverse wildlife. Mavrovo is one of the leading tourist areas in the country along with Ohrid
, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Shapka (Shar Planina), Pelister, and Kruševo
. It was established in 1949 by a special law passed by the National Assembly of Macedonia. Later the legislation was changed considerably, enforcing a much stricter protection system. According to the new law, the park is divided into three zones: strict nature reserves, managed reserves, and a tourist zone.
Between the three mountains extends what some call the most beautiful canyon in Europe: the Radika gorge. More than 15 miles (24.1 km) long, it displays spectacular landscapes. Vertical cliffs higher than 1000 feet (304.8 m) rise above the fast, crystal-clear waters of the Radika river. In addition, the park area contains many other interesting natural phenomena--the highest waterfall in the Balkans (with a vertical fall of approximately 400 feet), alpine bogs in the Shar mountains as remnants of the Ice age, rare karst relief (including beautiful caves) in the Bistra mountains, as well as numerous glacial lakes throughout the Alpine zone.
Nearby stands the monastery of St. John Bigorski, which with its famous carved wooden iconostasis
has retained colorful folklore traditions.
This iconostasis is one of the finest samples of traditional woodcarving which can be found on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia along with the 19th-century iconostasis of the church of the Holi Saviour (Sveti Spas) in Skopje
. In the village of Galichnik, which is one of the largest villages in Mavrovo, the Macedonian folklore traditions are still cherished as they were centuries ago. As a result of its long geological history, the park abounds with relics from the tertiary and glacial epochs (even two plant species from the early tropical vegetation).
The most interesting tertiary relics are the Macedonian pine
and the Whitebark pine
, rare endemic conifers of the Central Balkans. This group includes the endemic Greek maple and the yew
(extremely uncommon in the Mediterranean). One of the few natural habitats of the common chestnuts (an endemic Balkan tertiary relic) exists on the southern slopes of Mount Bistra
. A large area of the park is overgrown with astonishingly old and beautiful forests of the Macedonian fir (a riddling hybrid fir species) which is to be found only in these areas of the Balkans and is also a remnant of the late Tertiary age.
Through the Forest Reserve Jasen, the park abounds with numerous glacial relic species from the Ice age, mostly in the form of awkward herbaceous plants scattered throughout the Alpine zone. Certainly one of the most dazzling forests is the community of Norway spruce hidden deep in an inaccessible canyon of the Western Shar mountains. This forest is far beyond the southernmost point of the range of Norway spruce, indicating that a long time ago it had invaded the Mediterranean regions.
The diverse forest vegetation supports an abundance of wildlife. More than 140 species of birds (some of them very rare, like hawks, eagles and vultures) thrive in the forested areas of the park. With more than 45 species, the park is among the richest reserves of rare animals. There are bears, several types of deer, wild goats, otters, wolves, etc. Most importantly, the Mavrovo National Park is one of the three remaining habitats of the European lynx. A population of 60 specimens of this near-extinct species lives predominantly in the western and central areas of the park.
Mavrovo and Rostuša municipality
Mavrovo and Rostuša is a municipality in western Republic of Macedonia. The municipal seat is located in the village of Rostuša. This municipality is part of the Polog Statistical Region.-Geography:...
of the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, less than 100 km from Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
. Abundant with trout, Lake Mavrovo is used for recreational activities such as swimming, boating and fishing during the summer. An additional point of interest is the half-submerged church in the lake. Spreading over an area of about 300 square miles (777 km²), the Mavrovo National Park features deep canyons, snowy peaks and blue lakes combine with dense forests that abound with diverse wildlife. Mavrovo is one of the leading tourist areas in the country along with Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Shapka (Shar Planina), Pelister, and Kruševo
Kruševo
Kruševo also spelled Krushevo, is a town in the Republic of Macedonia. It is the highest town in Macedonia, situated at an altitude of over 4,000 feet above sea level. The town of Kruševo is the seat of Kruševo Municipality.-History:...
. It was established in 1949 by a special law passed by the National Assembly of Macedonia. Later the legislation was changed considerably, enforcing a much stricter protection system. According to the new law, the park is divided into three zones: strict nature reserves, managed reserves, and a tourist zone.
Features
Perhaps one of the features that make the Mavrovo National Park so attractive to visitors is its vivid topography. The relief of the park contains three Alpine mountain systems: the Shar, Korab and Bistra mountains. They are exceptionally high, the Shar and Korab, reaching heights of more than 9000 feet (the Korab peak is the highest in Macedonia with its 9100 feet). These tremendous mountains are distinguished by chains of snowy, jagged peaks and broad grassy plateaus below them.Between the three mountains extends what some call the most beautiful canyon in Europe: the Radika gorge. More than 15 miles (24.1 km) long, it displays spectacular landscapes. Vertical cliffs higher than 1000 feet (304.8 m) rise above the fast, crystal-clear waters of the Radika river. In addition, the park area contains many other interesting natural phenomena--the highest waterfall in the Balkans (with a vertical fall of approximately 400 feet), alpine bogs in the Shar mountains as remnants of the Ice age, rare karst relief (including beautiful caves) in the Bistra mountains, as well as numerous glacial lakes throughout the Alpine zone.
Ecology
The ecology of the national park is particularly interesting. Namely, dense forest vegetation covers mountain slopes in the park, while Alpine pastures grow in the higher areas. The various climatic influences, as well as the large differences in altitude are the main contributing factors for the diversity of flora and fauna. The fact that this region is a kind of "geographical crossroads" where major changes of climate have occurred through history is a direct reason for the existence of an enormous number of relict and endemic species. Remnants of the life that existed in the Ice age or in the Tertiary coexist in one diverse environment, concealed between the jagged cliffs and peaks. In fact, the six life zones of the park (a rare phenomenon for such a small area) support 22 forest and 16 grass ecosystems. There are more than 1300 species of herbaceous plants and 145 species of trees living in them. About 40 percent of them are relict or endemic. Moreover, the park is the habitat of many rare plants (like the Crimean wild juniper) which are extinct in their natural habitat.Nearby stands the monastery of St. John Bigorski, which with its famous carved wooden iconostasis
Iconostasis
In Eastern Christianity an iconostasis is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
has retained colorful folklore traditions.
This iconostasis is one of the finest samples of traditional woodcarving which can be found on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia along with the 19th-century iconostasis of the church of the Holi Saviour (Sveti Spas) in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
. In the village of Galichnik, which is one of the largest villages in Mavrovo, the Macedonian folklore traditions are still cherished as they were centuries ago. As a result of its long geological history, the park abounds with relics from the tertiary and glacial epochs (even two plant species from the early tropical vegetation).
The most interesting tertiary relics are the Macedonian pine
Macedonian Pine
Pinus peuce is a species of pine native to the mountains of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, the extreme southwest of Serbia, and the extreme north of Greece, growing typically at 1,000-2,200 m altitude. It often reaches the alpine tree line in this area...
and the Whitebark pine
Whitebark Pine
Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...
, rare endemic conifers of the Central Balkans. This group includes the endemic Greek maple and the yew
Taxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
(extremely uncommon in the Mediterranean). One of the few natural habitats of the common chestnuts (an endemic Balkan tertiary relic) exists on the southern slopes of Mount Bistra
Mount Bistra
Bistra is one of the most interesting mountains in the Republic of Macedonia . The mountain has many peaks higher than 2,000 meters and the highest one is Medenica Peak, 2,163 meters above sea level.Limestone erosion on the mountain created limestone fields...
. A large area of the park is overgrown with astonishingly old and beautiful forests of the Macedonian fir (a riddling hybrid fir species) which is to be found only in these areas of the Balkans and is also a remnant of the late Tertiary age.
Through the Forest Reserve Jasen, the park abounds with numerous glacial relic species from the Ice age, mostly in the form of awkward herbaceous plants scattered throughout the Alpine zone. Certainly one of the most dazzling forests is the community of Norway spruce hidden deep in an inaccessible canyon of the Western Shar mountains. This forest is far beyond the southernmost point of the range of Norway spruce, indicating that a long time ago it had invaded the Mediterranean regions.
The diverse forest vegetation supports an abundance of wildlife. More than 140 species of birds (some of them very rare, like hawks, eagles and vultures) thrive in the forested areas of the park. With more than 45 species, the park is among the richest reserves of rare animals. There are bears, several types of deer, wild goats, otters, wolves, etc. Most importantly, the Mavrovo National Park is one of the three remaining habitats of the European lynx. A population of 60 specimens of this near-extinct species lives predominantly in the western and central areas of the park.