What is a National Park?

The National Park shall be a large, mainly unchanged area of land or water with particular multiple natural values, which encompasses one or more, preserved or insignificantly changed ecosystems, primarily designed for the conservation of the original natural, cultural and spiritual wealth.

The National Park shall be intended for scientific-research, cultural, pedagogic-educational and tourist-recreational purposes.

What is Galicica declared a National Park for?

Right between ocean blue coloured waters of Lake Ohrid and lake Prespa, mountain of Galicica is imposed with its towering limestone ridge.  Due to its location, unusual natural beauty, scenery, aesthetic values, and exceptionally diverse and endemic flora and fauna, the Government of Republic of Macedonia has declared Galicica National Park in 1958.

Nature protection in Galicica National Park is regulated by Law

Nature protection in the Galicica National Park is regulated through several Law provisions:

• Law for declaration of forest areas in Galicica National Park (official gazette RM 31/58)

• Law on Nature Protection (official gazette RM 67/04)

• Law for protection an improvement of the environment (official gazette RM 53/05)

Territory

Galicica National Park encloses area of 25 000 ha.  Lowest elevation in the park is Lake Ohrid (695m above see level), next Lake Prespa (850m a.s.l.), and the highest point is the summit Magaro (2255m a.s.l.).  South border of the National Park is also a national border with R. Albania, on the west the Park borders with the shoreline of Lake Ohrid.  On the north, the border line passes through several landmarks, and connects both lakes.  Starts at St. Petka monastery in the village of Velgosti, continues in a straight line to the high point Visesla.  From there, through the valley of Petrino, locality Istok, to the summit of Samar, and from there goes down to the locality of Sir Han near Lake Prespa.  Eastern border goes along the shore of Lake Prespa to the Albanian border, and encompasses the Golem grad island in the Lake Prespa.

What is typical mark of Galicica National Park?

Lynx lynx martinoi  or Balkan Lynx is indigenous to the Balkans with estimated population in Macedonia of around 30 -35 individuals.  Due to such a small population, and various treats to its existence mainly resulting from human activities, in July 2006, Macedonian Environmental Society (MES) commenced a project for increasing the population of the Balkan Lynx in Macedonia titled "Balkan Lynx conservation project".