Pelister | macedonia

The park covers an area of 171.5 square kilometres (66.2 sq mi). The altitude of the park varies between 927 and 2,601 m (3,041 and 8,533 ft) above sea level and is filled with exquisite flora and fauna. Among flora elements, the presence is especially significant of the five-needle pine molica, Pinus peuce - a unique species of tertiary age being present on only a few mountains in the Balkan Peninsula. The beauty of the landscape is enhanced by the diversified wildlife: bears, roe deer, wolves, chamois, deer, wild boars, rabbits, several species of eagles, partridges, redbilled jackdaws, and the endemic Macedonian Pelagonia trout.

Pelister is the oldest and second largest national park in Republic of Macedonia after Mavrovo. It is one of the leading tourist areas in the country, since it is a well-known ski resort, along with Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Šapka, and Kruševo. From Pelister one can see the Pelagonia valley, Lake Prespa, mountains Nidže, Galičica, Jakupica, and the city of Bitola. Interestingly, Pelister is one of the most southern mountains in the Balkans that has an alpine character.

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Pelister is also known for its two mountain lakes, which are called Pelister's Eyes. The Big lake is 2,218 metres (7,277 ft) above the sea level while the Small lake is 2,180 metres (7,150 ft) high. Here are the sources of many rivers. The climate in Pelister National Park is diverse.
The vegetation of Pelister is part of a Holarctic floristic region and Euro-Siberian floristic sub-region. The rich diversity of the flora and fauna of the National Park Pelister is the basic and most important characteristic of the bio-diversity of this mountain, for which reason Pelister was declared the first National Park in the Republic of Macedonia in 1948. The flora of Pelister consists of more than 1050 systemic units of superior plants of which most, that is more than 900 kinds, are hidden-seed plants. Among the superior plants about 90 are tree-like plants divided into 23 families. The Macedonian pine known as ‘molika’ Pinus peuce Grisebach*, 1843 is considered to be a Tertiary relict plant.
Pelisterski Oci (Pelister Eyes) are glacial lakes. They are two in number and are called Big and Small Lake.The Big Lake is deep 14.5 m and the Small is deep 2.6 m.