Pelister's eyes
Two glacial lakes.
Ksenija Putilin — CC BY 2.0 · Saveska — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Matea Naumovska — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ksenija Putilin — CC BY 2.0 · Шпиц — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Шпиц — CC BY-SA 4.0
Pelister National Park, on Baba Mountain west of Bitola, is North Macedonia's oldest protected area; it was declared Yugoslavia's first national park in 1948. It covers 171.5 square kilometres, from 891 metres up to 2,601 metres at the summit of Pelister. Its forests are famous for the endemic Macedonian pine, it holds more than 1,050 plant species, and wolves, otters and bearded vultures live here. Among its striking landforms are granite «stone rivers» left by the glaciers, glacial cirques and two glacial lakes at about 2,200 metres that people call «Pelister's eyes». Its first mountain lodges were built in the 1930s. A road climbs from Bitola to the mountain villages and resorts, where trails start for the lakes and the summit; it is a full-day hike that needs fitness, and a guide if you don't know the mountain. Weather changes fast up high, so take a jacket and water even in summer.
Two glacial lakes.
Endemic forests.
From the Ice Age.
Baba Mountain west of Bitola, about 15 km from town
Yes, but it is a long hike that needs a full day and good fitness; a guide helps if you don't know the mountain.