National Parks · Our pick
Pelister National Park
The first national park
The country’s first national park, above Bitola, with Molika pines and glacial lakes.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Ptahhotep · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Liridon · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Liridon · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons1 / 3
About Pelister National Park
Proclaimed on 30 November 1948, Pelister protects Mount Baba between the Pelagonia and Prespa valleys, the southernmost mountain in the region with an alpine character, rising to 2,601 metres. Its best-known treasure is the Molika pine, a five-needled tree discovered by the botanist August Grisebach in 1839; some on Pelister are over 230 years old. Trails climb through the forests to the glacial Big and Small Lakes, known as Pelister’s Eyes, about 45 minutes apart, with Big Lake at 2,218 metres. In spring and summer the meadows bloom, and two butterflies live nowhere else.
Our take
- Founded in 1948
- Molika pine forests
- The Mountain’s Eyes
- Address
- Pelister, the Balkans
- Our city guide
- On our Skopje guide
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Pelister National Park before you go.
Last checked: October 2026 How we choose
Location
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