Winter in Prespes

Winter in Prespes

Greece
Northwest Macedonia
Prespes region
Great and Small Prespa lakes

The region of Prespa lakes is located in the remotest and more or less poorest northwest corner of Greece. True one of the poorest but undeniably one of the most beautiful spots with the two lakes, The Great and Small,sharing the border between Greece and Albania and forming one of the most outstanding wild life resorts in Europe providing habitat to more than 1400 spieces of birds and animals.Especially Small Prespa is considered as the location of the largest single breeding colony of the Dalmatian Pelecan of which only 10-20000 are thought to survive from millions in the past.You are also sure to see many other species of birds that like to live around water, such as herons, cormorants, egrets, geese, grebes and the only population in Greece of the rare goosander. In the skies you will also see a variety of raptors, including the golden eagle, short-toed eagle, booted eagle, and both lanner and peregrine falcons. Amphibians that live here include several species of frog, toads, newts and the fire salamander, while there are also 20 species of reptiles.
In the past years the locals were strugling to survive with agriculture and fishing but nowadays the region has flourished with nice highways and turism. Yet very interesting is to stroll around and have a look at the old villages that many of them retain the traces of old times and with the locals still managing their modest daily routine in the farms and lakes. There are also Byzantine old orthodox churches to visit with the remnants of St Achilles being the most famous among them.
It'w wonderful to visit the place in all seasons just to enjoy the change of scenery and colours. Especially in winter a visit is a must as the lake is frozen due to the very low temp.
(Photography has been taken using ILFORD and VELVIA 120, 6x4,5 mid-format films)