Prespa National Park & Maligrad Island
Parku Kombëtar i Prespës / Maligrad
Albania's largest national park. Take a small boat to Maligrad Island to visit a 14th-century cave church, all set among lake and mountain scenery.
Prespa Lake is shared by Albania, North Macedonia, and Greece, and the Albanian side has a national park. On Maligrad Island in the lake, beneath a cliff, stands the Church of Our Lady of the Cave, completed in 1369 and preserving wall paintings. You can hire a small boat from the village of Pustec or from a nearby jetty. Along the lake are Macedonian villages such as Timnatec, and pelican habitats. It is about 40 kilometres from Korçë, roughly one hour's drive, and it is best to set aside a full day.
Opening hours
Open all day; arrange boat trips with the boatman
Nearby sights
- Birra Korça Brewery
- Church of St. Mary, Mborje
- National Museum of Medieval Art
- Bratko Museum of Oriental Art
- Korçë Archaeological Museum
- First Albanian School Museum (Mësonjëtorja)
- Resurrection Cathedral
- Monument to the National Warrior