Mavrovo-Nationalpark

The Mavrovo National Park ( Macedonian Nacionalen Park Mavrovo Национален Парк Маврово, Albanian Parku Kombëtar i Mavrovës ) is the largest of the three national parks in Macedonia. It was founded in 1949 and has an area of 731 km ². He is in the northwest of Macedonia, southwest of the city of Gostivar.

Originally the National Park had an area of ​​118 km ². In 1952 it was extended, at the same time was the Mavrovosee - one in 1233 m. i J. lying 13.7 km ² large reservoir - created, which supplies the area with electricity. The flooding from the lake village Mavrovi Anovi was built north of the lake again. The highest point of the park is the peak Korab.

Tourist of the national park is used for hiking, biking and skiing; There are hotels, holiday homes and ski lifts. Hiking trails are marked only sporadically.

Large parts of the National Park consist of grasslands, because until the early 1950s, large areas of forest were cut down in order to facilitate time -intensive sheep farming. At higher elevations are dominated by the common spruce and common beech at lower altitudes in addition different types of oaks. The occurring in the National Park animal species include the Western rock mouse, Martino- snow vole, the West blind mouse, the Balkan mole, several species of shrews and bats; also otters, wild cats, lynxes, wolves and brown bears, as well as many rare amphibians, reptiles and insects.