Kallamas Trail: Hidden History and Culture in the Prespa Nature

Table Of Contents

Highlights of this tour
Tour description
General information and booking contact
Cveta Trajçe
- How to book
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Highlights of this tour

Staro Sello, the old Village where archeological findings show that this place was inhabited since Neolithic times.
Rich biodiversity of the transboundary area
A panoramic view of the Great Prespa Lake to Greece and North Macedonia
The only Monastery in Prespa – SV. Marena
The Pelicans at the lake and other bird species

Tour description

We will meet at the visitor centre of the Prespa National Park in Dolna Gorica. It is accessible by car and very easy to find.

From there, we will travel by car for about 4 km to the starting point of the trail at the Village of Kallamas, one of the oldest fishermen villages of the Prespa Region. Kallamas is the only village that has three names in two languages. There we we can see old houses that show how the people in Prespa used to live.

We will start hiking above the village where along the way we can see many plant species, (for example Juniperus foeitidissima). Also we can hear and see many bird species that prove the uniqueness and the rich biodiversity that Prespa is known for.

After 2 km hike on a mountain path that requires good hiking equipment, we will reach the highest point of the path at 1106 m asl.

Prespa Lake | Photo: Prespa National Park

From there we can enjoy a spectacular panoramic view and see what makes Prespa unique: The dry mountain to your right, the magnificent Great Prespa Lake on the Greek and Northern Macedonian side to your left, showing that this is in fact a transboundary National Park.

Walking down a slightly steep road we will reach the shore of Great Prespa Lake from where we can see the Golem Grad Island. We will walk over the to the eremite churches, cultural and historical monument, that have been built inside the rocks during the 14^th and 15^th century.

We will continue walking on the shoreline where along the way we might see spotted pelicans and other bird species. During summer days this is your chance to take a refreshing swim in the lake.

Pelican | Photo: Prespa National Park — Pelican on Prespa Lake

Afterwards we will visit the monastery of Sv. Marena, the only Monastery in the Prespa region. The trail continues along the lake shore and all the time we will be accompanied by the beautiful landscape and the lake, until we reach Kallamas again, the starting and end point of the walk.

General information and booking contact

Length

11.5 km walking distance / about 6.5 to 7 hours (roundtrip)

Height difference (m)

263 m

Level of difficulty

Medium to partly difficult (Rocky passages along the short that need a good sense of balance and attention).

Requirements

Good Physical condition is required since the trail is demanding in some parts, good hiking shoes, sports and hiking clothes, (swimming suits in summer, in case anyone wants to enjoy the waters of Great Prespa Lake), sun protection, hat, lunch box, water and emergency kit.

For all tours, we recommend to take out a travel health insurance, including accident insurance.

Best season

End of March / April to beginning of November. Summer also is a good season, although the weather might be hot.

Start time

8:00 am to 8:30 am

Starting/end point

Visitor Centre of the Prespa National Park in Dolna Gorica

Number of participants (min./max.)

2 to 8 person

Cost

50 Euro for the guide + 10 Euro extra cost for transfer to the starting point in Kallamas in case a second car is needed for groups of more than 4 persons