Greece - Korina Miller [246]
For Kastoria, take a bus to Amyntaio (€3.80, 30 minutes, eight daily) and change there. However, Amyntaio has only three daily buses for the final one-hour leg to Kastoria, and only the 3pm bus (from Amyntaio) will get you there in time for same-day connections.
International
When school’s in session, two buses daily go from Florina to the Macedonian border at Niki (€1.70, 30 minutes). For Albania, a weekly bus stops every Wednesday at the Greek border post at Krystallopigi (€6.10, one hour).
TAXI
A taxi to Bitola (40km) in the FYROM costs about €40 one way or €50 return; the latter includes two hours for shopping and sightseeing. Ask local taxi drivers, or arrange through your hotel.
TRAIN
Florina’s train station ( 23850 22404) is where the Thessaloniki train line terminates; five daily trains ply this route. Major stops before Thessaloniki (€6, three hours) include Edessa (€2.60, 70 minutes) and Veria (€4, two hours).
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PRESPA LAKES ΛΙΜΝΕΣ ΠΡΕΣΠΩΝ
Greek Macedonia’s magical, mountainous northwest corner holds the twin treasures of lakes Megali Prespa and Mikri Prespa (Great Prespa and Small Prespa, collectively known as Prespes), separated by a narrow strip of land and partially divided between three countries. In the absence of foreign tourists, Prespes has retained its tranquil natural beauty, and boasts lovely traditional stone-house villages and significant Byzantine antiquities. The drive from Florina passes through thick forests with sweeping mountain views and the occasional bear-crossing sign.
Since the Balkan Wars in 1913, Mikri Prespa (43 sq km) has been largely Greece’s, though the then-new state of Albania would later receive a tiny southwestern tip. Although small, Mikri Prespa is serene, lined with rustling reed beds hosting numerous bird species, including cormorants, Dalmatian pelicans, egrets, herons and ibises, making for great birdwatching (though not swimming).
A tectonic lake at least one million years old, Megali Prespa (850m) is one of Europe’s oldest, feeding the equally old (but much larger) Lake Ohrid to the northwest through underground springs. The Balkan political intriguing of the 20th century led to Greece annexing 38 sq km of southeastern Megali Prespa, while a small southwestern piece was awarded to Albania. The majority of Megali Prespa (1000 sq km) further north belongs to the FYROM, and indeed the indigenous people around all sides of both lakes are Macedonian-speaking.
On the Greek side, much of the Megali Prespa shore is precipitous rock, rising dramatically from the chilly blue water. A few kilometres north across the Macedonian border, however, a sandy beach stretches 2km before the idyllic village of Dolno Dupeni; despite talk of reopening this long-dormant border crossing, ongoing political spats between Athens and Skopje make the possibility remote.
The whole ‘microregion’, as it’s called by eager Eurocrats bent on multinational integration schemes, is still wild. In Greece, Prespes has been a national park for more than 30 years. And, around the northern section of Megali Prespa, national parks of the FYROM cover each of its mountainous banks (Galičica on the western, and Pelister on the eastern). Thus the whole area is a remarkably still haven for peace-seeking wildlife and human life alike.
As in Byzantine times, the whole Prespes region was a frontline battleground during the Balkan Wars of 1912–13, both world wars and the Greek Civil War, causing widespread suffering – the forced exile and emigration that resulted affected many thousands of local Macedonians and Greeks alike.
Agios Germanos Αγιος Γερμαóς
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Polished Agios Germanos, filled with wonderful stone houses and notable Byzantine sites, is Prespes’ main town and, though not on the lake, offers the most atmospheric accommodation. There’s also good eating – and hill trails to walk it off.
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
There’s a bus stop, taxi and Prespes’ only post office. There are no banks; change money at the post office.
Community clinic ( 23850 46284)
Information