Prespa Lakes

The lake stretches to a shore that belongs to another country, mountains rising on three sides — Greek, Albanian, North Macedonian — and the water is so still that the reflections look more solid than the sky. Byzantine frescoes painted on cave walls above the waterline stare out from the cliffs, and Dalmatian pelicans drift below in breeding colonies that number over a thousand pairs.

The Prespa Lakes are shared by Greece, Albania, and North Macedonia — the trilateral border meeting point in the water is marked by a monument visible from the shore. The Hermitage of the Panagia Eleousa is painted on the rock face of a cave above Megali Prespa, accessible only by boat; the frescoes date to the 15th century. Megali Prespa hosts the largest breeding colony of Dalmatian pelicans in the world, with over 1,400 pairs nesting on the lake's reed islands. The Prespa Agreement of 2018, which resolved the naming dispute between Greece and North Macedonia, was signed on the lake's shore. The region produces Prespa beans — giant white beans slow-baked in tomato and paprika — which hold protected designation of origin status. The nearest village, Psarades, has a handful of tavernas overlooking the water.