In the center of the Balkans where Albania meets Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia meet, lie two blue lakes surrounded by high snow-capped mountains. The Megali (Great) Prespa lake is divided between North Macedonia, Albania, Greece and the and Mikri (Small) Prespa Lake is shared with Greece. They were once a single lake but today they are separated by a narrow isthmus formed by sediment deposits.

you can take a boat trip out to explore the island of Maligrad (Little town Macedonian) which rises steeply from the lake. There is a 14th century church within a natural rock shelter on the south of the island. You can swim from the island when the weather is warm enough although as the lake is 850m above sea level the water is noticeable colder that Lake Ohrid which is at 700m.

The island of Golemgrad (Big Town) lie in Macedonian waters and is part of the Galičica National Park. There is a 14th century church and the remains of a Roman villa. Its is named ‘snake island’ due to the high concentration of harmless water snakes and the venomous land snakes!

Prespa is an ideal base for a few days of hiking, bird watching or cycling and a boat trip is a good opportunity to see pelicans and cormorants.

The largest town in the Prespa Lakes region is Resen in North Macedonia.

Other names of Prespa Lakes

The Prespa Lakes has the following names: Prespansko Ezero(Albanian), Megáli Préspa (Greek).

Just over an hour east of Shkodër, Lake Koman also know as Koman Reservoir.

Lake Koman was created in 1978 when the Drin River was damned.

There is a ferry service renowned for its picturesque views of the mountain gorges which  links Koman with the town of Fierze. The ship must makes regular calls to the ports, picks up both farmers and cattle.

Southeast of the city of Shkodër is Lake Vau-Dejes. It was created when the Drin River was dammed. In the summer you can take a boat out to Shurdhah Island, ehich is a small island about 400 metres long and shrouded with dense vegetation.

When ashore you can search for the last surviving remnants of an ancient city of Sarda. Sarda was a city in Illyria which became a Roman citadel. It was a city renowned in medieval times for its 365 altars and was the seat of the Bishops of Sarda and Sapa. The city was eventually destroyed by the Ottomans. While much of the ancient town is submerged in the lake you can still find the ruins of an 11th-century medieval castle, which includes two rings of defensive walls and towers and the remains of a Byzantine church.

This expansive lake also also called Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodër and Lake Shkodra, is the largest lake in the Balkans and forms a natural boundary between Montenegro and Albania. The lake and area on the Montenegro side has been classified as a national park, while the Albanian side is a nature reserve.

Lake Skadar is one of Europe’s largest bird reserves, having 270 species of birds, including some of Europe’s last pelicans, and therefore popular among bird watchers. Also, the lake contains seagull and habitat for heron.

Not far from the frontier with Montenegro is Lake Shkodra Park, which in the distant background is a campsite with chalets and camping grounds providing tent rental right on the shore where the Albanian Peaks start off from the lake. Here you can hire kayaks or set off on a hiking trip around the lake’s scenic perimeter.

Other names of Lake Shkodër

The Lake Shkodër has the following names: Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodër and Lake Shkodra.