香港六合彩即时开奖

Picture of a Island Golem Grad on Lake Prespa, Macedonia

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Golem Grad

Top choice in North Macedonia


Adrift on Lake Prespa, Golem Grad was once the king's summer playground but is now home to wild tortoises, cormorants and pelicans, and perhaps a few ghosts. A settlement endured here from the 4th century BC to the 6th century AD and during medieval times there was a monastery complex. The ruins, birdlife and otherworldly beauty make it well worth exploring. Vila Raskrsnica or Dzani Dimovski (070 678 123), who owns the cafe at Dupeni Beach, organise trips.

The island is part of the Gali膷ica National Park, though it's easier to access from the eastern side of Lake Prespa, near Pelister National Park. Ongoing excavations have unearthed dozens of ruins, many of which have been marked out for visitors with information boards (in English). The battered church of St Peter, which dates to the 14th century and bears remnants of frescoes, is the closest historic structure to the boat docking area and just a short way along the marked path. After that, you'll find the remaining stumps of a Roman house, the overgrown foundations of a couple of early Christian basilicas dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, and an impressive waterside ruin of a 4th-century Roman cistern (though the last is a little off the marked track).

Golem Grad is only 750m long and 450m wide, so very walkable. If you felt like it, you could even camp out here overnight. The boat trip is worth doing in itself, as the sight of the pelicans in the water and on the shore as you approach the island is magical. Note that the shoreline is backed by high rocks and cliffs 20m to 30m high, so it's not much of a swimming spot 鈥 particularly as it's also home to a high concentration of (harmless) water snakes. Its nickname is 'snake island'; wear hiking boots as there are also some poisonous land snakes to watch out for.

Dzani Dimovski is a reliable boat driver 鈥 though he doesn't speak much English. An hour or so on the island and return boat transfers from Dupeni Beach costs 鈧65 for up to three to four people. The boat driver will happily lead you ashore and through the island, or you can explore alone 鈥 note that the walking trail markers do occasionally become a little hard to follow.


Contact

香港六合彩即时开奖's must-see attractions

Nearby North Macedonia attractions

1. Lake Prespa

3.27 MILES

Prespa is separated from its sister lake, Ohrid, by Gali膷ica National Park and a road crosses the ridge of the park, linking the two. Prespa's mirrorlike鈥

2. Agios Germanos Watermill

9.12 MILES

Built in 1930 to take advantage of the Agios Germanos River, this handsome old stone mill has been restored to working order by the dedicated folk of the鈥

3. 叠谤补箩膷颈苍辞

9.29 MILES

Cradled by the foothills on the western edge of Pelister, little 叠谤补箩膷颈苍辞's lungs are fit to bursting with fresh mountain air, making it a thoroughly鈥

4. Trpejca

12.54 MILES

Cupped between a sloping hill and a tranquil bay, Ohrid's last traditional fishing village features clustered houses with terracotta roofs and a white鈥

5. Museum on Water 鈥 Bay of Bones

13.25 MILES

In prehistoric times Lake Ohrid was home to a settlement of pile dwellers who lived literally on top of the water, on a platform supported by up to 10,000鈥

6. Sveti Naum Monastery

13.43 MILES

Sveti Naum, 29km south of Ohrid, is an imposing sight on a bluff near the Albanian border and a popular day trip from Ohrid. Naum was a contemporary of St鈥

7. Beach

17.19 MILES

At the eastern end of town is a long sandy beach. In summer the water is just about warm enough to swim in, and at this time the beach is covered in鈥

8. Dihovo

18.15 MILES

Propping up the base of Pelister, just 5km from Bitola, the 830m-high mountainside hamlet of Dihovo is a charming spot, surrounded by thick pine forests鈥