Shar Mountain National Park

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About the Park

The Shar Mountain is a vast high-mountain massif that stretches across the border region between North Macedonia (56.25%), Kosovo (43.12%), and Albania (0.63%). The Shar Mountain area is characterized by exceptional natural values and represents a European hotspot of biodiversity. After several decades of anticipation, on June 30, 2021, the Assembly of North Macedonia declared part of the Shar Mountain a National Park.

The name of the mountain is believed to originate from the colorful spectrum stretching from the lowest forests and pastures to the high peaks, especially during the winter months with heavy snowfall.

The park spans an area of 62,705 hectares and is rich in forests, pastures, glacial lakes, watercourses, and diverse geomorphology. The region is marked by high mountains whose peaks easily surpass 2500 meters, with the highest peak being Titov Vrv at an elevation of 2748 meters above sea level.

Flora

big trees from the beauty of shar mountains forests

The mountain boasts an intriguing vegetation that thrives at elevations of 1000 meters, with forests extending up to 1700 meters above sea level, while above them lie expansive pastures covering an area of 550 square kilometers. These pastures are home to numerous flocks of sheep, whose milk is used to produce high-quality cheeses.

Currently, there are 662 species of diatoms, 1260 species of vascular plants, over 260 species of mosses, 500 fungi, and 160 lichens known in the park. The forests in the park consist of broad-leaved, coniferous, and mixed forests, with 75% of them being pristine forests, predominantly beech or oak. Alongside them, there are also: fir, hornbeam, spruce, mountain maple, hornbeam, and endemic species such as Macedonian pine, munic oak, and mountain maple.

Inspirational
quote!

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu

Fauna

A vast variety of invertebrates has been documented, including 56 species of mollusks and nearly 300 species of pseudo-scorpions, spiders, and crustaceans. So far, a total of 1847 species of insects have been identified, with over 900 species of butterflies and 160 species of beetles among them.

ВIn aquatic habitats, there are confirmed sightings of 5 species of fish, including the Macedonian and Californian trout. Additionally, these habitats host 11 species of amphibians and 17 species of reptiles.

Among terrestrial vertebrates, 128 species of birds can be observed, with the most common being the golden eagle, white-headed and Egyptian vulture, peregrine falcon, and others. There are also a total of 51 species of mammals represented, such as the brown bear, Balkan lynx, wildcat, otter, wild boar, deer, wolf, red fox, chamois, wild goat, and several species of rabbits.

Hydrography

The Shar Mountain region is characterized by more than 100 springs and 20 river basins, including their main streams and tributaries, as well as numerous glacial lakes. The main river basins include the rivers Dufska, Vrutnichka, Yelovjanska, Kamenska, Uliverichka, and the river Pena, all of which flow into the Vardar River. Larger glacial lakes include Bozovachko, Belo Lake, Bogovinjsko, Karanikolichko, Krivosishko, and Crno Lake. Many of the rivers cascade steeply, forming impressive waterfalls.

As early as the 1970s, the rivers of the Shar Mountain were used for hydroelectric power generation through the water collection system known as the "Shar Waters." This system collects water from numerous rivers and transports it to the Mavrovo reservoir and the Vrutok, Raven, and Vrben hydroelectric power plants.

Inspirational
quote!

For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it. - Jacques-Yves Cousteau