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The town of Ohrid and its bay seen from above

Photo: Rakoon · CC0

Country

North Macedonia

North Macedonia's lakes are among the oldest and most visited in the Balkans.

Lake Ohrid, shared with Albania and listed by UNESCO together with the town of Ohrid, is clear and deep, with churches and monasteries along its shore. Over the mountain to the east, Lake Prespa is quieter, shared with Albania and Greece and known for its birds and islands.

In the west, Mavrovo is a mountain reservoir in a national park, with ski slopes and a half-submerged church; in the south-east, Lake Doiran, shared with Greece, is shallow and warm. Small glacial lakes lie high on Šar Mountain and Pelister.

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  • Natural lake
  • Natural, regulated
  • Artificial lake (reservoir)

Highlights

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Albania (Southeastern Albania) · North Macedonia (Southwestern Region)

Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid lies in a mountain basin on the border between North Macedonia and Albania, with the towns of Ohrid and Struga on the Macedonian shore and Pogradec on the Albanian one. It is among the oldest lakes in the…

358 square kilometresarea
693 metreselevation
289 metresmax. depth
CampingFishingSwimming
Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Albania (Southeastern Albania) · Greece (Western Macedonia) · North Macedonia (Pelagonia)

Lake Prespa

Tectonic · natural

254 square kilometresarea
849 metreselevation
48 metresmax. depth
BoatingFishing

Regions

Mountain and lake regions

Region

Eastern Region

2 lakes · Reservoirs in the east of North Macedonia

Region

Pelagonia

4 lakes · Prespa and the Pelister lakes

Region

Polog

9 lakes · Mavrovo and the Šar Mountains lakes

Region

Vardar Region

3 lakes · Reservoirs in the centre of North Macedonia

All lakes in North Macedonia

31 lakes

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Lakes with all selected activities

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Protected area

Albania (Southeastern Albania) · North Macedonia (Southwestern Region)

Lake Ohrid

Tectonic · natural

358 square kilometresarea
693 metreselevation
289 metresmax. depth
CampingFishingSwimming
Photo: Albinfo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Albania (Southeastern Albania) · Greece (Western Macedonia) · North Macedonia (Pelagonia)

Lake Prespa

Tectonic · natural

254 square kilometresarea
849 metreselevation
48 metresmax. depth
BoatingFishing

Greece (Central Macedonia) · North Macedonia (Southeastern Region)

Lake Dojran

Karst, Tectonic · natural

40 square kilometresarea
144 metreselevation
10 metresmax. depth
CampingSwimming

Guides about North Macedonia

The best lakes in the Balkans for swimming

Looking for a beach holiday without the Adriatic crowds? Six Balkan lakes with warm water, real beaches and room to breathe, with water temperatures, facilities and how to get there.