AmCham Macedonia 3/2019 | Page 11

Places like ‘Snake Isnand’ on Lake Prespa, the ‘Marble Lake’ in Prilep, the Isolated Church of St.Zaum on Lake Ohrid or even the sunken church in Lake Mavrovo seem like places made to be explored by SUP, leaving nature and its beauty undisturbed. With the help of the local expert guides, anyone can get a better appreciation and feel the true beauty of our country and its diverse nature. Whether the idea for many is to try something new or maybe to improve their technique in paddleboarding, what we always offer is a personalized and friendly service to help follow your own rhythm, while making new friends and having lots of fun exploring new destinations. Great for sport and recreation, helping you find a new way of exercising and at the same time showing you how to truly relax. Fun Facts about Macedonian Lakes Macedonian lakes are remarkable. Landscapes around these lakes are mostly mountainous with colorful and untouched nature rich with endemic species and plants. For example Lake Kozjak in Skopje is the largest artificial lake in the country, stretching for 35 km (21 miles), surrounded by the natural reserve ‘Jasen’. The lake itself is quite unique. Throughout the year it changes three colors, green, blue and red, depending on the type of algae in bloom. On the other hand, Lake Matka is the smallest artificial lake in a range of three continuous lakes that use up the same water from the river Treska, and it has one of the deepest underwater caves in the World, Cave ‘Vrelo’. The lake is 6km (3.7 miles) long and comes right after Lake ‘Sv. Petka’ which is almost twice the size of Lake Matka. All three are cascade lakes, divided by three dams starting on top with Kozjak, and continuing all along the length of the magnificent Canyon Matka. Lake Ohrid is part of UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites, and it’s one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes with clarity over 20 m (65 feet), making it one of the clearest as well. On the other side of National Park Galicica is our second largest natural lake, Lake Prespa, most famous for it’s ‘Snake Island’ or Golem Grad. These two lakes are connected through underground karstic channels, with Lake Prespa siting 150 m (490 feet) higher then Lake Ohrid. Located an hour’s drive from Skopje is Lake Mavrovo, again a man made lake that sits on an altitude of 1220 m (4000 feet) in National Park Mavrovo, a true challenge to every nature lover. Thanks to the view of the green shades of mountain Bistra, fresh air and the famous flooded church St. Nicolas, this lake is one of the top SUP destinations in the country. Challenges and Actions Lots of these places are eye-catching and beautiful throughout the year, but still one of the most common problems that we are constantly faced with is the pollution of our lakes and rivers EMERGING MACEDONIA 11