Galičica

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Galičica is a mountain on the border between North Macedonia and Albania. The North Macedonian side is a national park located between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. The park covers about 227 square kilometers and its highest point reaches 2,265 meters above sea level. The terrain is steep and varies a lot in height, with forests and pastures forming the main landscapes.

The mountain’s climate and limestone rocks create a mix of ecosystems. This diversity has helped Galičica become a refuge for many plants and animals, with forests and open grasslands being the dominant habitats.

From the 1950s to 2007, the landscape changed a lot. Forests expanded, going from about 40% of the area to around 58%. Pastures and open areas shrank from about 50% to 24%, as land was left to natural regrowth or converted for other uses. Areas with short vegetation and shrubs also declined as they turned into young forests.

People live in about 23 small settlements on the mountain, with roughly 10,000 residents in total. Along the Ohrid coast, towns like Konjsko, Peštani, Trpejca, and Ljubaništa have grown and shifted away from farming toward tourism and services. On the Prespa side, towns such as Oteševo, Leskoec, Petrino, Preljubje, and Stipona have faced population decline and farm lands have been abandoned.

Geology and climate helped Galičica act as a safe haven during ice ages, contributing to its rich biodiversity today. The true natural tree line has been pushed down by human activity, but pine trees can still be found up to about 2,150 meters near the Magaro peak. The current forest line is around 1,600 meters, with the northern slopes reaching up to 1,880 meters. Some high-mountain features, like periglacial landforms, appear at different elevations on different slopes.

Between the 1950s and 2007, researchers noted two old glacial cirques in the southern part: an upper one around 2,030–2,070 meters, and a lower one around 1,850–1,900 meters. This landscape shows how natural processes and human activities shape the mountain over time.

Galičica is home to an exceptionally diverse plant life. A 1995–2018 study recorded 180 woody plant species, which is about 56% of North Macedonia’s total tree and shrub flora. The dry grasslands on carbonate soils, especially on both sides of the lakes, host many rare and endemic plants. Notable endemics include species such as Prunus prostrata, Genista radiata, Pinus heldreichii, Euphorbia veneta, and Aesculus hippocastanum. The mountain also marks important biogeographical boundaries: it is the southern edge for some species like Juniperus sabina and Pinus peuce, and the northern edge for others such as Acantholimon ulicinum and Prunus prostrata.

Galičica’s unique position between two large lakes, its limestone landscape, and a milder climate have made it a key area for conservation and study, preserving a rich mix of habitats and species.