Alarup-Dry Mountain

After hiking for some hours we are going to see an amazing view from the top.

We are going to see the Ohrid lake and the Prespa Lake and three protected areas:

Pogradec Protected Landscape,Prespa National Park on Albania side, and
Galicica National Park which is part of the North Macedonia Ohrid lake.

This trail starts from the centre of Pogradec city. We will drive by car for 30 minutes up to the Alarup village where the hiking trail starts. The distance between Pogradec to Alarup is 20 km.

The highest point of the Lake Ohrid watershed is located on this trail at 2288 m above sea level.

The mountain is called “Dry Mountain”, because there is no water in it and the vegetation on this mountain consists of short shrubs in the beginning of the trail (oak, hornbeam) and alpine pastures up to the top.

This trail is in the core zone of the Protected Landscape, because in this area there are some endemic species: Centaurea galicica, Endraithus horvatti, and this area serves as a bio-corridor for the passage of wildlife from Galicica National Park to Prespa National Park. There is diverse broadleaf trees and wildlife.

There are numerous water tanks built during the Hoxha’s communist period to collect rainwater during winter and have water supplies for animals grazing around during summer. The pastures were cleared off stones and pebbles by volunteer groups during the communist period; the stones were line horizontally and are clearly visible today. Along the way, we’ll be able to see grazing herds of sheep and goats.

Physical fitness is required to pass the trail because the terrain is stony and slopping.

I have guided local and foreign tourists along this trail and I know the area pretty well.