Prespes are two lakes in the northwestern part of Greece, in the prefecture of Florina. Megali Prespa is divided between Greece, FYROM and Albania, has an area of 270 km² and a maximum depth of 55 m. In Greece belong only 37 km². Mikri Prespa is found mainly in Greece (88%), while a small portion in the west belongs to Albania (12%) and has an area of 43 km² and a maximum depth of 8 m. The Prespa National Park was created in 1974.
It is protected by Greek, European and international conventions, while the lake Mikri Prespa is protected by the Ramsar convention as a unique wetland. In 1991 was created the Society for the Protection of Prespa with the help of WWF, which supported the efforts of local people to highlight and protect the natural wealth of their region. In Prespes we can find more than 1500 species of plants and a perennial clump of mountain cypress. Regarding the bird population, the most important is the presence of pelicans, namely argiropelekanos that is considered quite rare worldwide.
The tiny island of the lake Mikri Prespa, Agios Achilios (Saint Achilles), is for years the center of the events "Prespia" with concerts. Initially attendance was on the island by boat, but in recent years has created a bridge and the turnout is easier. Of course the bridge is important for island`s residents who no longer feel cut off from the rest of the county as the access by a boat in the winter was very difficult. At the island of Agios Achilios there are ancient, Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments. The most important of them is the basilica of the 10th century. Today the 12 villages of the area are forming the municipality of Prespes, which has about 1150 inhabitants. These people are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and some in tourism.
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PELLA prefecture
The Pozar (Loutraki) thermal waters/spa is located in the province of Almopia, 13 km. northwest of Aridaia, in Pella prefecture.They lie at the foot of Mount Kaimaktsalan, a few kilometers from the HellenicSkopjan borders. The site is built on the banks of thermopotamou river that crosses the region. The spa, hot waters with constant temperature of 37C, gush over thousands of years from the mountain, creating a spectacular landscape of mountain and forest.
Visitors arrive at the Spa from every corner of Greece or to accept the beneficial properties of the hot water (treatment - relaxing), or to escape to the beautiful mountains with caves, and either both. The hot springs baths of Loutraki or Pozar Baths, spurting at an altitude of 360 m -390. Created by rain water that penetrates the ground and reaches a great depth, where it is heated, and rises higher in the course is enriched with minerals and other ingredients. The healing properties of water are recommended for diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system, rheumatism, gynecological and skin diseases. Also, appropriate drinking therapy for liver disease, kidney, bile, digestive and urinary tract.
[Loutra at Pozar, Aridaia (Warm river water)]
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