Pelister – the oldest national park in Macedonia
Pelister (2601 m) is the highest peak of Baba Mountain and the third highest peak in Macedonia. Pelister is often used as the name of Baba Mountain and also as synonymous with the city of Bitola.
The peak Pelister with the slopes of Baba Mountain, in 1948 is proclaimed as a National park, mainly due to the relict of the tertiary flora – Molika (Pinus Peuce Griseb) and the morphological and glacial relief in the alpine part of the mountain.
Molika is five-needled pine tree that beside Pelister, can be seen only in few parts on Balkan Peninsula.
The National Park Pelister is characterized by lush, well-watered forests and unique geological formations, which include layers of Paleozoic and Mesozoic magma rocks and layers of quartz. The core of the mountain is made of granite rocks, some even 465 million years old.
The mountain has several peaks higher than 2000 meters (6,500 feet): Pelister (2601 m), Veternica (2420 m), Muza (2351 m), Rzana (2334 m) and Griva (2198 m).
