Baba Mountain | |
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Pelister , Varnoundas | |
Part of Baba mountain with its peak Pelister in the backdrop
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,601 m (8,533 ft) |
Prominence | 1,516 m (4,974 ft) |
Listing | Ultra |
Coordinates | 41°00′13″N 21°11′12″E / 41.00361°N 21.18667°ECoordinates: 41°00′13″N 21°11′12″E / 41.00361°N 21.18667°E |
Geography | |
Location | Bitola Municipality, Pelagonia, Macedonia |
Baba Mountain (Macedonian: Баба Планина/Baba Planina) or Varnoundas (Greek: Βαρνούντας/Varnoundas), or also known by the name of its highest peak, Pelister (Greek: Περιστέρι/Peristeri), is a mountain in Macedonia and partly in Greece. The Pelister (peak (2601 metres, or 8533 feet) overlooks the city of Bitola. Baba Mountain is the third highest mountain in the Republic of Macedonia. Other peaks besides Pelister are Dva Groba (2514 metres), Veternica (2420 metres), Musa (2350 metres), Rzana (2334 meters), Shiroka (2218 metres), Kozji Kamen (2199 metres), Griva (2198 metres) and Golema Chuka (2188 metres) in the Republic of Macedonia, and Belavoda (2.179 meters), Kirko (2.155 meters) in Greece. The Baba massif splits up the rivers in the region, so that they either flow towards the Adriatic or the Aegean sea.
Pelister National Park's flora include the five-needle pine molica (Pinus peuce) - a unique species of tertiary age being present on only a few mountains in the Balkan Peninsula. Fauna in the area include: bears, roe deer, wolves, chamois, deer, wild boars, rabbits, several species of eagles, partridges, redbilled jackdaws, and the endemic Macedonian Pelagonia trout.
Pelister is the oldest and second largest national park in Republic of Macedonia after Mavrovo. It is one of the leading tourist areas in the country, since it is a well-known ski resort, along with Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran, Popova Šapka, and Kruševo.