The next day’s morning finds us heading to the border post at our frontiers with Skopje. We arrive there through snowy roads. The guard reminds us that pictures are not allowed. We greet the few soldiers that serve their military service there. It’s a strange feeling being within walking distance from Skopje…

Here, by the lake Kerkini, used to live a special kind of bisons, called water bisons. They enjoy playing with water and they cover their body with mud so that insects cannot bite them. They disappeared for many decades till a farmer brought them back and started breeding them again. Today they are a unique attraction that is worth-seeing. After walking through thick mud, we reached them and took pictures of them.

The village of Melissourgoi is standing proudly among Tzoumerka Mountains. A charming village of wild beauty that captivates you from the moment you set your foot there. In May 1967, a destructive earthquake leveled all the constructions except the Byzantine church standing at the center of the village. Today, Melissourgoi, restored and beautiful, waits for the travelers to stop for water or raki[1]. Poor and almost deserted, this village is an excellent sample of greek architecture that will impress the visitor.

Our trip to Tzoumerka proved, finally, to be one of the most beautiful we have ever done. A historical, unique and divine site, the mountains of Tzoumerka astonish the visitor with their wild beauty. Intense ridges, overgrown summits and beautiful passages that stay unforgettable. So if you are a fun of the mountains, you definitely have to visit the area.

After Lailias-Serres, our schedule has a two or three days stop in <<Ecoperiigitis>>, by the lake Kerkini. <<Ecoperiigitis>> is a model hostel, with an excellent staff, always willing to organize great activities in the area which we discovered last year and is unforgettable ever since.

A glimpse on the map confirms that under these weather conditions we should pass through a location called Vigla and the ski resort on the top of the mountain in order to get to lakes Prespes. An hour later we are ready. We cross Flwrina , we find the big, central circus at the entrance of the city and we head directly to Vigla.

Kerkini is one of the 11 greek wetlands internationally recognized since it is protected by the Ramsar Convention. It is, also, one of the 113 important areas for the birds of Greece(IBA). It is covered by greek and international legislation such as the EU directive 79/409 and the International Barcelona Convention. The lake’s construction retained the waters of Strymonas River, contributed to the battle against malaria, gave an economic boost to agriculture and helped the rehabilitation of 85000 refugees of the disaster in Minor Asia.