National park Šar Planina

National park Šar Planina is one of 4 national parks in North Macedonia — natural landscape and national park. It covers 627 km² (62,705 ha) — about 80% of the size of New York City, making it the #2 largest national park in North Macedonia (35.9% of the country's national park area).

History and protection

The park was established in 2021, 5 years ago — the first national parks in North Macedonia date back to 1948. It is listed in IUCN category II: National Park — protecting whole ecosystems while welcoming visitors for recreation and education.

Visiting National park Šar Planina

The closest airport is Priština Adem Jashari International Airport (PRN), about 68 km away — around 1 h 28 min by car; alternatively Skopje International Airport (SKP, 72 km). Other national parks within reach include Sharr Mountains National Park (533 km²), Mavrovo National Park (722 km²), Lurë-Dejë Mountain National Park (193 km²) and Nationalpark Lura (13 km²) — easy to combine on one trip.