The island of Maligrad, one of the most valuable monuments of cultural heritage and a gem in the middle of the lake of Prespa e Madhe.
It is located in Lake Prespa e Madhe and is the second largest island in the lake, 20 minutes by boat from the village of Pustec. Also, known as “Snake Island”, it has an area of approximately 5 ha and is a small tectonic karst island, positioned 900 meters above sea level.
A unique destination, where archaeological findings and the Church of Saint Mary ëill surprise you while exploring the area. It is one of the most valuable cultural heritage monuments. Archaeological objects such as tiles, columns and capitals belonging to a Paleo-Christian church, which is thought to have been in the upper part of the lake, have also been found on this island. Saint Mary’s Church is an old establishment and has served as a spiritual centre for Albanian leaders. The inscriptions found in this church belong to different periods related to the history of this monument.
An inscription on the south face, the earliest in this church, belongs to the year 1345 and the first phase of the decoration of this church with frescoes.
The island is about 800 meters long and about 200 meters wide and is surrounded by very steep slopes, except for its western part. On this island there is natural herbaceous vegetation and very few bushes, caves and karst hollows.
