//
Village in Korçë, Albania
Photo: Albinfo, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pustec (Macedonian: Пустец) is one of the 61 municipalities of Albania, within Korçë County in the southeastern fringes of the country. It contains all of Albania's share of the Great Prespa Lake, as well as most of Prespa National Park which extends southward to Albania's portion of the Small Prespa Lake in Devoll Municipality. Home to an entirely ethnic Macedonian population and the only place in Albania where the ethnic group enjoys full minority rights, Pustec is considered the centre of the Macedonian minority of Albania. It encompasses much of a region known amongst Macedonians as "Mala Prespa", bordered by Greece to the east and by North Macedonia to the north and northeast.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Parku Kombëtar i Prespes; Национален парк Преспа
One of Albania's national parks, Prespa, is mostly located within Pustec Municipality. The park covers 27,750 hectares (68,570 acres), consisting of Albania's share of the Prespa region. Established in 1999, it aims to conserve the wildlife of Prespa including rare species of bird like the white pelican, the white stork, and the Dalmatian pelican. Almost half of the area of the national park is forest.
Мал Град
Maligrad is the second major island in Lake Prespa, along with the larger Golem Grad on the Macedonian side. It has an area of five hectares (12 acres) containing a large cliff, caves, trees, and an area of sand. Maligrad is close to the shore, near Shulin to the northwest and Pustec to the southwest.
Kisha e Shën Mërisë; Црква „Св. Богородица“
This Orthodox cave church was built in 1369 by Serbian nobleman Kesar Novak, though there is an older preserved inscription in the apse of the church dating from 1345. A fresco on the interior depicts Novak's family. The western facade was painted in 1607. The church is built within a cave overlooking the lake.
Sheshi Shën Mëhilli; Плоштад Св. Архангел Михаил
Pustec's central square, which is under reconstruction, surrounds the large Church of Saint Michael the Archangel, an attractive church built in the early 2000s on the place of an older church built in 1754 but destroyed in a fire in 1865. It was built of stone and brick and has a red roof.
Kisha e Shën Nikolla; Црква „Св. Никола“
Half of this church, north of the village, is built into a rocky hill standing above the water. Only fragments remain of the original frescoes. The fresco of St Nicholas was redone in the 19th century.
Kisha e Shën Mëhilli; Црква „Св. Архангел Михаил“
This church, not to be confused with the church in the centre of Pustec, was built completely into a cave outside the village on the lakeshore. The oldest frescoes in the church date from the 12th century. It is a 5-km (3-mi) boat ride from the village of Pustec.
Manastiri i Shën Marenës; Манастир Св. Марина
Located east of Tuminec just inside the border with North Macedonia, this monastery got its present appearance in 1888, although a cave church of the same name 100 meters (110 yards) north of the monastery complex dates from the 14th century. The cave church stands 10 m (33 ft) tall and contains many large frescoes. The monastery has not had monks since 1898.
Ден на виното
This annual event is held in December in Dolna Gorica. It involves a contest for the best wine.
Located south of Pustec on the lake, this hotel is set in peaceful nature with beautiful views of the surroundings.
By taxi
Taxis can be hired from the major towns in the region like Korçë and Bilisht, or from further beyond for a higher price.
By bus
There's one bus that serves Pustec from Korce, it leaves Pustec at 6:30AM and returns from Korce at noon. It goes to Pustec and then up to the border with Macedonia (Gorice Dogana in Albanian).
By foot
It is not easy getting around Pustec by walking but it can be done amongst certain villages.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Ohrid · International · OHD
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Pustec and Albania.
Travel tipsDiscover the cheapest countries to visit in Europe in 2026. Compare daily budgets for Albania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Portugal with real costs.
8 min read
InspirationDiscover 10 rewarding emerging travel destinations for 2027. Escape crowded tourist hubs and explore quiet spots with rich culture and great food.
8 min read
Culture & historyThe Roman Empire was the greatest ancient empire of Europe. At the height of its power in 117 AD, it ruled over considerable parts of Europe, as well as much of North Africa and the Middle East.
Wikivoyage
Culture & historyThe Ottoman Empire, also known metonymically as the Sublime Porte, and especially in the 19th and 20th centuries as the Turkish Empire, was one of the great empires of the Old World, from the 14th to the early 20th…
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.