Zgavra e Zaverit

Zaveri’s Cavity

Useful Information

Location:	Pustec Municipality, Korçë 7020, Albania. Right at SH79 between Dolna Gorica and Globoceni. (40.8703324, 20.9299778)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Losing Stream Ponor
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Romeo Eftimi, Zoran Stevanović, Vasko Stojov (2021): Hydrogeology of Mali Thate–Galičica karst massif related to the catastrophic decrease of the level of Lake Prespa, Environmental Earth Sciences, Heidelberg (2021) Volume 80, Issue 21, pp 708. researchgate DOI
Address:	Zaveri’s Cavity, Pustec Municipality, Korçë 7020, Albania, Tel: +355-867-92012.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Zgavra e Zaverit (Zaveri’s Cavity) is not accessible, it is water filled, its existence is only a result of guessing. The site is actually called Zaver Swallow Hole or Zavir in scientific publications. This place was a protrusion of Lake Prespa, many years ago it was 500 m long and 380 m wide, and it ended below the limestone cliff. Then the level of the lake started to lower over years, the protrusion fell dry and became swampy. For some time a sort of river flowed from the lake 500 m southward to the limestone, where it vanished. However, the level of the lake continued to fall, and today the water does not flow any more. However, if the level raises in the future, it will be reactivated.

Old people tell that during World War II Italian soldiers poured several barrels of paint into the swallow hole. After a day or two the paint reappeared at the springs in St. Naum on the Ohrid lake. This was a successful dye tracing experiment which confirmed that the water from Prespa drains into the Ohrid lake.

The obvious explanation is that the two lakes are two polje, which are connected by underground caves. The Great Prespa is primarily fed by karst springs. On the western side of Great Prespa Lake there are numerous ponors (swallow holes). The water going underground reappears to the west, in the next lower polje of Lake Ohrid. It crosses the high mountain chain of the Mali Thate-Galičica through water-filled caves. There are several karst springs on the southern side of the lake, and several underwater springs on the southeastern coast of the lake.

The site is located in the Parku Kombëtar i Prespës (Prespa National Park) which is famous for the biodiversity of its wetlands and forests, but also for its karst features.