Pindus Mountains

In the western Macedonian highlands, the Šar Mountains stretch above the Polog valley in a long sweep of ridges and high pastures. Their forests include beech and oak on the lower slopes, with conifers and open grassland higher up. To the west the mountains approach the Korab massif, while rivers descend into the valleys below. These ranges form part of the rugged mountain country that separates the interior of the Balkans from the Adriatic lowlands.