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Hike from Mount Vodno (Skopje) to Lake Matka
Pijlmans Says: The reason that we did not do this hike before is that we were told that especially the end of the hike, when you reach Lake Matka, is badly marked. Therefore the general advice is not to try this hike without a local guide. In retrospect, I think that when you have a good...
Pijlmans Says: You can visit a cave at Lake Matka. To get to the cave, you have to take a boat for about 4 km upstream from the dam. It takes 30 minutes to get to the cave by boat.You will find these boats at St Andrea, located just after the dam that is responsible for the artificial...
merak Says: You have got down the bus and walked up until Sv. Andrea and the cafes. Right hand the ways go straight up to Sv Nikola, Helena and Bogorodica. Think about your shoes being good enough or not to do this trails. The left way follows the Treska canyon. This is breathtaking,...
Pijlmans Says: You can walk along Lake Matka. At some places, you will be walking high on the cliffs on a very small trail, so this walk is certainly not suitable for people with vertigo. See the pictures!Theoretically, it should be possible to walk all the way along the lake, but we were...
Monastery of St Nikola Shishevski at Lake Matka
Pijlmans Says: The Monastery of St Nikola Shishovski (or St Nicholas Shishevski) is located high on the cliffs above Lake Matka. It is not exactly known when the church was built, likely somewhere near the 14th century when it was first mentioned. Allegedly it was abandoned in the 18th...
Monument for mountaineers and hiking trail
Pijlmans Says: Close to the Church of St Andrea, there is a huge carabiner hanging from the rocks to commemorate climber(s) that died in an accident.Behind the monument, a trail starts that goes along river Treska for over 9 km, all the way to where a new dam in the river is built at this...
Girafe Says: Take a boat tour around the lake. It costs 100 MKD per person and last for about 20 minutes. The lake and the mountains around are just wonderful!
Pijlmans Says: This dam in the Treska Valley is responsible for the artificial Lake Matka.Behind the dam there is the Church of St Andrea, a restaurant and the Matka Mountaineering club.
Pijlmans Says: At the Church of St Andrea, also the Matka Mountaineering Club can be found. You can also stay here overnight, see http://www.mkdmount.org/ for more information.From this location it is possible to start several hikes, as well as to do some serious climbing.There are marked...
Church of St Andrea at Lake Matka
Pijlmans Says: The Church of St Andrea (St Andrew) is located close to the dam that is responsible for the artificial lake. The church, dedicated to St Andrea, was built in the 14th century (1388/89) by Andrea, second son of King Volkashin and brother of the later King Marko.Pay some extra...
Ruins of the Church of St Nedela at Lake Matka
Pijlmans Says: On one of the highest cliffs above Lake Matka, are the ruins of St Nedela (St Sunday). Although the church is without roof, you can still burn candles here, and even write something in the log that is hidden in a metal case.Some of the frescoes are still (barely)...
Girafe Says: This is a restaurant with a nice lake view, the only one in the area at my knowledge. Indeed, due to the average quality of service and food, it is rather to be used for drinks and refreshments before boarding a boat for a lake tour.
shrimp56 Says: The restaurant is just below the monastery at Matka Canyon -- it serves traditional Macedonian food, but to be honest, I've used it mostly for a cool drink on hot summer days:)The sign is for an ecological summer school that was being held at Matka in summer 1999.You can see...
nienor Says: When you leave Skopje, head for Tetovo. Before you reach the highway, turn left (unfortunately, there wasn't a road sign when I last visited, so it's perhaps best to ask the locals). When you cross the steel bridge, follow the road for another 2 km (the road is not wide and...
Girafe Says: The easiest way to get to the lake is to leave Skopje towards Ohrid and right after entering the highway take the first exit. Be careful, the sign "Matka Canyon" is placed after the exit (which is actually a common problem here), so don't hit the speed once on the highway....
Pijlmans Says: Lake Matka is about 30 min by car from the center of Skopje.Bus 60 is going directly to Matka, but is rather unfrequent. Bus tickets are about 50 Denar (less than 1 euro).A more frequent option is to take bus 2 to Saraj (Capaj in Macedonian) and take a taxi from there for...
Rock climbing, hiking, kayaking
nienor Says: The steep rocks are perfect for rock climbing. There are paths around the canyon for hiking/walking, both along the river and up into the hills where you can enjoy the beatiful view of the canyon. You can't fully appreciate it until you have seen it from above. The river is...
Pijlmans Says: Just after the dam of Lake Matka, there is a course for kayaking. The water gets pretty wild!
Pijlmans Says: This map can be found at the church of St Andrea. The mountaineering club Matka has several marked hikes starting from here.1) Marko’s City and Church St Nedela2) Monastery St Andrea3) Monastery St Nikola4) Monastery of St Bogorodica 5) Lower Koacica Spring (dried)6) Upper...
shrimp56 Says: I like the walk in from where you've parked the car alongside the river and up to the dam. Then the lake itself. There are some very old signs warning against taking photos. I seem to escaped:) The coolness inside Sveti Andrei -- the views -- the frescoes in the church.
Plan a Matka vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Matka locals
The path up to the lake follows along the Treska river. There are sometimes kayak races there. People swim also, but unfortunately, the water is rather...
Q: Hi, I'm planning to go to Macedonia next Oct. I can see posts dating back to 2008 about transport to Matka from Skopje. I just...
A: tes there are 2 different buses going to villages Matka and Saraj. both start in the center by "Porta Macedonia" oposite "record" ask somebody about record and you will...
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Lake Matka is an artificial lake close to Skopje. The lake was created by putting a dam in to the river Treska. You can reach Lake Matka with bus 60 or bus 2 from Skopje, follow the link for more...
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The beautiful lake at Matka was formed by the hydroelectric dam on the Treska River. It is a popular place in summer for swimming, hiking and boating. . There is also a restaurant there where you can...
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The Most Beautiful European Canyon in 2008
Matka lake and canyon are quite near the capital Skopje. It is an easy to reach oasis, perfect for a break from city life. There are numerous paths for walking, as well as lovely old monasteries in......
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As with most beautiful locations in Macedonia there is a monastery church, Sveti Andreij. The monks sure knew how to pick their spots! It provides a cool respite when it's hot outside!
Build your own Matka page
