11 ReviewsA huge steel cross, lit up at night, oversees Skopje from Mount Vodno. It is a good purpose for a short hike!
The cross is 66 meter high and was built in 2002 to celebrate 2000 years of Christianity....
29 ReviewsI have included this tip in the "off the beaten track" section as the tiny village of Peshtina, the nearest settlement is, understandably not on the VT database. In fact, it is about eight miles or 13...
8 ReviewsIf you walk the ulica Samuilova onwards, you will walk by the Topana district. Once it was here where most of the Gypsies lived. Nowadays (after the earthquake of 1963) they live mostly in Shutka.
On...
7 ReviewsMacedonia is a religious country with Orthodox Christianity predominating and, in the Orthodox way, saints are very much revered. Ss. Cyril and Methodius, St. Cement of Ohrid and St. Naum, and it is...
5 ReviewsThe Gazi Baba Woods are located on a hill north-east of the center of Skopje, north of the river Vardar.
Most locals from Skopje that I asked about the woods did not even know about them, and we had...
4 ReviewsCrkvata Sveta Bogorodica Zaumska – the Church of the Holy Mother of God at Zaum is the beautiful, richly decorated edifice. It is located approximately 20 km from the city of Ohrid, at the stunning...
2 ReviewsThis plaque marks the spot where the house stood in which Mother Teresa was born in Skopje. [She was of Albanian ethnicity.] There is a double irony here... first many people missed this plaque even...
3 ReviewsThe website provides an interesting article on the large mosaic that was discovered on the site. There are two main locations where you can see the mosaics currently. Under the wooden roofed walkway...
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Hiking on Mount Baba in Pelister National Park
by Pijlmans
In Bitola, we took a cab which took us to a dead-end road close to a hotel at the foot of Baba mountain (Baba means grandmother).From there we did a short hike through the forest to the mountain hut Kopanki, where we cooked our dinner (soup + pasta, it´s hard to make something else on the rudimentary cooking-range in the little kitchen next to the mountain hut. But very adventurous!)You have to bring your own food! It is also a good idea to bring some beer or rakija, to catalyze contact with the other guests :-)Kopanki mountain hut (110 beds) 1600m Mount Baba. Tel (not verified) 047 222 384, 5-10 euro / night.UPDATE 2013: IN JANUARY 2013 THE KOPANKI MOUNTAIN HUT BURNED DOWNThe next day, we hiked to the other mountain hut, Golemo Ezero (meaning big lake), next to, yes, the big lake. This is a hike of about 8-10 hours, so be well prepared and take sufficient food and water. We got...
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Paths leading to the monasteries of Mountain Baba
by Pijlmans
There are some recently published PDF files about hiking trials that lead to the monasteries of Mountain Baba (=Grandmother).They are published under the name "Paths that lead to the monasteries of Baba Planina".Currently I found 4 of them, i.e.Brajcino - Golem Ezero (Big Lake) - NizepoleGrnchari - Kurbinovo - Slivnica - Brajchino - Ljubojno - Dolno Dupeni Trnovo - Magarevo - Rotino - Capari - MalovisteMalovista - Monastery of St Ana - Slivnica MonasteryThey contain information about the trails, churches and monasteries and are available in English and Macedonian.I don't know how well these trials and paths are marked. We only did a small trail from the village Maloviste to the Monastery of St Ana, which was well marked.You can download the PDF files from the websites below:...
Mount Vodno, Skopje
by Pijlmans
A huge steel cross, lit up at night, oversees Skopje from Mount Vodno. It is a good purpose for a short hike!We took a cab from the centre of Skopje to the last big parking before the top. Several marked paths lead to the top and the cross. During the trip, there are several very good panorama points that give a great overview of the Skopje valley. Arrived at the top, we had a nice cold drink in the mountain hut Dare Djambaz and hiked back to the centre of Skopje down an alternative steep path through the bushes.It is possible to hike from Mount Vodno to Lake Matka. This 11 km hike is described in the Bradt Travel Guide Macedonia, including GPS grid numbers. I heard that the trail is hard to find and that it is preferable to get a guide, e.g. from the Korab Mountaineering Club, see http://www.mkdmount.org/.In 2011, I did this hike myself using a GPS device (see GPS hike from the...
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Springs of Vevcani
by Roadquill
Nestled at the base of the mountain and at the back of the town of Vevcani in Western Macedonia are the charming Springs of Vevcani. Rushing forth from a cave is a considerable stream of fresh, mountain spring water. There is a very walkable path from the town to the Spring complete with bridges, benches and viewing areas. The nearby restaurant Domakinska kuka was very accomodating.
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Galicica National Park
by Roadquill
Proclaimed a national park in 1958, the Galicici National Park covers and area of 25,000 hectares in SW Macedonia including borders on Lake Ohrid and Prespa Lake. The highest peaks of Kota and Magaro tower over 2,250 meters above sea level and the lakes of Ohrid and Prespa. The views from the pass between Prespa and Ohrid are nothing short of magnificent. Snow was visible on the nearby mountains as we drove through in May. Extensive trails and cave systems are in the Park
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Hiking in Macedonia
by Pijlmans
Macedonia is a perfect country for hiking. It has many mountains and hills, and a lot of churches, monuments and scenic places to visit during the hikes. Unfortunately, it is still hard to get information about the trails, and descriptions are hard to find, if they already exist.The several hikes that I have described are scattered over individual pages, tips and travelogues. Here you will find all of them together. If you do not see hyperlinks in the text, click on the link at the bottom of this tip! Hikes near Skopje Hike to the Church of St Nikola at Lake Matka.Hike from St Bogorodica to St Andrea at Lake Matka.Hike along Lake Matka.More hiking trails around Lake Matka.Hike on Mount Vodno and from Mount Vodno to Lake Matka.You can also walk in the Gazi Baba Woods, and in the City Park of Skopje. Hikes near Ohrid Hike from the Livada Pass to Peak Magaro in Galicica National Park.Hike...
Via Egnatia Trail, Gorna Belica near Lake Ohrid
by Pijlmans
Gorna Belica is a tiny village high in the mountains northwest of Lake Ohrid. It is close to the Vevcani springs.According to the information panel that we encountered while walking from Gorna Belica to the Church of St Clement, this 8 km trail takes you along:- Gorna Belica (1450m)- Jankov Kamen (1200m, a picnic place with benches)- Vajtos (ancient Roman stopping place, on the Via Egnatia or Crni Drim road?)- St Clement (1260m)The Via Egnatia was an important Roman road, that connected e.g. Ohrid (Lychnidos) with Bitola (Heraclea Lyncestis).You can see a part of the Via Egnatia near the village Radozda. I only walked the part from Gorna Belica to St Clement, so I do not know how well the rest of the trail is marked. On another hike in the neighbourhood I found the picnic place Jankov Kamen. I think it will be hard to do this walk without a local guide.Follow the link below for my Gorna...
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Hike to the Monastery of Treskovec, Prilep
by Pijlmans
The Monastery of Treskovec lies 10 km outside Prilep. It is built on the ancient town of Kolobaise (3rd century BC - 7th century AD). The Church of St Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) on the complex dates back to the 14th century, but was built on the foundations of a 6th-century basilica. You should take a flashlight to be able to see the frescoes and artifacts in the church. There is a rare fresco of Christ as a young boy, another one can be found in the Monastery St Bogorodica Eleusa near Strumica. There is a casket of skulls of seven monks who were executed by the Ottomans, along with 200 other monks.The complex also has an old dining hall and an inn where you can stay the night.The people in the monastery were very friendly and offered us a meal. Make sure that you have clothes that cover shoulders and legs if you want to enter, and to introduce yourself.It is not without reason that...
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From Lake Ohrid to Lake Prespa
by Pijlmans
At St Naum, you can arrange for a cab to take you over the mountain (Galicica National Park) to Lake Prespa. Ask the driver to stop at the panorama points, the view on both lakes is magnificent. A good stopping point is the little chapel of St George, on top of the mountain, see the pictures.From a certain point, you can see both lakes, with just a few steps to each side. Follow the link below for more information!St Naum can be reached by road or boat from Ohrid. St Naum itself and the springs that feed Lake Ohrid are also worth while visiting.
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Have a picnic
by Natasha-Ch
If you are visiting Veles and have some time to spare, you can have a picnic out of the town. The place is called "Babuna" but it is also known as "Peshti". It is a very peaceful place where you can spend a whole day or just a couple of hours. It is placed by the river Babuna, surrounded by rocks and trees. All you need to do is get some food, especially grill, and a good company. Take a look at the pictures and you’ll know what I’m talking about :) However, you don't have to eat or swim for a whole day, you can visit the 'churches in the rocks' near by. And yes, the churches are inside the rocks :)
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