Velgosti Travel Guide

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The Church of St Nedela (St Sunday) is at the beginning of the street going up to the Monastery of St Petka in Velgosti.

A trail leads from the Biljana Springs in Ohrid via the rural village Ramne to these churches in Velgosti.

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The Church of St Rusa Sreda (St Blond Wednesday) is close to the church of Church of St Nedela and the Monastery of St Petka in the village Velgosti.

According to an inscription the church was built in 1975 and the water found here has healing power.

If you face the entrance of St Nedela in Velgosti, go left and left again at the crossing and walk straight on (you will pass some bridges over a brook that might be dry).

Just before you reach St Rusa Sreda, you will see a sign saying "Sv Bogorodica", pointing to the left, into the forest. This trail leads to the Cave Church St Bogorodica (and eventually to the Church of St Ilija and the Church of St Nikolai. The latter two churches may be hard to find without a guide).

The Church of St Blond Wednesday is one of the sights along a trail sponsored by Francophonie that goes from the Biljana Springs in Ohrid via the rural village Ramne to Velgosti.

When we visited this church, it was closed, but people in Velgosti may have the key. Key of the church = klucot od crkvata, pronounced "klutsjot od serkvata". It is a good habit to leave some denars in the church, or to buy some candles.

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The Cave Church St Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) lies in the hills above the village Velgosti. If you face the entrance of Church of St Nedela in Velgosti, go left and left again at the crossing and walk straight on (you will pass some bridges over a brook that might be dry).

Just before you reach the Church of St Rusa Sreda, you will see a sign saying "Sv Bogorodica", pointing to the left, into the forest. This trail leads to the Cave-church St Bogorodica (and eventually to the Church of St Ilija and the Church of St Nikolai. The latter two churches may be hard to find without a guide).

The church is situated in a natural cave on the south side of the hill called Olmec. In the depths of the canyon below is the river Sushica. The picture does not show the actual cave church, but the entrance to the church. See the other pictures to see the actual church.

The local inhabitants of the village Velgosti visit the church on the celebration of the Holy Martyr Teodor, six weeks before Easter (the first Saturday of the Great Lent).

When we arrived, the church was closed, and it will most likely always be closed, except for the above mentioned celebration. You could try to ask for the key in the village Velgosti, e.g. at the Church of St Nedela. Key of the church = klucot od crkvata, pronounced "klutsjot od serkvata". It is a good habit to leave some denars in the church, or to buy some candles.

A legend:

Originally this church has been dedicated to St Petka. In this cave church there was an opening (a passage). It is located in the north wall of the cave, and the channel breaks out at the monastery St Petka, about two kilometres away. When they built the monastery St Petka, the icon dedicated to St Petka ‘ran away’ every morning from the monastery, and was found in the cave church. In order to make sure the villagers let a goat in and it really came out at the monastery…

See here for pictures of the inside of the church from our second visit!

The link below takes you to a hike from Ohrid to this church.

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A legend about the Cave Church St Bogorodica:

Originally this church has been dedicated to St Petka. In this cave church there was an opening (a passage). It is located in the north wall of the cave, and the channel breaks out at the Monastery of St Petka, about two kilometres away. When they built the monastery St Petka, the icon dedicated to St Petka ‘ran away’ every morning from the monastery, and was found in the cave church. In order to make sure the villagers let a goat in and it really came out at the monastery…

This passage is now locked with a steel door, see the pictures.

Follow the link below for a hike to this beautiful cave church.

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The Monastery of St Petka is a working monastery.

You can get a simple room here, and use the kitchen to prepare some food. In a monastery, everybody should help clean up etc.

We were told that you pay about 200-300 Denars per night, that is about 5 euros.

The atmosphere in the monastery was really friendly, when we arrived there after a hike, and the guests offered us coffee and mastika.

In one of the rooms there is some kind of memorial for the soldiers of the VMRO, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, who fought aginst the Ottomans.

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The Church of St Nikolai is located in the hills near the village Velgosti.

You can reach the church hiking, e.g. from the Cave Church St Bogorodica. However, it might be hard to find without a local guide.

There is a little brook/river flowing through the grounds of the church.

An inscription says that the building next to the church was renovated in 1984. This may have been the original church on this location, but it was closed.

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The Church of St Ilija is located in the hills near the village Velgosti.

You can reach it e.g. from the Cave Church St Bogorodica. However, it might be hard to find without a local guide.

It is a very good location for a picnic, there are benches, tables, grass and lots of shadow.

August 2nd is the nameday of St Ilija, and there will likely be a lot of festivities around the church.

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This small waterfall can be found along the trail from Velgosti to the Cave Church St Bogorodica.

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This small cave (actually more like a hole in the rocks) can be found along the trail leading from Velgosti to the Cave Church St Bogorodica, high above the village Velgosti.