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MACEDONIA

in 11 days

 

DAY 1 - SKOPJE

Meeting with the group at the airport, transfer to Skopje.

Hotel accommodation.

Panoramic viewing of the city`s main landmarks by bus.

After the short bus tour around town we depart to Mount Vodno.

It is located to the southwest of the capital city Skopje. The highest point of the mountain is at Krstovar peak, at 1066 meters. In 2002, on this peak the Millennium Cross was built, the biggest Christian cross in the world (76 meters high). Cable car transportation - As of 2011, a chairlift has been in operation to allow an easy ascent to visit the Millennium Cross. The lift starts halfway up Vodno (from Middle Vodno - 557 m) and ends at the Cross, taking approximately 7 minutes to ascend.

Return back to the hotel and free time.

Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight.

 

DAY 2 - SKOPJE

Breakfast.

Sightseeing of Skopje city center with professional tour guide (3,5 h).

Visiting the cultural and historical sites of Skopje.

Kale Fortress, The Museum of Macedonia, the church St. Spas dating from 1348 year, A stroll through out the Old Bazaar in Skopje The Stone Bridge, Daut Pasha’s Bath 1489/1497 year, Kurshumli Han (a monument from 1550 year), the Memorial House of Mother Teresa.

Free time for lunch.

Departure to the Canyon Matka.

Matka - meaning "womb", is a canyon located west of Skopje, Macedonia. Covering roughly 5,000 hectares, Matka is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in Macedonia and is home to several medieval monasteries. There are 10 caves at Matka Canyon, with the shortest in length being 20 m and the longest being 176 m. Vrelo Cave - located on the right bank of the Treska River, was listed as one of the top 77 natural sites in the world by the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" project. Vrelo Cave has many stalactites including a large one in the middle of the cave is known as the "Pine Cone" - due to its shape. There are two lakes at the end of the cave. The smaller lake is 8 m at its longest length and 15 m in depth at its deepest point. The larger lake is 35 m at its longest length, and 18 m at its deepest point. Though the exact depth of the cave is unknown, some speculate that it could be the deepest underwater cave in the world. The total penetration so far has been around 280 meters (924 feet), according to the dive-team.

Return to the hotel.

Free time. 

Overnight.

 

DAY 3 – SKOPJE FREE DAY

Breakfast

Free day for individual activities (options: visiting the new shopping malls in Skopje or some of the many galleries and museums).

Overnight.

 

 

DAY 4 – SKOPJE – KRATOVO

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel.

Departure to Kratovo. On the way we will visit the church of St. George in the village of Staro Nagoricane.

Walking tour of Kratovo and visit of the church St. John.

Kratovo is a small picturesque town in Macedonia, one of the living museums of this area. It is the seat of Kratovo Municipality. It lies on the western slopes of Mount Osogovo at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level. Having a mild and pleasant climate, it is located in the crater of a non active volcano. It is also famous for its bridges.

Lunch in Kratovo. 

Accommodation in a hotel and free time for individual activities. 

Overnight.

 

DAY 5 – KRATOVO – BEROVO

Breakfast and check out from the hotel.

Departure to Berovo.

Driving through the northern parts of Macedonia and moving southeast toward the small and charming town Berovo, situated in the mountain Malesevo. On the way we will pass by Probistip, Kocani, Vinica, and many small villages and enjoy beautiful sights of the fields and the mountains Osogovo, Plackovica and Malesevo. Arrival in Berovo and lunch in a national restaurant.

Sightseeing of Berovo

Located by the Bregalnica River, Berovo stands at 830–900 m above sea level and can be reached by car using a single asphalt road leading to the city. Berovo lake and the forest of the Malesevo Mountains are two popular sites for tourists. Berovo craftsmen are well known for their skill in traditional wood crafting. Berovo cheese is also a well-known commodity.

Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael - the first monastery in Berovo was built around 1815 and it was consecrated in 1818. Enlightener Joachim Krcovski was among those present at the consecration. Historical data concerning the construction of the church and the monastery is inconclusive, but it is known that circumstances were very difficult.

Accommodation in a hotel in Berovo and free time.

Dinner and overnight.

 

DAY 6 – BEROVO – STRUMICA

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel.

Departure toward Strumica.

Arrival in Strumica, check-in at the hotel.

Afternoon visit of Smolare waterfalls and lunch. 

It can be found above the village of Smolare, at an elevation of 630 meters, located deep in the Belasica Mountains where the Lomnica River springs hidden among the hundred-years-old beech trees. The waterfall is a unique waterfall in Macedonia with the water falling from the height of 39,5 meters. It is the tallest waterfall in Macedonia.

Visit the center of Strumica and free time.

Return to the hotel.

Overnight.

 

DAY 7 – STRUMICA – PRILEP - KRUSEVO

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel. 

Visit of the monastery St. Leontij situated at the exit of the village of Vodoca, only four kilometres northwest of Strumica. It stands in silent testimony to the magnificence of the ancient seat of Strumica metropolitans. This monastery is mentioned for the first time in the charters of the Byzantine emperor Basil II, in 1018, at the time when Samuel's state was destroyed.

Next we visit the monastery in the village of Veljusa some ten kilometres to the northwest of the city. On the lintel of the door to the church narthex there is a copy of the marble plaque with the founder's inscription from 1080, where it is chiseled: "This church of the Most Holy Theotokos(Mother of God) the Merciful(Eleusa) is built from the foundations up, by the monk Manuel, who became episcope of Tiberiopolis in the year 6588 (1080 AD) indiction 3".

After this visit we continue driving to Prilep where we will make 1-2 hours break in the center of the town for a short walk and refreshment.

Departure to Krusevo.

Accommodation in a hotel in Krusevo and free time.

Krushevo is the highest town in Macedonia and the Balkans overall. It is situated at an altitude of over 1,350 metres above the sea level, positioned on the Bushava Mountain above the north-western part of Pelagonija Plain. Krushevo is a small mountain town that managed to keep its typical architecture presenting tourist and travellers the Macedonian history and tradition but also has retained its authenticity in the newly renovated houses.

Krushevo municipality holds a famous historical landmark - Meckin Kamen, which marks the spot of the Ilinden uprising of 1903. On 2nd of August every year it is the site of the traditional Ilinden celebrations visited by many tourists from the country and abroad. Krushevo is also home to the Makedonium monument, dedicated to the same uprising and the Krushevo Republic born out of that. There are also a number of museums presenting the Macedonian struggle for liberation, a Gallery of 19th century icons and a memorial gallery honoring the master of the Macedonian modern painter Mr. Nikola Martinovski. The city of Krushevo has developed a tourism project called “Ethno city Krushevo” where people are dressed in authentic clothes of Ottoman Turks and Macedonian revolutionary fighters, representing their fight for freedom. We also pay a visit to the Memorial House of the famous pop singer Tose Proeski, who was born in this town, and died in a car accident in 2007.

 

DAY 8 – KRUSEVO – BITOLA - OHRID

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel.

Sightseeing of Krusevo (2 hr)

Departure to Bitola (via Demir Hisar)

Arrival in Bitola and sightseeing in the city. A walk along the old and well known Sirok Sokak (Broad Street), where the Consulates of European countries were located at the time of the Ottoman Empire.

Visit of the City Museum - where exhibits are shown from the fields of archeology, numismatics, history and ethnology as well as the Kemal Ataturk Memorial Room.

Visit and of the archeological site Heraclea Lyncaestis. Heraclea is an archaeological complex, founded by Philip II of Macedon in 359 BC and one of the best preserved antique sites on the Balkans. It has the most beautiful floor mosaics in the World, called "The Universe".

Time for lunch.

Departure to Ohrid.

Arrival in Ohrid and chek-in at the hotel.

Overnight.

 

DAY 9 – OHRID OLD TOWN SIGHTSEEING

Breakfast.

Sightseeing of the old town of Ohrid with professional tour guide (4h).

Walking through the old streets of Ohrid, passing by its traditional architecture, you will be constantly aware of its monuments to different periods of history. At  approx. every hundred meters you will encounter significant sights such as the following:

The Ohrid Fortress - the Fortress of Tsar Samuel, the crown of Ohrid and of Lychnidos.

Sv.Bogorodica Perivlepta – the Church of the Holly Mother of God Perivleptos dating from 1295, with its remarkable architecture and frescoes, is one of the best known monuments of its kind not only in Macedonia, but also worldwide.

The Gallery of icons, owns a very precious collection of icons from the period between the 11th and the 19th century.

The Antique Theatre - the oldest antique theatre in Macedonia, built for cultural performance purposes but also used as a gladiatorial arena for combats, has been reconstructed recently to house theatrical performances and concerts. 

Plaosnik – the spiritual and cultural source of Ohrid with preserved, restored and presented architectural remnants from the period of St,Clement, as well as before and after him, an Early Christian complex with the rebuilt church of St.Clement (St.Panteleimon) and parts of the original monastic complex- the first Slavonic University, the cradle of the literacy and culture the Slavonic clergy.

St.Jovan Kaneo - a church dating from the 13th century and situated on a rock above the lake is a symbol of the town, poetry engraved on a rock and well known both in Macedonia and worldwide.

St.Sofia – the cathedral church of the Ohrid Episcopate, with its outstanding architectural construction and invaluable frescoes dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.

The House of the Robev Family a work of art dating from 1863 and housing a significant collection of exhibits from the Ohrid area and prehistory, the antique period and the Middle Ages.

Free afternoon for individual sightseeing or shopping.

Dinner in a national restaurant with folklore dances and music.

Overnight.

 

DAY 10 - OHRID - STRUGA - VEVCANI – NATIONAL PARK MAVROVO – ST. JOVAN BIGORSKI - OHRID

Breakfast

Sightseeing of Struga & Vevcani with professional tour guide

Morning departure for Struga – panoramic view of the city located on the shores of Lake Ohrid, laced with bridges, dotted with delightful architecture. The river Crn Drim flows through the heart of the city after its journeys from the springs near St. Naum through Ohrid Lake.

The trip continues towards the village Vevcani – a large village built on a steep hillside and sheltered by a mountain. Its architecture is most appealing with many old houses and buildings of all styles and shapes. The sound of water can be heard running through channels throughout the village. It comes from the famous Vevcani Springs which have a water flow of between 400-4000 l per second.

Viewing of the typical styles of water-mills.

We continue driving by the river Crn Drim and enter the National Park Mavrovo.

The National Park - Mavrovo is the largest of all three national parks in Macedonia. As a result of the great relief differentiation, it has an outstanding floristic wealth as well as rather diverse fauna with many different species of birds and mammals. It was founded in 1949 and is located in the western parts of the country, between the Lake Mavrovo and the Macedonian - Albanian borderline.

Lunch in a national restaurant in the village of Jance.

After the lunch we visit the monastery St. Jovan Bigorski. The Monastery is one of the rare monuments that immediately attract the attention of tourists, its attraction lying both in its setting and in the treasures contained within it. At an elevation of 740 meters, surrounded by Mount Bistra and deeply embedded in the rocks, the architecture of the monastery is unique. Of special note is its vast carved iconostasis or altar screen, wrought by well known Macedonian wood-carvers. Within the monastery there is a gallery of icons and liturgical objects. The monastic complex is astonishing with its unique location and character.

Return to Ohrid. Overnight.

 

DAY 11 - OHRID -ST.NAUM - OHRID

Breakfast

Free time to enjoy in the morning coffee by the lake.

Departure for the monastic complex St.Naum (by bus or boat). (1h approx.)

On the way to St.Naum visit the Museum on water ”BAY OF THE BONES”, reconstruction of a prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement.

The monastic complex St. Naum (dated from 9th century), built by St. Naum, a disciple of St. Cyril and Methodius, and is one of the most significant monasteries in the Balkans, situated on the Macedonian-Albanian border on the west side of the attractive Mount Galicica.

Sightseeing of St.Naum with professional tour guide

Lunch time. (During the lunch time, there is possibility to take a small boat tour (20 min) on the springs around the restaurant)

Free time in St.Naum.

Departure to Ohrid.

Overnight.

DAY 12 – SKOPJE – AIRPORT SKOPJE

Breakfast at the hotel.

Check out.

Transfer to the airport.

 

End of programme.

 

Price List

The price depends from the size of the group, the period of the year, quality of accommodation and other factors. 

Ask for a quotation here: info@vispoj.com.mk