Balkan 22

Day 1

SKOPJE

Arrival at the Skopje’s Airport. Transfer to your hotel. Short introductory tour of the area round your hotel – getting useful hints from your tour guide. Sightseeing tour: A visit to the old railway station – the first railway station in the Balkans; The statue of Mother Teresa; The plaque marking the site of her former house; The Stone Bridge – a monumental construction in the centre of the city; The church of St Spas (Holy Salvation), which was built at the end of the 17th century and which is famous for housing the remains of the great Macedonian revolutionary Goce Delcev (1872-1903); The Fortress Kale – an outstanding tourist attraction of Skopje; The Monastery Church of St Pantelejmon in the village of Gorno Nerezi, which was built in the 12th century and represents an important monument from the Byzantine period. Lunch in the restaurant next to the church of St Pantelejmon. After lunch a visit to the Church of St. Andreja – Matka, built in the 14th century. The frescoes painted on the walls of this church differ from any others by their stylistic and artistic qualities and their iconographic peculiarities. Dinner in a local restaurant with live folk music. Overnight stay in Skopje.

Day 2

SKOPJE – KRIVA PALANKA – BEROVO

After breakfast – a drive to Kriva Palanka; on our way to Kriva Palanka, a visit to the Megalithic Observatory Kokino which is located about thirty kilometres northeast of Kumanovo. Then a visit to the Monastery Complex of St Joakim Osogovski in Kriva Palanka which consists of two monastery churches, the older one dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Sveta Bogorodica), and the newer one dedicated to St Joakim Osogovski himself. After that, a drive to Berovo and on our way to Berovo, a visit to the Lesnovo Monastery. After arrival in Berovo, dinner at a local restaurant and overnight stay in Berovo. (B,D).

Day 3

BEROVO – STRUMICA –SKOPJE

In the morning; Mountain adventure on the Berovo Lake, then a drive to Strumica and a visit to the cultural and historic places of interest in the town of Strumica and its surroundings. A visit to the the monastery complex Vodocha which is located in the village of Vodocha. The legend about the etymology of the name of this place is linked to the day when in 1014 AD Tsar Samoil’s army was defeated by the army of the Byzantine Emperor Vasilij II and 15,000 Macedonian soldiers had their eyes gouged out afterwards. Because of this, the village got the name Vodocha (ochi = eyes). What follows next is a visit to the Monastery of the Holy Mother of God – Eleusa which is a convent now and is situated in the next village of Veljusa. The monastery church is significant because of its architectural layout, the 11th century frescoes, the preserved fragments of the mosaic floor, and the authentic marble iconostasis. Afterwards a visit to the Smolari Waterfall. Then a drive to Skopje and on our way to Skopje, a short visit to the ancient city of Stobi founded in the 3rd century BC. Dinner in a local restaurant with live folk music. Overnight stay in Skopje.

Day 4

SKOPJE

Depending on the flight schedule, there is an option of visiting the Old Skopje Bazaar and the new market place. Transfer to the airport. (B)

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