Makedonski Brod

Kiril Simeonovski

Caves

• Pešna

  address: village of Devič
  Just six kilometers (3.6 miles) from Makedonski Brod is the cave Pešna which features the largest cave opening in the Balkans. It is 124 m (407 ft) deep. The New York Times has compared the cave to something out of The Lord of the Rings. There are streams nearby including the mini-waterfall of Pešnica, as well as archaeological remains including Devini Towers (listed below). A church has been constructed near the cave.

• Zmejovica

  address: village of Krapa
  Above the village of Krapa on Dautica Mountain is this hard-to-find cave. It can be reached by a 40-minute hike from the village, though the path isn't marked well and the opening to the cave is a hole in the ground amongst a grassy field. Nonetheless, the cave is 68 m (223 ft) in length and has a main hall 15 m (49 ft) tall and a smaller one 3 m (10 ft) tall. There are multiple local legends connected to Zmejovica.

• Slatinski Izvor

  address: village of Slatina
  Macedonia's biggest cave, extending over 4 km (2.4 mi) in length. Of this estimated length, only about 800 m has been explored. The cave has a subterranean river. It was added to the country's tentative list of World Heritage Sites in 2004.

• Puralo

  address: village of Slatina
  This cave has a narrow opening surrounded by trees and other greenery that often mask the opening. Puralo is a river cave with a complex branching of canals.

• Golubarnica

  address: village of Belica
  This cave contains the source of the Belica River, the Treska's largest tributary, just east of the village. It is 100 meters long and is home to a population of bats. There is also evidence of human history in the cave, exemplified by a human skull that remains in the cave.

• Laparnica

  address: village of Belica
  This cave extends over 88 meters long and is home to a year-round population of bats. The cave features stalactites, stalagmites, and small pools of water.

Rašo

Ehrlich91

Churches and monasteries

• Poreče Monastery

  address: village of Gorni Manastirec
  Established in the 12 century, this monastery was destroyed at some point following the start of Ottoman rule. A local effort led to the re-establishment of the monastery in 1846 and it soon became a cultural and educational hub for this region. It contains one church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, built in 1899. Built of stone, the church's frescoes were done with egg yolk. The monastery has a high location on a mountainside, overlooking the surroundings.

• Church of St Demetrius

  address: village of Trebino
  The main church of Trebino, St Demetrius was built in 1664. Its frescoes were also completed around this time and are of high quality. The courtyard contains the village cemetery.

• Church of St Athanasius the Great

  address: village of Modrište
  Among the older churches of the region, this one was built of stone in 1728 and is a monastery church. Its frescoes date from the time of its construction. A church has existed at this site since the 13th century.

• Church of the Holy Mother of God

  address: town of Makedonski Brod
  The main church of the municipal centre of Makedonski Brod. Built in 1872, its iconostasis was done in 1885 by an artist from Kruševo.

• Church of St Panteleimon

  address: village of Belica
  The main church of Belica was built in 1873 of stone. It has a belfry attached at the front entrance and a cross atop the roof, as well as the village cemetery in its courtyard. The nearby Church of St Nicholas is small but older, built in the 16th century.

• Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

  address: village of Zdunje
  This small church was built in the 17th century, though its frescoes weren't completed until 1922. It sits on a hill above Lake Kozjak and its courtyard contains the village cemetery.

• Church of St Nicholas

  address: village of Sušica
  Built in 1890 in this mountainside village, the Church of St Nicholas is a charming stone-built church with a prominent detached bell tower.

• Church of Sts Constantine and Elena

  address: village of Tomino Selo
  This 19th century church built of stone has a courtyard that looks out onto valleys below.

• Church of St Athanasius

  address: village of Topolnica
  The Church of St Athanasius was built in 1872 and is mostly ordinary in design aside from its unique bell tower situated on its front facade. Built of dark stone, the tower is capped by a dome and a cross.

Other sights

• Devini Towers

  address: village of Devič
  Within the in the vicinity of the cave Pešna on a hill above the Treska River are remnants of a medieval fortress which were, according to legend, built for Deva and Pešna, two of the four sisters of King Marko.

• Kosturnica Monument

  address: village of Gorni Manastirec
  On the road toward the Poreče Monastery is this monument to the 103 victims killed by Bulgarian forces on Christmas eve, 1916. The monument is a small building topped by a dome with a cross.

Bijonse

• Lake KozjakMacedonia's largest artificial lake. Several villages including Blizansko, Breznica, and Zdunje are situated on the lake and have weekend homes on their shores.

Events