EXCURSIONS

Several trips will be organised, each giving the opportunity to visit a different part of Macedonia. It is intended to include important museums, monuments and historical and archaeological sites.

A. Pelister – Bitola – Heraclea

Pelister is the oldest national park in the Republic of Macedonia. As part of the Mountain Baba, it is located between the ravines Prespa and Pelagonia. Pelister is characterized by lush, well-watered forests and unique geological formations, which include layers of Paleozoic and Mesozoic magma rock and layers of quartz. The core of the mountain is made of granite some 465 million years old. The mountain has a large number of peaks higher than 2000 m separated by deep valleys. The park is also rich in springs, streams and rivers, and contains two glacial lakes known locally as the Mountain’s Eyes.

Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the country. The stately old architecture of Bitola hearkens back to more than a century ago when the town was a center for international diplomats to the Ottoman administration, supplanting Skopje and becoming known far and wide as the “city of the consuls.” Even today, some of the faded elegance of that bygone time can be seen in the neoclassical facades of downtown buildings and the old gentlemen conversing in Bitola’s flowering park, all decked out in their finest Sunday suits and hats.

Famous for its dazzling mosaics, ancient theater and Roman baths, Heraclea is the most vividly preserved city from the Ancient Macedonian empire surviving in the country. Founded in the 4th century B.C.E. and conquered by the Romans two centuries later, it was built on the Via Egnatia and became one of the key stations on this trading route. From the 4th-6th centuries C.E. Heraclea also had an Episcopal seat. The first excavations were done before the First World War, but only since then have the full glories of the ancient city been revealed. Beautiful Roman baths, the Episcopal church and baptistery, a Jewish temple, portico and a Roman theater now used for summer concerts and theater shows all survive in excellent condition.

B. Sightseeing of the old city of Ohrid.

The old city of Ohrid and its vicinity abound in magnificent ancient archaeological sites and monasteries dating from the early 12th to the 18th century, adorned with unique mosaics, frescoes, wood carving and other relics and artefacts. The lake, the mountains around it, the city’s architecture, its museums, restaurants and cafes offer the visitor a remarkable range of sightseeing, walking and leisure-time activities. The excursion includes the visiting of the several Ohrid’s churches, Samuel’s Fortress, antique theatre, and Ohrid’s shopping district.

C. Excursion by boat to the springs of river Drim and monastery complex St. Naum to the southeast side of the Ohrid Lake.

D. Struga – Vevchani.

Struga is renowned for its International Poetry Festival and abounds in examples of old Macedonian architecture. The village of Vevchani is famous by its 14 centuries carnival and the most interesting karsts springs in Macedonia, known as the Vevchani springs.

Additional information is available at exploringmacedonia and macedoniatimeless.