Eastern Macedonia

Eastern Macedonia boasts with many attractive, adventurous, cultural and fun things to see, experience and enjoy. It is a home to some of the most extraordinary displays of the forces of nature, ancient cities and locations, amazing monasteries and some exciting cultural events. 

Follow our alphabetical list of most important regions in Eastern Macedonia:

Berovo

Berovo is surely one of the most beautiful mountainous towns in Macedonia. Small, but charming and historically rich town, located in the very eastern part of Macedonia, around 180 km away from the capital Skopje. Lying on both banks of the River Bregalnica with an absolute altitude between 830-900m and favorable climate, Berovo is a town with the highest oxygen concentration at the Balkans. The average annual temperature is  11.1 °C, while the temperature in summer is around 19°C.

The town of Berovo itself is a picturesque, idyllic, small mountainous town. Although its population is around 7,000 permanent residents, there are many tourists coming and going throughout the whole year.

Berovo has an ample offer of various tourist attractions, with nature being predominant. The Mountains of Maleševo with the pine forests are even compared to the mountainous areas of Switzerland. Through five marked hiking trails (some of them suitable for mountain biking) you can reach several tourist villages, the stunning mountain scenery and lake Berovsko. 

Read more about Berovo here.

Dojran

Dojran is located in the south-east region in Macedonia and includes the two settlements Nov Dojran (New Dojran) and Star Dojran (Old Dojran) and the smallest of the three main natural lakes in the country, Lake, you guessed it, Dojran. Out of the tree, the settlement Star Dojran that lies on the coast of the lake makes the main tourist attraction, has a few hundred full time residents and during the summer period has thousands of visitors. 

Dojran is known for the lake cabins built from straw that are used for fishing with nets. The traditional way is to set up the net as to form in a cage that captures the fish while the fishermen carefully guide the fish towards it. Many times the fishermen have competition from the local birdlife, such as garoa and cormorant . For that reason the fishermen build a feeding ground for the birds called pelikatnik and leave freshly caught fish to feed the birds.

The most important landmark in Dojran is the Church of St. Elijah (Sv. Ilija) which is still in ruins since it was destroyed during the first WW, on its facade you can still see the marks left by bullets. Besides the church there are also the remains of the old clock tower and the amam city baths.

During your stay in Dojran don't forget to try out the country famous Dojran Carp which is traditionally prepared in this region. 

Read more about Dojran here.

Kratovo

The city of Kratovo got its name from its location, lying on a extinguished volcano crater. Throughout the ages Kratovo has always been an important mining town from which some of the first coins in the country originated. Kratovo was known also as the city of towers and bridges, and to this very day they still remain one of the main tourist attractions. However the region around Kratovo includes many sights and destinations.

The stone columns of Kuklica, located some 15km away, are one of nature's masterpiece work, 148 stone figures up to 10m high standing one next to another. These stones were formed over  a period of 10 million years with the slow erosion of the soils. These stones are a popular tourist attraction because of their resemblance to actual people, hence the locals call them dolls. 

Two of the most cherished and significant monasteries are within Kratovo's reach, Monastery of St. Joachim Osogovski and Lesnovo Monastery. Hidden in the tranquillity, lush forests and greenery of Osogovo Mountains peaks, at the altitude of 825m, Osogovo monastery  is considered to be one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia. The monastery in Lesnovo is one of the largest, most visually stunning and culturally significant monasteries in Eastern Macedonia, with a long history that probably begins in the 11th-12thcentury. 

Read more about Kratovo here.

Kumanovo

Kumanovo is the third largest city in the country, and being located on the main E-75 highway that drives down through the country is easily accessible. Like every major city in Macedonia, Kumanovo is fairly active, especially considering it is only around 30km away from the capital Skopje. Having that in mind it's quite often that Skopje and Kumanovo exchange visitors for nightlife and restaurants.

As part of the Kumanovo attractions is the Kokino Ancient observatory which is one of the ancient observatories worldwide recognized by NASA.

Read more about Kumanovo here.

Shtip

Shtip is also one of the largest cities in Eastern Macedonia and is considered the textile industry capital of the country. With a vibrant nightlife and the university of Goce Delchev, Shtip is considered an active city with plenty of fun and activities. Shtip is also known as the city under the Isar, which was a medieval fortress whose remains are still visible to this day and is one of the tourist attractions in the city. Besides having to see the ruins of the centuries old fortress the Isar allows for great views of the city and its surroundings. 

One cannot visit Shtip without trying the Shtipska pastrmajlia which is the local dish that is known countrywide. It is made out of a special dough topped with different types of meat and is a salty and delicious meal that usually goes well with hot green peppers. 

Read more about Shtip here.

Strumica

Strumica is one of the popular and vibrant cities in the country. Although the city itself is not that large, the municipality includes many smaller villages and towns making it quite busy. The region known for two main things, agriculture and the Strumica Carnival that takes place every year. Since there are many smaller villages surrounding the city the main occupation is trading and producing agricultural goods, the peppers and tomatoes are said to be the tastiest in here.

Strumica and the surrounding region have many attractions, sights and events to experience. The Strumica Carnival is the largest manifestation of its kind in the whole country and attracts thousands of visitors during its three days of performance. As for the history and culture seekers there are two extraordinary monasteries of Veljusa and Vodocha as well as the Roman baths at Bansko. 

The thrill seakers and nature lovers will enjoy the beauties of Mt. Belasica with the amazing trails and even more so, the amazing waterfalls of Smolare and Koleshino.

Read more about Strumica here.