Macedonia is so close and beautiful! (second day)
Surprisingly, when traveling, waking up in the morning is not difficult for me. Despite the late return to the hotel, the next day began at seven in the morning.
So, at 7 am rise, from 7-00 to 8-00 at the hotel breakfast. And at 8 o'clock a comfortable Fibula bus is already waiting for the group near the hotel. And I will say right away that such a routine for the morning remained unchanged all subsequent days.
The group is assembled. On the road!
We leave Skopje. The travel time in the capital turned out to be the only time to see Skopje in daylight. Traffic in the city is calm, there are no traffic jams on the road. Very quickly we went to the ring road. On the way you can see the spiers of minarets, the baths of small churches. Residential buildings are low, there are those that want to be renovated. Everywhere is clean, but I was surprised by the significant number of sites for the collection and sale of old cars. And also the fact that cars of the 50-60s of the last century are on the move in the city. Pleasantly pleased with the double-decker buses. Didn't expect to meet them.
Leaving the city, you can clearly see that the capital is surrounded by mountains, a chain of mountains, and the road passes in the valley between them. And these turns do not allow the bus to pick up speed, which pleases tourists. It is possible to enjoy the view from the window. The mountains are covered with forests, a river winds along the road and a lake around almost every turn.
After 15 km our first stop. This is Matka Canyon. The Treska River flows through the canyon. In 1938, the river was blocked by a dam in order to receive electricity. And as a result, there is electricity and a lake with the purest water. The dam object is strategic. But it is not possible to ban everyone from taking pictures. All the same, they filmed everything, and how can you refuse and not capture yourself as a keepsake. The road is laid along the edge of the mountain and lined with paving stones. On the way there is a table indicating the routes and a list of animals and plants of the canyon. Route distances are shown in minutes and hours, so mileage is not known. But tourists with walking sticks were met. There is also a cycling route and a water kayak or kayak trail to explore the caves. Moving further, we go out to the gate leading, I would call it as a small settlement. The small church of St. Andrew, built in 1389, is the only thing left of the monastery of the same name. The wall painting is supposed to be ancient. Nearby is a hotel with no more than 10-12 rooms, a restaurant and a cafe. And a marina with boats, catamarans, kayaks. There is also a place for fishing, and the restaurant staff will fry.
But already October and everything is prepared for wintering. And during the boating season it is interesting to see the caves. But the "golden autumn" has its own advantages for contemplating beauty. In addition to the mountains, lakes with bluish water, green-yellow-red leaves, trees delight the eye with blooming cyclamens, in large numbers.
But the allotted time is over and, sitting on the bus, we will continue the journey.
Just 70 kilometers from Skopje is the Mavrovo National Park, and along the way we learn a little history. There are three national parks in Macedonia, the National Reserve sounds more familiar to us. Mavrovo National Park is the third largest national park in the Republic of Macedonia, its area is over 73 thousand hectares. The park includes one of the highest in Macedonia - the Bistra mountain range (2163 m). The central part of the park is located in the valley of the Radika River. In the lower part of the national park, Lake Mavrovskoe is located where the Macedonian trout is grown, this is the official name of this type of trout. So we passed the village of Mavrovo. Here is located - the eponymous ski resort "Mavrovo". Mountains in Mavrovo from 1.255 m to 1.860 m above sea level, there are three chair lifts and eleven drag lifts. The total length of the ski lifts is 5.700 m. There are trails for everything: for beginners, for confident and for professionals.
Hotels are scattered around the ski lifts. Among all the hotels, the central place is occupied by the Macpetrol Hotel - in the center and overlooking the ski lifts and the main mountain.
We leave the ski resort to continue the trip.
Still, without exceeding the speed and enjoying the trip, we drive up to one of the main attractions of the Republic of Macedonia - the Bigor Monastery. You have to get off the bus and walk up a rather steep road. The monastery is surrounded by an impressive wall of calcareous tufa - in Macedonian "bigor". That was the name of the monastery.
Founded in 2010, the monastery appeared on the site where Jovan, while still a monk, fished the miraculous icon of John the Baptist from the beautiful Radik River. In the middle of the XVI century the monastery was destroyed by the Turks. And the unique Icon of John the Baptist mysteriously disappeared. And only in 1743 the monastery was restored.
After passing through the gate, the preserved old church appears before the visitors. At the entrance there is a painting depicting a double-headed eagle with outstretched wings. It turns out that this is a symbol of Christianity. The church houses one of the country's most famous iconostases. It was created in the period 1829-1835. The creators are local residents Piotr Filipov-Garkat with his brother Marko, Avram Dikov with his sons Filip and Vazil, as well as Makraridge Frkowski. The iconostasis is divided into as many as six ranks. From the carved pictures you will recognize the events of the Old and New Testaments. The carving of the iconostasis is a floral ornament. As well as over 500 human figures and 200 animals.
And among them on the left side of the iconostasis are the figures of the masters themselves at work.
Every year, a large number of tourists come to the Bigorsky Monastery. The uniqueness of the Bigorsky Monastery is known far beyond the borders of the country and it rightfully occupies the most visited place. This is not just a historical place, but a place of worship with strong energy. I felt it too.
The monastery is carrying out restoration work, as well as building new buildings. Despite the small area, everything is spacious and compact. According to the principle, if it is impossible in breadth, then it will be up.
During the stay in the monastery of Ivan Bigorsky (as the locals call it), a stream of people flowed like a stream. Tourist groups came. There were buses with a pilgrimage tour. As well as local residents and self-traveling tourists in cars. And there is a place for everyone, both for solitude and for prayer.
Didn't want to leave.
But the evening in the mountains comes very quickly and is not noticeable.
Already in the coming dusk we arrive in the village of Banishte, the place of our overnight stay. This is a recreational complex located between the trees in the mountains. The complex was built in the middle of the last century, but the value is not lost from this. Here in the southwest of Macedonia there is a large number of thermal mineral springs with hydrogen sulfide. The value of waters is confirmed by experts from other countries - France, Germany. The water is rich in minerals and salt. There are more than 4 grams of salt in a liter of water, it is pleasant to drink warm water. Just like taking a bath. But no more than 15 minutes, since the temperature of the water plus salt adversely affects the heart. If everything is according to the rules, then the dream is beautiful.
