Struga

The old bridge over the river Black Drim.

Struga is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The old name of the city is Enchalon, the ancient Greek word for eel, a kind of fish that lives in the Lake Ohrid. Struga is located in an open valley on Lake Ohrid. The Black Drim river starts at the lake and divides the city.

Struga is also a place of important cultural significance in the Republic of Macedonia, as it is the birthplace of the poets Konstantin and Dimitar Miladinov. The main event of the cultural life in Struga is the world's largest poetry gathering. Its called
Struga Poetry Evenings, whose laureates have included several "Nobel Prize for Literature"-winners such as Joseph Brodsky, Eugenio Montale, Pablo Neruda, Seamus Heaney and many others since 1966.

River Black Drim

There are several cultural monuments in Struga and in its vicinity such as the Monastery of Kališta, a few kilometers away from the town center, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. It is believed that it dates from the 16th century, with frescoes from the 14th and the 15th centuries. The Church Sveta Bogorodica (St. Mary) in the village of Vraništa, is believed to be the one where Tsar Samuil was crowned. Near the village of Radolishta, a basilica from the 4th century has been discovered with a mosaic.

"Zenska Plaza" cafe-bar

You can enjoy three kinds of beaches in Struga called Male beach(Maska plaza), Female beach(Zenska), and Galeb Beach. A cafe-bar located on Female beach (called Zenska Plaza) have built a patio on the beach and a pier, which is a popular place at summertime. When sitting on the pier drinking coffee, it feels like your in the middle of the Lake. Out of the town center there is a popular restaurant built into a mountain-wall called Biser (Pearl). One of the restaurant's walls is actually the rocks of the mountain-wall.

Pictures from Krusevo

All the photos from my trip to Krusevo have been added to a slideshow and published on my blog. Enjoy!

Photos from Ohrid

Even more photos from Ohrid has been added to the slideshow that you can find to the left.


Enjoy!

Pictures from Prilep

More pictures from Prilep added in a slideshow and published on the blog. Enjoy!

Krusevo

Makedonium monument

Krusevo is the highest town in Macedonia, situated at an altitude of over 4,000 feet (1250 m) above sea level. It is home to Meckin Kamen, a historical landmark which marks the spot of the uprising of 1903. On August 2 every year, it is the site of the traditional Macedonian Independence Day celebrations, which are attended by the President of Macedonia and other Macedonian political leaders.

Kruševo is also home to Makedonium monument, dedicated to the Ilinden Uprising and the Kruševo Republic and many museums of the Ilinden Uprising. During the Ilinden Uprising in 1903 the rebels from the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation in Kruševo proclaimed a short lived Kruševo Republic.

On 3 August 1903, the rebels captured the town of Krushevo and established a revolutionary government, proclaiming the Krusevo Republic, which was one of the first modern day republic in the Balkans. The Republic existed only for 10 days - August 3 to August 13, and was headed by president Nikola Karev. Amongst the various religious and ethnic groups in Kruševo a Republican Council was elected with 60 members. The Council also elected an executive body - the Provisional Government, with six members (2 from each group), whose duty was to promote law and order and manage supplies, finances, and medical care. The "Krusevo Manifesto" was published. Written by Nikola Karev himself, it outlined the goals of the uprising, calling upon the population to join forces with the provisional government in the struggle against Ottoman tyranny, in order to attain freedom and independence.



Dame Gruev one of the revolutionaries in the Ilinden Uprising



The Turkish government was surprised by the uprising, taking extraordinary military measures to suppress. After fierce battles near Meckin Kamen, the Turks managed to destroy the Kruševo Republic, committing atrocities against the rebel forces and the local population. Today an enormous monument on the hill above Kruševo marks the elusive dream of the Ilinden revolutionaries. In the area there is another monument called Mečkin Kamen. This was the place where Pitu Guli's band (cheta) was trying to defend the town of Kruševo from the Turkish troops coming from Bitola. The whole band and their leader perished and Kruševo as well as many of the nearby villages were set to fire by the Ottomans.



Todor Proeski museum



There is a project called "Kruševo ethno-town", supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, which was developed by a small group of enthusiasts. According to that project, Kruševo shall look like a town from the beginning of the 20th century where it was the center of the Ilinden Uprising in 1903, that lead to the creation of the first Republic on the Balkans, The Krusevo Republic. People will be dressed like Ottoman Turks and Macedonian revolutionary freedom fighters. The project aims to make Kruševo a main tourist destination in five years.

The late famous macedonian singer/songwriter Todor "Tose" Proeski was from Krusevo. A museum was recently opened to honour him. The building looks like a cross from above and holds some of his belongings and you can even see a waxfigurine of him.

Prilep

Prilep was founded on the ruins of the ancient city of Styberra, first a town in Macedon and later incorporated into the Roman Empire Styberra, though razed by the Goths in 268, remained partly inhabited.


The town was first mentioned as Prilep in 1014, as the place where Tsar Samuil allegedly had a heart attack upon seeing thousands of his soldiers had been blinded by the Byzantines after the Battle of Kleidion.

 

Itar Pejo

Prilep is a center for high-quality tobacco and cigarettes and the metal processing, electronics, timber, textiles, and food industries. The city also produces a large quantity of Macedonian Bianco Sivec (pure white marble).

Tobacco is one of Prilep's traditional cash crops and prospers in the Macedonian climate. Many of the world's largest cigarette makers, such as Marlboro, West and Camel use Prilep's tobacco in their cigarettes after it is processed in local factories such as Tutunski Kombinat Prilep.

There are several ancient sites in Prilep including one at Markovi Kuli, St. Nicola’s church from the 13th century, St. Uspenie church in Bogorodica, St. Preobrazenie church and the Tomb of the Unconquered, a memorial in honor of the victims of fascism located in Prilep's central park. Roman remains can also be found near the Varosh monastery, built on the steep slopes of the hill, which was later inhabited by a medieval community. (wikipedia.com)