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Offered languages
- English
- Italian
The eastern part of Macedonia abounds with exceptional natural beauties, and beautiful old churches and monasteries. We will visit two monasteries, not far from Strumica, the monastery St. Leontius in Vodocha, and the Monastery in Veljusa, dedicated to the Holy Mother of God Eleusa. One of the masterpieces of nature, that we will explore, is the Kolesino waterfall. You will fall in love with this beautiful little place, nature carved in the hills of the Belasica mountain, not that far from the Kolesino village.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Pick-up from your hotel or any other preferred location in Skopje. We suggest the start time for: 8 AM or 9 AM
Itinerary
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1Monastery of St Leontius
The monastery is located In the nearby village of Vodocha (4 km). The church is a complex, built on the foundations of an early Christian Basilica, originating from the 5th and 6th century. The fresco painting inside the church is from the 10th to 12th centuries. In the churchyard, you can see the excavation site with remains of early Christian buildings and a necropolis, where around 1000 graves where found, filled with jewellery and ceramics. Today, the monastery is open to visitors and divided into two parts: the quarters for the monks and the residential quarters for the visitors.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Eleusa
The Veljusa Monastery is built on a hill in the village of Veljusa. It is one of the most valuable symbols of orthodoxy in the Republic of Macedonia. The exceptional church is dedicated to the Holy Mother of God Eleusa, meaning “showing mercy”. It abounds with remarkable frescos originating from two periods, from the foundation of the church in 1080 and from the 12th century. Once, it used to be a home of monks, but since 1996 and with the renewal of the monastic life it became a female monastery. Today, there is a sisterhood of around ten nuns whose day starts and ends with prayer. Their communication is minimal, but with the host sister responsible for the visitors you are going to feel more than welcomed in this holy quiet place situated in an incredibly scenic area. The sisterhood is in charge of making a lot of handicraft items in their workshop, so it is possible to purchase some of the items, put for sale.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3City Hall of the Municipality of Strumica
You will be able to explore the town’s center, the park, or visit some of the local branded stores. We can have our lunch break here, before departing to the slope of Belasica for the waterfall visit.
1 hour • Admission ticket not included -
4Koleshino Waterfall
After the break, we will continue our way for the foothills of Belasica, to the Kolesino waterfall. We have about 10 minutes walk to the falls, in beautiful natural surroundings. The waterfall is 610 meters above sea level, and the water falls from about 19 meters. For the ones who want to explore a little more, there is a small trail over the cliffs for a view from the top of the waterfall.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour does not operate in extremely bad weather conditions. You will be offered a change of dates in case that happens
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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