Mavrovo National Park And Radika Valley Tour

Meet with your guide at the hotel lobby in Ohrid in the morning. Departure to National Park Mavrovo. The shaft of untouched nature. Located in parts of the Korab and Deshat mountains, the South Wing of Shara, Bistra River Valley, and northern parts of Krcin, this is the largest national park in Macedonia.

In its core, the Mavrovo Lake ripples. Amazing landscapes, valleys, gorges, waterfalls, karst fields, hollows, caves, and glacial lakes can be seen in this park, along with over 1,000 plants, including 12 rare species.

This is home to the rarest animals in Macedonia: lynx, bear, eagle suras, and chamois. Wild horses run down vast green hills, which gives this place idyllic, almost mythic views. It’s an ideal place for fishing, hiking, photo safari, hunting, and mountain biking... Visit the cave Sarkova Dupka and the sheep farm. Our lunch will be served on the terrace of Hotel Bistra.

Our next stop will be the Monastery of St. John the Baptist ( Jovan Bigorski). The monastery church is dedicated to St. Jonh the Baptist. According to the monastery's 1833 chronicle, it was built in 1020 by Ivan I Debranin. The Ottomans destroyed the monastery in the 16th century. The monastery was restored in 1743 by the monk Ilarion, who also built several monk cells. Later, in the period from 1812 to 1825 the monastery was expanded by archimandrite Arsenius.

Among the donors, there is also a mention of a monk Iov, recognized by some researchers as the future educator Yoakim Karchovski. One of the most valuable treasures of the monastery is the iconostasis created by Petre Filipovski Garkata from the nearby village of Gari.

This iconostasis is considered the most beautiful and most valuable wood-carved iconostasis. Another valuable monastery treasure is an icon dating from 1020 with supposedly miraculous healing power. Our tour will finish with a visit to the church of St George the Victorious church in Rajcica near Debar. In this all-female monastery, from the 11th century, a piece of the cross of Jesus is kept, and a small part of the hand of Saint George the Victorious. Arrival back in Ohrid in the evening.

Price Includes:

* Transfers

* All sightseeing and entrance fees

* Lunch

* Full escort by professional guide.

Where: National Park Mavrovo, Debar area

When: All year long

Tour Difficulty:

Easy (nothing more than normal walking while sight-seeing)

Equipment Checklist: Comfortable walking shoes