Hike Tour To Krchin Peak

This tour will take us on Mount Krchin in Western Macedonia which rises steeply over the famous Reka valley, filled with picturesque villages and an important spiritual center – the monastery St.Bigorski which we’ll visit before our return to Skopje. The mountain is part of the National park “Mavrovo” because of its well-preserved and unique wild nature.

The 1,30-hour drive from Skopje will take us by the shores of Lake Mavro vo, then through the inspiring Radika river canyon, and villages Rostushe and Bi tushe. Our hike will begin at an abandoned military border house in the Draga area (1140m). We follow a marked easy path that passes through century-old beech-wood forests up until the pastures at 1800m from where a beautiful view opens up at the villages in the Reka valley, the monastery, and of course the opposite Bistra and Korab mountains.

We climb the ridge at about 2150m and follow it to the summit of Golem Krchin (2341m). As we walk on the ridge, a “sea of mountains and peaks” overwhelms our view in every direction, and after about 3,30 hours we reach the summit.

There, amidst the ruins of the church St. Metamorphosis, we enjoy the view of Debarsko Lake and have our lunch break. We hike down to the new site of the church at 1889m, and from there we head back down below the overhanging rocks, into the beech-wood forest.

After a small break, we will either drive back to the village of Rostushe, from where we walk for 20 minutes. through the Duf canyon to reach the wonderful Duf waterfall (20m), or to visit the famous St. Jovan Bigorski (St. John the Baptist) monastery built in 1020 famous for its iconostasis that is considered one of the most beautiful and most valuable wood-carved iconostasis in the Orthodox religion. In the early evening, we head back to Skopje (with the possibility of having dinner - the local radiska trout).

Price Includes:

* Transport by van/minibus

* Lunch & energy snacks included

* Expert leadership by Macedonia

* Travel guide organization by Macedonia Travel

Price Doesn’t Include:

* Drinks during the meals

* Any individual costs

Evaluation of the Trek:

Moderate - Challenging