This is based on arrival in Thessalonica Greece airport
Day 1 - The adventure starts!
Pickup from the Thessalonica, Greece airport at 1 PM
We begin with a four (4) hour drive through the Macedonia countryside to Kavadarci, known as wine country. Here you learn about wine-making and taste excellent wines and try foods with tradition dating back to early Macedonian times. However local winemakers continue to improve and experiment – beginning at the end of the first world war, when the French gave their best grapes and locals improved their excellent quality wines. We will be received as guest of this town and receive treatment worthy of Alexander from the winery from the Tikves wine region. At 7 PM, we arrive at the splendid Hotel Sun**** at Prilep complete with outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. A traditional dinner will be at the Macedonian house.
Day 2
After a Macedonian breakfast we will visit the tobacco museum in Prilep, as the town is known for a rich history of tobacco growing. This is followed by a visit to the Icon fresco gallery of the city Prilep. Prilep is at 650 meter above sea level and is also known from the age of King Marco 14th. Century. If you listen closely, you may still hear whispers of old legends that speak of hidden gold that is still protected by snakes. From Prilep be prepared for a fun 4 wheel drive (aprox 1 hour) to the upper part of the ecology’s most famous mountain table. We will spend the night as Alexander the Great did many years ago, in luxury tents with costumed staff to recreate the glory and feelings from centuries ago. This will be completed with fantastic local cuisine, beverage and fanfare of traditional music to place you in times gone by. This is truly an evening you will always remember!
Day 3
In the morning, breakfast at 1800 meters above sea level will provide the view of kings, with fresh mountain waters, fish and wild horses. From there we will continue to the town of Bitola, named for Heraclea Lyncests, and founded by King Philippus II of Macedonia. It was once the capital, until the Slavs came and lived tin the city until 1395 when it was captured by the Ottomans Empire. It is also renown for its excellent universities in the 12th Century. We will visit the old Mosque and we will have a city tour through Bitola and will continue to Heracles to have a visit and a traditional meal for lunch. From there we will continue the road through the lake of Prespa, on the Greek, Albanian and Macedonian borders. We’ll travel along the road of apples and through the national park, and arrive at the city of light on the lake of Ohrid. After checking into our hotel which is walking distance from the villa of former president of Yugoslavia Josip Tito, we have an entertaining night at Hotel Gorica 5 stars.
Hotel (Inex) Gorica is privately owned and recently renovated on its own beautiful private beach. Be ready to play tennis on the premise or use the sport field and scenic walking path (15 to 20 minutes walk) to the old town of Ohrid. Ohrid is known as the location where St. Cyril created Cyrillic handwriting and it is where Climen and Metodija founded their university. There are more than 350 churches so visit another church for each day of the year. We can visit the castle overlooking the town, which is the cornerstone to the rule of King Samuel.
Day 4
After breakfast well take an old Ohrid town tour which finishes with a boat trip to SV Naum’s monastery to see this operating church complete with early frescoes.
Called after the founder Naum which means miracle maker and an old monastery and a nice Hotel with the same name. There we will have lunch. Near SV Naum we’ll see the springs of “Drim” which gives fresh clear water to the lake of Ohrid, we’’ll continue through the lake as Crno Drim, meaning black Drim. Next we visit the second city on Ohrid lake, called Struga. We return at 3:30 to do a little shopping (free time) until the transfer to the restaurant at the beach for a “Gypsy night dinner” with dance and music. Free limit of wine and natural Macedonian brandy will be also included. We return to the hotel at 10 PM.
Day5
After breakfast we will continue our adventure trough the Canyons of Debar, famous for uprising against the Turkeys Sultan in the 15th. Century. We will also visit the monastery of John the Baptist with the world largest woodcarving, know as iconoclastie, has over 5,000 figures carved into the wood. From there we will continue to the Hydro dam of Mavrovo as a location for several movies including “The guns of Navorone” (with Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn). Mavrovo is a very nice holiday resort with lots of summer activities and winter. Lunch is at the 5 star resort of the Pearl (Hotel Bistra). After lunch we will visit the highest town in the Balkans called Galisnik where we will also visit the sheep shepherds and try local cheeses on our way. We will spend the night at Bistra Hotel. There is an indoor swimming pool and sauna also a fitness center.
Day 6
On the way to the Macedonia capital, Skopje, we will make a stop at Matka where the second largest hydro dam was build during Yugoslavian times. A location of natural beauty, coffee and tea cakes will be served at the shore of the eye of Matka, near a famous monastery. From there we are off to the old railroad station and museum. There the clock is still standing from the time 1963 Skopje earthquake. The old rail station is still partly standing and the old railroad wagons from the Orient Express now serve as a restaurant where we will have lunch.
From there we will visit the birthplace of Mother Theresa to see her monument. We will have some free time for shopping at the largest shopping center in Macedonia and the old Turkish bazaar. Transfer to the hotel will be at 6 PM where we will have a dinner nearby. On the road to the hotel we will visit the mountain that surround Skopje (Vodna) and we will make a short stop at the settlement of Panthelemon. 9th.Century.
Day 7
Off to the city of the volcano Kratovo, the city with the 9 towers - but on the way we will stop at one of the largest open air museums, with the famous Rock Art. Over 10,000 crosses before the bronze age were carved in the hard stone of “Sileks”. The researchers are very close to translating the hidden message that has been made such a long time before Christ. We will have a lunch at the restaurant of lonely poems and writers. We will continue our trip to Kocani the city of rise and thermal water.
We will spend the night at the beautiful resort of Hotel Sagel overlooking the city of Kocani.
Day 8
From Kocani we will go to the Bulgarian Greek border of Strumica where we will visit waterfalls and see Roma gypsy part. Many streets there have been named by the Roma’s as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and such. After a tour we’ll continue to the lake of Dojran from where we will pass the border to Greece and in an hour we will reach the airport.
For prices or other information please contact: +389 70 245054 +389 70 261525 skype dcc-office3 or mail
