Things to see and do Pelagonia

This cemetery (Француски Гробишта/Francuski Grobišta) houses the bodies of 13,262 soldiers of the French Army of the East who died in the First World War. Established in 1923, it is the most important French military cemetery of this conflict abroad. It also houses the "Bitola Memorial", a museum inaugurated by the French Minister of Veterans Affairs in 2018. Covering an area of 3 hectares, the site is impressive, with the graves of 6,134 identified soldiers and those of a further 128 unidentified soldiers divided into four squares, as well as an ossuary containing the remains of 7,000 mostly identified men. On the graves or in the memorial registers, the families of the "poilus d'Orient" come to look for the name of an ancestor buried in Bitola. There are Émile, Joseph and Fernand, but also Abdalla, Rabah and Mohammed. The list is long. It recalls the heavy price paid by colonial troops during the "Verdun of the Balkans": the siege of Monastir/Bitola by the German and Bulgarian armies from November 1916 to September 1918.

Memorial. Housed in a building next to the janitor's house, the memorial is small but well designed. In the first room, photographs by the Manaki brothers document the daily lives of civilians and soldiers in the bombed-out city. The second room details the lives of twelve French, Senegalese and Madagascan soldiers. The words are harsh. Like those written by soldier Joseph Toutain (1895-1980) to his family in Orne, on March 19, 1917: "I [received] a bullet in the neck, it came out behind the ear." Although the cemetery is open to the public, the memorial is often closed. To prepare your visit and make sure the janitor is present, it's best to make an appointment with the French consulate in Bitola. In the rest of the Balkans, there are five other large cemeteries or French military squares from the First World War: Seddülbahir (Turkey) with 12,235 bodies, Thessalonica (Greece) with 8,310 bodies, Skopje with 2,930 bodies, Sofia (Bulgaria) with 789 bodies and Korça (Albania) with 640 bodies. Lastly, other small isolated squares or foreign military cemeteries also house the remains of soldiers who died for France. Such is the case of the British military cemetery at Doïrani, near Lake Dojran on the border between Greece and Northern Macedonia, where an unknown French soldier lies buried.

This mosque (Јени Џамија/Jeni Džamija) is easy to spot thanks to its 39-m-high minaret. It owes its name of "new mosque"(Yeni Cami in Turkish) to the cadi (Muslim judge) Mahmud Efendi, who had it built in 1558 on the site of several churches, the foundations of which can be seen all around. It's a fine example of provincial Ottoman architecture: a square with a single dome, extended by a porch. The interior is decorated with arabesques in bas-relief on the marble furnishings, stalactite sculptures, painted earthenware and calligraphy.

This site (Археолошки Локалитет Хераклеа Линкестис/Arheološki Lokalitet Heraklea Linkestis) houses some of the remains of the city of Iraklia Lykistis ("Lynx Heraclea" in Greek), founded by Philip II of Macedonia in the ^mid-4th century BC. Most of the visible features date from the late Roman era, including a theater and a large early Christian basilica. Unfortunately, the site is poorly promoted (no explanatory panels) and its most beautiful mosaic was damaged in 2022.

The old Ottoman quarter of the charchia or "Old Bazaar" (Стара Чаршија/Stara Čaršija) retains many shops, a market and a few cafés and restaurants. It's pleasant to stroll through this 12-hectare labyrinth of alleyways. Here you'll find the Hadji-Mahmut-Bey mosque, former Ottoman baths and the La Havra synagogue. Founded in the ^16th century, Bitola's charchia reached its apogee in the ^18th century. It was then much larger than it is today, attracting merchants from all over the Empire, as well as from Vienna, Venice and Marseille.

This gallery (Галерија Мартиноски/Galerija Martinovski) was founded in 1968 in a beautiful traditional ^19th-century house. It is dedicated to the Aromanian painter from Kruševo Nikola Martinovski (1903-1973). Trained at the Grande Chaumière academy in Paris between 1927 and 1828, he is considered the founder of contemporary art in what is now North Macedonia. The two floors feature 62 works by the painter (oils, tempera, drawings, etc.), some of his personal effects and an exhibition of traditional local costumes.

This 1 km-long pedestrian street (Широк Сокак) is Bitola's main thoroughfare. It links Dragor to the north and City Park to the south. Renamed in honor of Serbian King Peter ^I, then Marshal Tito during the Yugoslav period, it has taken on its Ottoman-era name, which blends Slavic širok ("wide") and Turkish sokak ("street"). It is bordered by around a hundred listed ^19th-century houses, numerous shops, cafés and restaurants, as well as several monuments. It is also home to six of the ten consulates still present in Bitola.

The "Salt Spring Cave" (Пештера Слатински Извор/Peštera Slatinski Izvor) is the largest in the country. It is over 4 km long, of which around 1,000 m have been explored, and is home to numerous stalactites and stalagmites, a river and several small lakes. Unesco-listed, it was created in dolomitic marble during the last Ice Age. The entrance is through a small, crudely-constructed opening. But it's best not to venture too far without caving equipment and experience.

This Catholic church (Црква Пресвето Срце Исусово/Crkva Presveto Srce Isusovo) was founded by French Lazarists in 1870. For twenty-six years, the parish was led by the priest Jean-Claude Faveyrial (1817-1893). He was a French teacher at the Romanian school in Bitola and author of L'Histoire de l'Albanie, a reference work in the neighboring country. Burnt down in 1900 and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1909, the church was given its bell tower in 1940.

Founded in 1983, this national institute and museum (НУ Завод и Музеј Битола/NU Zavod i Muzej Bitola) is very disappointing. While the collections are rather rich, the exhibition spaces seem neglected, mired in outdated museography. Only one room benefits from a careful presentation: the one devoted to Mustafa Kemal, known as Atatürk. Indeed, the founder of modern Turkey studied here from 1896 to 1899, in what was once an Ottoman military academy founded in 1848. But this Turkish-funded space is all about propaganda, and lacks any original objects. There are also virtually no icons. Yet the institution houses the country's only laboratory working on the renovation of sacred images. And what about the masterpiece, the "Inscription of Bitola" (^11th century)? It's not even on display. It's easy to see why: this stone confirms that Emperor Samuel, who died in 1014, was indeed Bulgarian and not "Macedonian", as the country's official history would have us believe.

Navicelle earrings. Now for the good stuff. Among the oldest objects is the fossil of a mastodon tooth unearthed in the large Suvodol coal mine, 21 km east of Bitola. It belonged to an ancestor of the mammoth that lived here fifteen million years ago. As far as the Neolithic is concerned, we're surprised by this small house found at Porodin, 12 km to the south-east. Made of clay between 5800 and 5200 BC, it stands out for its human details, such as the head-shaped chimney. It served as a temple for the worship of an unknown divinity. In the Antiquity section, note this superb gold earring with navicelle (shaped like a small ship) from the ^4th century B.C. It was discovered in the tomb of a Hellenized princess near Beranci, 16 km to the north. Also of note is the marble mask of Heracles, dating from the ^2nd century A.D. It was used to decorate the theater at the Herakleia Lynkestis site. Contemporary history focuses on traditional costumes, revolutionary movements and World War II partisans. The First World War is quickly dispatched, and not without error: a German helmet presented as French. It is also regrettable that the rich and tragic history of Bitola's Jewish community is presented so succinctly. In the contemporary art section, a few paintings stand out, such as portraits by Peco Vidimče (1921-2010) from Bitola and Nikola Martinoski (1903-1973) from Kruševo.

This cave (Пештера Пешна/Peštera Pešna) has the largest opening of any cave in the Balkans: 40 m high and 56 m wide. It lies beneath Mount Dautica (2,178 m above sea level), near the modern minimonastery of Archangel Michael in the hamlet of Pešna (pop. 5). Compared to Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings, its entrance is guarded by medieval fortifications. Easy to access, the first chamber is home to swallows and bats. But it belongs to the country's largest cave network, estimated to be 10 km long.

This artificial lake (Езеро Козјак/Ezero Kozjak) is the largest in the country. Built on the Treska River, it covers 13.5 ^km2 and is 32 km long from south to north, with a maximum width of 400 m and depth of 130 m. Although it is a long way from Makedonski Brod, most of it lies within the municipality. Its southern tip is at the hamlet of Dolna Belica/Долна Белица, 28 km north of the town of Makedonski Brod. The northern part, meanwhile, is part of the Jasen nature reserve (311 ^km2), which also encompasses the Matka canyon on the outskirts of Skopje. The lake was created in 2004, after ten years' work. Sandwiched between the Suva Gora massif (1,857 m above sea level) to the east and the Karadžica massif (2,473 m) to the west, the Treska is held back by the country's highest dam: a 130 m-high arched structure. It is located near the hamlet of Nova Breznica/Нова Брезница. The latter is located in Suva Gora, 71 km northeast of Makedonski Brod.

Dreaded but superb little road. From Nova Breznica, small road no. 302 leads to the dam. It is 13 km long and very narrow, starting at an altitude of 713 m, climbing to 1,049 m before winding its way down to the dam at 495 m. This is one of the most beautiful roads in the region. This is one of the most dangerous roads in the country. But it offers superb panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains. More peaceful is the road that runs along the western shore of the lake under the Karadžica mountain. It is reached by an impressive bridge 18 km north of Dolna Belica. Built in 2003, it has a 358 m-long deck supported by five piers, the highest of which is 64 m high. Once across the bridge, you can reach the lakeside hamlet of Blizansko/Близанско, 3 km to the south. Alternatively, continue north for 7 km. This stretch serves two areas of waterfront villas. The lake is full of fish, and locals come here on weekends to fish for Macedonian trout(Salmo macedonicus), rainbow trout, carp, chub, hotu, barbel, spirlin or eel. The asphalt road then ends, giving way to a track that is difficult to cross without a 4 x 4. But this part of the lake is less interesting than the one to the north-east, near the dam. Route no. 302 is certainly formidable, but here you can enjoy the Jasen nature reserve's well-developed hiking trails and even a panoramic restaurant.

This large cultural center (Центар за Култура/Centar za Kultura) is home to the Manaki Brothers International Film Festival every year in late September or early October. The rest of the year, exhibitions, plays and film screenings take place here. The building was designed by two influential Yugoslav architects, the Slovenian Marko Mušič (b. 1941) and the Macedonian Aleksandar Smilevski (b. 1939), who are also responsible for important buildings in Skopje.

Slightly leaning, this 55 m-high tower (Саат-Кула/Saat-Kula) was erected in 1826 to replace an earlier ^17th-century wooden tower. Originally used to indicate prayer times to Prilep's Muslim inhabitants, it was given a Christian cross at its top in 1991. The ashlar structure is almost 39 m high. The bell tower above houses fifteen bells of various sizes and a clock donated by Germany in 1936.

The Great Pelister Lake (Golemo Ezero/Големо Езеро) is a glacial lake located at an altitude of 2,218 m, below the Veternica peak (2,400 m). It extends over 4.2 ha with a maximum length of 226 m, width of 175 m and depth of 17.2 m. Enjoying magnificent scenery, it's one of the main attractions of Pelister National Park. Together with the Small Pelister Lake (Malo Ezero/Мало Езеро), it is said to form "the eyes of Pelister". The Great Lake is accessible via two trails: one 6 km (approx. 3h30 walk) from the village of Nižepole, 1,170 m above sea level, the other 9 km (approx. 4h walk) from the Nižepole ski resort, 1,360 m above sea level. On arrival, right by the lake, you'll find the Golemo Ezero hut, which sleeps 30 (+389 75 45 87 82, [email protected]). This is an essential stopover if you want to continue your hike to Mount Pelister (2,601 m altitude) via Petit Lac. The latter extends over 0.7 ha in a small mountain cirque, at 2,190 m altitude, and below Partizanski Peak (2,349 m). The trail between the Great Lake and Mount Pelister (6.5 km, approx. 2.5 hrs walk) is fairly easy. It offers grandiose views of Bitola and the Pelagonian plain to the east, Lake Prespa and Mount Galičica to the west, and various mountains in Greece and Albania to the south and southwest. From Mount Pelister, a more challenging 8 km trail descends to Hotel Molika, at 1,420 m altitude (approx. 4.5 hrs walk).

This open mosque (Ајдар Кади Џамија/Ajdar Kadi Džamija) was built around 1562 thanks to a donation from the cadi (Muslim judge) Gazi Haydar Kadi. With its 19 m-high dome and 1.4 m-thick walls, it was the only church with two minarets in today's North Macedonia. After the Turkish inhabitants left in 1912, the church fell into disrepair. Only one of its minarets (45 m high) was rebuilt during the major renovation financed by a Turkish Islamic fund in 2016.

Erected in 1830, this large Orthodox church (Црква Свети Димитриј Солунски/Sveti Dimitrij Solunski) houses a superb carved wooden iconostasis dating from 1842. Influenced by the style of Mount Athos, the engraver filled the entire wall with elements from the world of plants and animals. It's also worth noting that the opening scene of the American film The Peacemaker (1997, with George Clooney and Nicole Kidman), supposedly set in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was filmed in this church.

The "Bear Rock" site (Мечкин Камен) is a national historical landmark and an important base for paragliding jumps. It lies on the Birinska plateau, at an altitude of 1,443 m, and enjoys a grandiose panorama over the Pelagonian plain. It can be reached by following the R 1306 towards Demir Hisar and Bitola, then taking the first road on the left after the Makpetrol petrol station. This is where the Battle of Mečkin Kamen took place on August 12, 1903, ten days after the start of the Ilinden Uprising. The last 300 Kruševo insurgents fought to the death against the surrounding Ottoman troops. Since 1983, the site has been adorned with an 8 m-high statue. It depicts one of the insurgents, the Aromanian hero Pitu Guli (1865-1903), frozen in mid-exertion, throwing a huge rock. The plinth bears the words "freedom or death" (Слобода или Смрт), the slogan of all anti-Ottoman insurrections in the Balkans. This was the last major statue by Dimo Todorovski (1910-1983), whose works can be found mainly in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje. Mečkin Kamen hosts a Republic Day national holiday ceremony every August 2. The place owes its name to a legend according to which farmers managed to kill a huge bear living here in a fierce battle. From now on, no more risk. Mečkin Kamen is renowned for its views, picnic spots and is one of the best paragliding sites in the world.

This 32 km-long river (Драгор) crosses Bitola from west to east. Between the Charchia district and the northern part of Širok-Sokak, it was canalized in 1896. Here, the river's paved banks are ideal for a stroll. The river rises on Mount Baba in the Pelister National Park and joins the Crna some 10 km to the east, near the village of Novaci. Its naturally variable water level has been controlled since 1983 by a canal that feeds Lake Streževsko (7.5 ^km2), 24 km northwest of Bitola.

This mountain guide agency organizes excursions in Pelister National Park and other regions. Its team is certified by the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA). They offer hikes to the Great Lake and Mount Pelister (10h hike), tours of the First World War trenches in the park, and winter activities with skis, crampons and snowshoes in the Šar Mountains and Mavrovo National Park, via Albania and Kosovo.