Tourist Attractions & Monuments Northern Macedonia

Dedicated to St. Nicholas, this Orthodox monastery (Шишевски Манастир/Šiševski Manastir) is located at about 480 m above sea level, 160 m above the lake. Occupied by a monk who sometimes offers coffee or a glass of rakija, it was built around a Serbo-Byzantine church built around 1345, probably by Prince Marko. Some original frescoes remain (hermit saints and warrior saints), but most of the decoration dates from the ^16th century. Among the scenes of the life of St. Nicholas, note the female characters with particularly generous breasts.

Located just south of Macedonia Street, this museum (Музеј на Град Скопје/Muzej na Grad Skopje) is moving: since 1970, it has been housed in the former railway station dating from 1940 and heavily damaged by the earthquake of July 26, 1963. On the façade, the hands of the large clock remained frozen at 5:17 a.m., the hour when the main tremor (6.1 on the Richter scale) destroyed a large part of the city, killing 1,070 people. Alas, this museum, founded in 1949, suffers from funding problems. Works and objects are poorly presented, and the museum is sometimes closed without notice. It does, however, house an important collection of works on the history of the conurbation: archaeology, history, art history, ethnography, architecture and design. The archaeology department is particularly rich. One of its highlights is the astonishing fragment of a Neolithic statuette of the "Adam of Govrlevo" in a seated position, with his phallus still erect after 7,000 years. The permanent exhibition on town planning features the major project to rebuild the city after the 1963 earthquake. The rooms devoted to ethnology showcase the country's minorities, with beautiful Albanian, Roma, Aromanian, Serbian and Jewish costumes. In addition, the museum has several branches on the eastern bank, including the Partisan Underground Workshop Museum and the Stara Čaršija exhibition at the Suli Caravanserai.

This early Christian basilica (Ранохристијанска Базилика Плаошник/Ranohristijanska Bazilika Plaošnik) is home to superb mosaics. It is the most important remnant of late antiquity unearthed on the hill of Plaošnik. The discovery was made as part of the large real estate project launched here in 2000. A large tubular structure houses the foundations of what was the seat of the bishopric of Lychnidos, probably founded in the^fifth century. The modern roofing is supposed to reproduce what the elaborate roof of this basilica with its tetraconical (four-leaf) plan looked like. Thanks to an elevated walkway that goes around the foundations, one can admire the mosaics on the floor with floral, animal, human and geometric motifs, including many "swastikas": swastikas were very common decorative elements in Greek, Roman and Byzantine decorations. The most remarkable piece is the baptistery decorated with a mosaic of peacocks drinking water from a sacred inexhaustible source. It is an illustration of the theme of baptism that purifies and nourishes the Christian throughout his life. The commissioners of all these works remain as anonymous as the artists who executed them. Only an inscription in Greek on the north side of the church evokes their memory: "This was done by those whose names are known to God Nearby are the ruins of a "pagan" temple and various buildings from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

This Orthodox monastery (Полошки Манастир/Pologški Manastir) is occupied by a small community of Macedonian monks and houses remarkable frescoes from the ^14th century. It is only accessible by boat: since the impoundment of the artificial lake of Tikveš, the paths leading to it and the nearby village of Pološko are submerged. Dedicated to St. George the Victorious, the Byzantine-style catholicon (main church) enjoys a magnificent setting at the foot of Mount Višešnica and on the shore of what was then Crna Reka (today's lake). The complex was probably founded by Bulgarian monks in the ^9th century. But it owes its fame to the Serbian king, then emperor Stefan Dušan (1308-1355). In 1340, he had the catholicon built in honor of the "holy warrior" George to celebrate his victories against the Bulgars and the extension of his territory to the Aegean Sea. The kingdom of the Nemanjić dynasty was then at its peak, constituting for a short time the leading power in Europe. Out of devotion, Stefan Dušan donated the monastery and its outbuildings to the great Serbian monastic complex of Hilandar, on Mount Athos, in Greece. But in 1378, the monastery was entrusted to the Russian monks of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos by two Serbian nobles and brothers who were vassals of the Ottomans: Jovan Dragaš (c. 1343-1378), who ruled over the region of Kumanovo, and Konstantin Dragaš (c. 1350-1395), lord of Velbăžd, Bulgaria. All this appears in the inscriptions of the catholicon.

Frescoes and boat. The frescoes in the narthex (vestibule) were painted in 1608-1609. But most of them were done between 1343 and 1345. The most striking is the one depicting Stefan Dušan honored by St. George. He is surrounded by his wife Helena and their son, then 9-10 years old, the future Stefan Uroš V, known as "the Weak", who will make the Serbian Empire collapse in 1371. Below, another family portrait, painted around 1378, appears: that of Jovan Dragaš, with his wife, his son and his mother in nun's habit. In the nave, a fresco intrigues: we see Joseph threatening Mary. This could be an allegory of the bedtime at the court of King Dušan. Note also the carved wooden cross (1584) of the iconostasis (1679). To be able to admire this, you have to go to Resava, in the northeast of the lake. There, fishermen and boat owners offer their services. The crossing takes about 1h30 by normal boat and 15 minutes by fast boat. Prices vary from 1 200 to 4 000 MKD.

This lovely little Orthodox monastery (Манастир Свети Архангел Михаил) was founded in 1840 from a church dating from 1818. Around a neat lawn, the buildings adopt the čardak style with exposed beams and woodwork. The church is half sunken into the ground: the Ottomans then required new churches to be discreet, especially in urban areas like this. The nuns who occupy the place are generally very welcoming with the visitors.

This triple-naved Orthodox church (Црква Свети Илија) is one of the only buildings in Dojran to survive the wars of the early ^20th century. Built by the Bulgarians in 1848, it was ravaged by fire in 1916, hit by artillery ... Bulgarian. Left without a roof for a century, it was restored and reopened for worship in 2020 with a completely white interior for the moment. A little higher up, the Greek church of Saint George (1911) remains in a state of ruin.

This ancient site (Археолошки Локалитет Стоби/Arheološki Lokalitet Stobi) is the most important in Northern Macedonia. Among other things, it houses a theater with 7,000 seats, beautiful mosaics and several early Christian basilicas. It is about the vestiges of the ancient city of Stobi. Founded by the Peonians around the ^sixth century BC, it was then occupied by the Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines. The city benefited from a strategic position, at the crossroads of several land routes and at the confluence of the Axios (Vardar) and Erigon (Crna Reka) rivers. Covering an area of 24 ha, the site extends over 700 m in length and 350 m in width. Nowadays, Stobi is located between the R 1102 and the E-75 freeway and had an important influence. In the ^3rd century BC, it was the capital of the Peonians. This people occupied the territory of North Macedonia as well as the south of Bulgaria and Albania. But it is especially during the Roman and Byzantine period that the city knew a real rise, becoming a hearth of Christianity and even, in the^5th century, the seat of the province of Macedonia Salutaris which covered the north of Greece. The decline was then rapid: Stobi was plundered by the Ostrogoths, devastated by an earthquake in 518, before being abandoned a few decades later.

Gladiators in 3D. Among the remains, we note in particular the emblematic mosaic of the peacock, in the episcopal basilica of the ^fourth century. For Christians, this bird symbolized the resurrection. On the panels - quite succinct in explanations - we discover with astonishment a "synagogue basilica" and a "casino". In the first case, it is a former Jewish place of worship transformed into a church: the first Christians were often from Jewish communities. As for the "casino", it is in fact an episcopal residence (with beautiful mosaics) in which were discovered a bronze table with small dice. As for the great theater, it is possible to visit it with an augmented reality helmet. We find ourselves immersed in the monument as it was in the ^second century, when it was used for gladiatorial combat. In the middle of 700 virtual spectators, we follow the fighters during their preparation and during a ceremony, before seeing them fight. This visit is organized every half hour from 10am and requires registration online and then by phone.

Located in the place called Manastir/Манастир ("monastery"), the ruins of this three-aisled basilica date from the early ^4th century. Local tradition has it that the apostle Paul, during his third journey to Macedonia (between 53 and 58), celebrated his first baptism at this very spot, at the confluence of the Vardar and Bošava rivers. Several buildings were subsequently built, destroyed and rebuilt. In the adjoining medieval necropolis, an icon carved in stone of St. John the Theologian from the ^10th-12th century was discovered in 1952 and is now on display in Skopje.

Opened in 1976, this municipal museum (Музеј-Галерија Кавадарци) has four collections. Archaeology: fishing and hunting tools from the Neolithic period, funerary stelae from the Roman period in the courtyard, etc. Ethnological: traditional dress of the region, everyday objects from the ^18th and ^19th centuries, viticulture, etc. History: homage to two local figures linked to musical traditions, weapons of the rebellion movements against the Ottomans and the partisans of the Second World War, etc. Fine arts: local painters and temporary exhibitions.

This beautiful late ^19th-century corbelled house (Спомен-Куќа на Кочо Рацин) is the birthplace of the poet Kočo Racin (1908-1943). Considered the father of Macedonian literature, yet he spent part of his childhood working here, in his father's pottery workshop, now reconstructed. Other beautiful houses of figures of the city are preserved in the same neighborhood: houses Kasapovi, Glavinov, Konstantinov... Other historical buildings are visible on the left bank: houses Paunovi, Trenčovi..

This Orthodox monastery (Манастир Свети Никита/Manastir Sveti Nikita) houses remarkable ^14th-century frescoes. Dedicated to the holy martyr Nicetas the Goth (^4th century), it was founded in the ^12th century and restored in 1308 by the Serbian king Milutin. The catholicon (main church) has a typical Byzantine exterior decoration made of layers of stone and red brick. The interior is decorated with frescoes made in 1324 by the great Greek artists Michail Astrapas and Eftychios, whose works can be found in Greece, Serbia, Kosovo and Northern Macedonia. At the altar level stand the Fathers of the Church in adoration before the Lamb, a reminder of the sacrifice of Christ. Above, Christ in sakkos (Byzantine liturgical garment) administers the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist). The south wall contains the best preserved and most detailed elements: various saints, miracles of Christ and the Passion cycle. Part of the frescoes was restored at the end of the ^15th century by painters from Kastoria (Greek Macedonia) and the monastery of Treskavec (near Prilep) in respect of the original work. Some alterations were made to the representations of the great feasts (northern part), of Saints Peter and John the Baptist and on part of the upper area of the altar. New frescoes were made in 1846-1847 by Dičo Zografos, a great mijak painter from Debar. The latter intervened on the dome and painted the icons of the iconostasis.

Located in a small and poor Turkish neighborhood, this Orthodox monastery (Манастирот на Светите Петнаесет Тивериополски Свештеномаченици/Manastirot na Svetite Petnaeset Tiveriopolski Sveštenomačenici) is home to a modern church (1974) that isn't beautiful at all. But it is more than worth a visit. Already, it has a remarkable collection of 66 icons from the Middle Ages to the ^19th century. Above all, the complex contains the well-preserved remains of a triple nave basilica from the ^6th century. It was built as a burial place for fifteen or sixteen Christian martyrs executed around 361-362, when the city was called Tiberiopolis ("the city of [the emperor] Tiberius" in Greek). This group was led by bishops Timothy and Theodore who had come from Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) to flee persecution in Asia Minor and convert the local population. They and their followers were put to death by order of the Roman authorities in Thessaloniki. Excavations conducted on site between 1972 and 2008 have uncovered a central tomb and 22 other graves, fragments of mosaic and the oldest fresco of North Macedonia representing some of the fifteen martyrs. The basilica was destroyed during the invasions of Slavs and Avars in the ^seventh century, rebuilt in the ninth and ^tenth centuries, then destroyed again in the ^fifteenth century, at the beginning of the Ottoman period. In the monastery complex, one can also enjoy the pleasant garden where turtles and peacocks live.

This Orthodox monastery (Марков Манастир/Markov Manastrir) houses remarkable ^14th-century frescoes. It is named after the Serbian prince Marko Kraljević (1335-1395), a vassal of the Ottomans and the last Christian ruler of the region. It was founded by his father, Vukašin Mrnjavčević, in 1346. Around the catholicon (main church) dedicated to St. Demetrios, there is a pleasant garden, a konak (inn) with a small museum, lodgings, a campanile, a well, workshops, a bakery, a mill and St. Mark's chapel. The monastery is remarkable in that it was one of the few Christian buildings preserved during the conquest of Skopje by the Ottomans in 1392. An important intellectual center until the ^19th century, it has been occupied again since 1991 by a small community of nuns preparing a very good rakija. Built between 1346 and 1377, the catholicon follows a simple cross plan, with a narthex (vestibule), a central dome supported by four columns and a smaller dome on its western side. An exonarthex was added in 1830, by the Ottoman aristocrat Hamzi Paşa. The interior houses a beautiful carved wooden iconostasis (some of whose icons were stolen in 2013).

Frescoes. The walls are entirely covered by the original ^14th-century frescoes, made by anonymous painters and on the whole well preserved. A vast cycle is dedicated to the twelve great Orthodox feasts: Nativity of the Mother of God, Nativity of Christ, Entry into Jerusalem, Dormition of the Mother of God, etc. Next to the iconostasis is Christ Pantocrator ("Almighty") wearing the attributes of the Byzantine emperors and surrounded by two archangels and St. John the Baptist with wings, with the Virgin Queen on her right with her mantle embroidered with large crosses, the scenes representing Saints Demetrios (above the entrance door) and Nicholas, as well as that of the Massacre of the Innocents (an episode recounted in the Gospel according to Matthew, according to which Herod, king of Judea, ordered the murder of all children under two years of age after the birth of Jesus), which illustrates the concern for realism of the painters of the time. Finally, on the north wall, the portrait of Marko Kraljević and that of Vukašin Mrnjavčević were rediscovered on either side of the entrance door during restoration work in 1963. King Marko is depicted in royal attire, burnt ochre color, decorated with pearls and precious stones, holding in his hand the text relating the foundation of the monastery in Old Serbian Slavonic.

Called Корешница in Macedonian and Koreşnik in Turkish, this village in the municipality of Demir Kapija has a population of 500, half of whom are Turks, about 100 Serbs, and about 100 Macedonians. Surrounded by stone quarries, it is famous for the tomb of the^5th century BC which was discovered in 1996. It housed the most beautiful ancient object in the country: the Korešnica crater, a Greek bronze wine vase 1.20 m high. Unfortunately, this one was acquired by the American collector Shelby White who refuses to return it to Northern Macedonia.

A national institution founded in 1992, this museum (Национална Установа-Музеј Гевгелија/Nacionalna Ustanova-Muzej Gevgelija) is housed in the former Vladov konak, a mansion built in 1906. The main hall houses about 350 objects from the Vardarski Rid site, especially those from the period of the Macedonian kingdom (^4th-1st century BC): a 61 cm statue of Aphrodite, coins minted under various Macedonian kings (including Alexander III, known as "the Great"), jewelry, luxury ceramics, red clay figurines, including the seated one depicting the Phrygian goddess Cybele, etc. We go back in time with the previous occupants of the same site: beautiful bronze objects left by the Peonians (^7th-6th century B.C.) and superb ceramic jugs from the tomb of a Bronze Age child (^13th-12th century B.C.). The rest of the archaeological collection consists of finds from other sites in the region, especially the Isar site near the village of Marvinci/Марвинци, 19 km north of Gevgelija (GPS: 41.283333, 22.498056). This site that can be visited freely had a strong development with the Greco-Roman city of Idomene. There is also a beautiful set of bronze bracelets and pendants (700-650 BC) from the site of Milci, near the border post. Finally, the museum houses small collections of ethnology, art and history as well as a store selling reproductions of the most beautiful archaeological objects exhibited here.

Located at 600 m above sea level, in the middle of an oak forest, this Orthodox monastery (Кучевишки Манастир/Kučeviški Manastir) houses amazing frescoes from the ^16th and ^17th centuries. Dedicated to the archangels Michael and Gabriel, it was founded in 1330 by the Serbian lord Radoslav Hlapen, and then repeatedly modified. The catholicon (main church), in particular, was equipped with a narthex around 1630. The most surprising parts of its frescoes are on the upper parts of the east and west walls. In the great scene of the Last Judgment, the artists give a very free interpretation of the "Vision of the Four Beasts" from the Book of Daniel announcing the coming of the kingdom of God. Each ruler of a "perishing kingdom" is associated with a wild beast: a lion for Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon), a bear for Porus (a Greek king of India), a wolfhound for Cyrus (Persia) and a leopard for Alexander the Great (Macedonia). This composition is also a rare example of Christian art in which Ottoman Turks - here wearing the fez - and Jews who arrived from Spain, here in the company of Moses, are represented. Opposite is the Tree of Jesse, which presents the presumed genealogy of Christ from Jesse, father of King David. In the form of a climbing vine are 88 portraits and 22 scenes. The first row at the bottom, partially erased, contains the portraits of eleven pagan figures from antiquity considered to be precursors of Christianity. Six have been identified: the philosophers Socrates (^5th from the left), Plato (^7th) and Aristotle (^8th), the physician Galen (^9th), a sibyl linked to the cult of Apollo (^10th) and the historian Plutarch (^11th).

Cryptograms. The church itself was repainted in 1591 with an incredible number of scenes and details in every corner. The windowsills, for example, have cryptograms that can only be deciphered with a code kept in the Serbian monastery of the Patriarchate of Peć, now in Kosovo. Some scenes are unique or very rare: the forty martyrs of Sebaste (dome), Judas plotting with the Jewish priests (very damaged), Judas vomiting wine in the scene of the communion of the Apostles, Arius, the inspirer of Arianism that tore the Church apart in the^fifth century, being devoured by a monster in hell, etc. As for the narthex, the artists who worked here are anonymous. But the presence of a rare depiction of St. Achilles of Larissa indicates that at least some of these late ^{sixteenth-century} artists came from Thessaly, Greece.

Nestled in a forest, 750 m above sea level, this Orthodox monastery (Љубански Mанастир/Ljubanski Manastir) is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. It was founded in 1337 by a Serbian noblewoman, destroyed in the ^18th century and rebuilt in the ^mid-19th century. Restored in 1998, it now houses a small community of nuns. The visit is especially worthwhile for the icons in the catholicon (main church), made in 1853 by the great painter Dičo Zografos, and for the 5 km trail leading to Mount Svinjski Kamen, at 1,628 m above sea level. The nuns are good advice for this hike.

Dating from 1925, this cathedral (Католичка Катедрална/Katolika Katedralna) is the seat of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church, most of whose 11,000 faithful, of the Byzantine rite, reside in the Strumica area. Built of brick, it has a richly decorated ceiling and a large carved wooden iconostasis. Like the unfinished Orthodox cathedral in Strumica, it is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God (Успение на Пресвета Богородица).

The site of the "Vardar Hill" (Вардарски Рид) was occupied from the ^13th century BC. The main remains visible today are those of Gortynia, a Hellenic colony of the Kingdom of Macedonia inhabited between the ^4th and ^1st centuries BC: stoa (gallery of artisans and traders), agora (market), warehouses and workshops of the acropolis, "house of the tax collector".In the summer months, the inhabitants of Gevgelija come to picnic and climb the observation tower.

This beautiful Orthodox monastery (Водочки Mанастир/Vodočki Manastir) is located in the village of Vodoča (300 inhabitants). Dedicated to St. Leone of Tripoli, it was founded in 1018 by the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, just after the defeat of the Bulgarian Empire. Occupied by nuns renowned for their icons, the complex has four churches rebuilt over the centuries. The catholicon preserves the marble floor of a basilica of the ^5th-6th century, the apse of a church of the ^9th-10th century and some frescos of another of the ^14th century, destroyed by an earthquake in 1931.

Founded in 1964, this museum (Музеј Куманово) is housed in a villa dating from 1926. The entrance is through the garden, where medieval stelae with Old Slavic inscriptions are presented. The departments of archaeology and history occupy the first floor: objects from the site of Kokino (near Staro Nagoričane), beautiful collection of pre-Roman jewelry, photos of the revolts of the ^twentieth century, etc. Upstairs, the ethnology department: costumes, jewelry, pottery and everyday objects from the ^19th-20th centuries. We regret the lack of explanations in English.

Nestled in a lush forest 850 meters above sea level, this Orthodox monastery (Осоговски Манастир/Osogovski Manastir) is one of the most beautiful in the country. While its catholicon (main church) dates from the ^19th century, the complex itself was founded in the ^12th century in honor of St. Joachim of Osogovo, a hermit renowned for his miracles who lived in the area in the ^11th century. The complex was remodeled by the Serbian king Stefan Dečanski in the 1320s and became a major center for literary dissemination. Most of the buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in 1585, rebuilt with Russian assistance, and then damaged again in the ^18th century. Abandoned for nearly a century, the monastery was reborn in 1847 under the impetus of a Muslim patron from Kriva Palanka who first built a short-lived mosque, then rebuilt the catholicon in 1851. The conception of this one is entrusted to Andreja Damjanov, to whom we owe notably the church-cathedral of Veles. Here, the architect saw big and was inspired by the Serbo-Byzantine style to build a structure with three naves topped by seven domes.

A real small hotel. Dedicated to Saint Joachim of Osogovo, the church was placed under the protection of Sultan Abdülhamid II, who stayed at the monastery during a military campaign in 1884. This is evidenced by the column supported by props and decorated with a turban-shaped sculpture placed near the church porch. The church houses a small part of the relics of the holy hermit (on the right as you enter), a large iconostasis and large colorful frescoes by the Veles painter Dimitar Papradiški between 1884 and 1932. But it is more the monastery as a whole that is worth visiting, with its buildings, chapels, stairways, gardens, fountains and terraces offering magnificent views of Mount Ruen, to the southeast, the peak of the Osogovo massif, at an altitude of 2,251 meters. Another interest: the monks propose here a real small hotel in a superb old dormitory with a restaurant and six simple but comfortable rooms (Wifi, heating and private bathroom). Of course, the restaurant closes at 7 pm and you have to book for lunch, dinner and breakfast, but few monasteries in the Balkans offer such comfort. The place is ideal for exploring the surrounding hiking trails. However, if you want to be quiet, it is better to avoid staying here in August, when there are many visitors, especially around August 29, the feast day of St. Joachim of Osogovo.

This ^14th-century Orthodox church (Црква Свети Димитрија/Crkva Sveti Dimitrija) retains superb original paintings. In the first area, the large portraits of saints have disappeared, but on the south wall remains the face of St. Demetrios of Thessaloniki, a martyr of the ^fourth century. In the second zone, there is the cycle of the Passion: the entrance to Jerusalem and its little children is particularly joyful. There is also a beautiful wooden cross carved in the ^nineteenth century.

Surrounded by a pleasant garden, this Orthodox church (Црква Свети Константин и Елена/Crkva Sveti Konstantin i Elena) dates from the late ^14th century and was remodeled in 1477. It consists of a vaulted nave with a small transept, an apse and a side chapel placed to the south. The latter has lost its decoration except for a fragment of the fresco of the forty martyrs of Sebaste: a group of Roman legionaries converted to Christianity and died as martyrs on a frozen lake in present-day Turkey in the year 320. But the rest of the building retains its original frescoes (except in the northern part, due to humidity) and beautiful wooden doors with carved decoration. On the south wall, a large damaged fresco depicts St. Constantine, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, founder of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, and his mother, St. Helen, who was canonized for having, it is said, found the relic of the cross of Christ in the Holy Land. Note also a rich scene of the dormition of the Mother of God inspired by that of the church of the Mother of God-Perivleptos as well as the portrait of the donor, the hieromonk Parthenios. The latter is depicted with his family and holds the model of the church that he offered to Christ. Finally, St. Constantine and St. Helen are again depicted on the royal doors of the iconostasis (late ^14th century), which are now kept in the nearby Gallery of Icons.

This artificial lake (Мавровско Езеро/Mavrovsko Ezero) covers 13.7 ^km2, 10 km in length from north to south and 3 km in maximum width. The main tourist attraction of the Mavrovo National Park, it is the country's second-largest man-made lake after Tikveš. It takes its name from the former village of Mavrovo, buried in the southern part of the lake, where the partly submerged Church of St. Nicholas remains. The lake is fed mainly by the Radika, a 70 km-long river that rises in Kosovo and joins the Black Drin south of Debar. It was created in several stages. An earth dam was first built in the ^19th century, to the south, near Mavrovo. The structure was enlarged in 1947, before another 54 m-high concrete dam was built in 1956-1957 to the east, on the Mavrovska River, a tributary of the Radika. It was during construction of this dam that 52 workers were killed by an avalanche in 1956. A beautiful monument pays tribute to them near the dam. The dam operates three hydroelectric power stations with a capacity of 390 million kilowatt-hours. The riverbanks are served by two roads and attract many tourists: swimmers, yachtsmen, fishermen and skiers. The Zare-Lazareski ski resort is located at the southern tip of the lake, near the rebuilt village of Mavrovo (population 200). Finally, on the eastern shore, near the hamlet of Leunovo (pop. 30), stands the large Hotel Radika with its own ski resort.