Abbeys monasteries and convents Matka Canyon

This elegant Orthodox monastery (Манастир Матка/Manastir Matka) is occupied by nuns famous for their textile workshop: liturgical vestments for the clergy of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, embroidered icons, but also handbags with folk or modern designs. Founded around 1337, the complex is dedicated to the dormition of the Mother of God. It consists of a large, well-kept garden and buildings from different periods, including a beautiful little church dating from 1497. The church contains remarkable frescoes from the ^15th and ^16th centuries.

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.