The most beautiful natural sites to discover Makedonski Brod

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 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.