Things to see and do Mount Vodno

Placed at 580 m above sea level, on the northern flank of Mount Vodno, this Orthodox church (Црква Свети Пантелејмон/Crkva Sveti Pantelejmon) is home to exceptional ^12th-century frescoes. Dedicated to St. Pantaleon of Nicomedia, it belonged to a monastery founded in 1164 by the Byzantine imperial Comnenes family (1081-1185). The monastery was active until 1555, when it was partially destroyed by an earthquake. Built of brick and irregular stone blocks, the church has a cross-shaped plan with a main dome mounted on a drum, four secondary domes, three naves and a rectangular narthex. It retains its ^12th-century marble iconostasis, but this lost its decorative elements during the earthquake. The church is surrounded by walls and by buildings of the old complex which normally house a restaurant (closed during our last visit). The church was restored in 1885 and the original frescoes covered with new paintings. The main dome was rebuilt and decorated with a Christ Pantocrator ("Almighty"). During a new restoration in 1923, the ^12th century frescoes were rediscovered. If some parts are missing, the essential of the scenes could be saved. Note in particular the scene of the Lamentation of Christ, on the north wall, under the window.

Realism and emotion. By their bright colors and the purity of their composition, these frescoes are a very rare testimony of the Byzantine art of the Comnenes dynasty, with for only equivalent those of the monastery of Latomou, in Thessalonica, classified as world heritage by Unesco. Created by four or five anonymous painters, probably under the direction of a great master from Constantinople, they are also the first known iconographic representation of the "threne" (lamentation of Christ by the Virgin and burial) which began to develop in the ^12th century in Christendom. Finally, the frescoes of Nerezi are surprising in their realism and emotion, which contrast with the usual static aspect of Byzantine frescoes. They prefigured the work of the Italian Primitives who would develop the humanity and realism of their characters 150 years later, paving the way for the Renaissance movement. The scene of the Lamentation of Christ is reminiscent of the same scene painted by Giotto in the church of the Arena in Padua around 1305.

Perched on Mount Vodno, 1,050 meters above sea level, this futuristic tower of the National Communications Agency (Кула на АЕК) is the tallest building in the country: it is 155 meters high. Adopting a twisted shape, it serves as a communications relay and includes three circular structures housing technical rooms, offices, and a panoramic restaurant that is advertised as rotating. We have not yet been able to test this. After ten years of work, the site was still not finished by mid-2023. But the opening was finally in sight. And what a view!

Brightly lit at night, this 66-meter-high tubular metal structure (Милениумски Крст/Mileniumski Krst) is the fifth largest Christian cross in the world. Located at 1,060 m above sea level, right next to the summit of Mount Vodno, it was erected in 2002 on the initiative of the Macedonian Orthodox Church to celebrate the two millennia of Christianity (its height corresponds to twice the Christic age). This symbol of identity, built one year after the civil war of 2001, was strongly criticized by Albanians and Muslims in the country.

Located at 570 m above sea level, this tourist area (Средно Водно) is home to the departure station of the cable car that reaches the top of Mount Vodno and the tourist area of Krstovar. There is also a pleasant park here, picnic areas, cafes-restaurants, souvenir sellers and the Vodno Hotel, which has been closed since 2019. The views are already beautiful, but that's nothing compared to what awaits you at the top. Please note: there is a parking fee on weekends via an app.

This tourist area (Крстовар, pronounced "krastovar") has the most beautiful views of the Skopje region. It is located at the top of Mount Vodno, around the highest point, Krstovar peak, at 1,066 m above sea level. The latter bears the name "Place of the Cross" since the Ottoman period. It now houses the Millennium Cross, the AEK tower, the arrival station of the Millennium Cross cable car, the Dare-Džambaz guesthouse, cafes and restaurants, a playground and picnic tables. It is also a popular site for mountaineers and the starting and ending point of many hiking trails, one of which allows you to reach the Matka canyon in about 3 hours. By the way, since 2018, passes here, in March, the Vodno-Matka marathon (vodnomatka.mk), which starts from the tourist area of Sdreno Vodno. It is not quite a marathon, since the course is "only" 40.6 km. But it is still a dreaded race because of its 2 680 m of difference in altitude. Since the construction of the cable car in 2011, the Krstovar peak can be enjoyed with much less effort. Many Skopians come here even in the middle of winter, when the summit is covered with snow and the thermometer shows -20°C. The view from here is breathtaking, not only of the Skopje agglomeration, but also of the Mokra Planina ("wet mountain" to the south, 2,540 m) and the Skopska Crna Gora (to the northeast, on the Serbian border, 1,651 m).