Western Macedonia

Last week we had the opportunity to spend some time in Western Macedonia in the area around the ski-ing resort of Mavrovo. Although sadly for him the blog was working rather than ski-ing, the visit did give the opportunity to see a little of the natural beauty of Macedonia!

Mavrovo is a small town that nestles in the mountains on the edge of Lake Mavrovo, and is located very close to some wonderful ski slopes that have been developed without being spoiled. While we were there, winter transformed into spring and hundreds of small waterfalls appeared bringing melt water rushing from the mountains into the lake. It was a truly spectacular sight.

A highlight of our visit was the opprotunity to see one of the many beautiful orthodox monasteries that are located all over Macedonia. This one is dedicated to St John the Baptist and exuded an atmosphere of peace and prayerfullness that could not be ignored.

Although Mavrovo is only one and a half hours drive from the capital city Skopje it is also located very close to the Albanian border-this gives an indication of how small and compact is Macedonia! However, Macedonia is living proof that small can indeed be beautiful. So, stand by and watch for more photos and commentary from this living jewel!