Destinations

BICYCLE TOUR THROUGH THE REPUBLIC OF KRUSHEVO

At an altitude of 1,220 meters, Krushevo is the only mountainous town in Macedonia and the highest town on the Balkans as well. The city got its present form with the arrival of the Vlachs from Moskopole and the Mijaks from the surrounding area, during the 18th century. Together with the Vlachs, a large number of Orthodox Albanians came to Krushevo, who in the course of history became Vlachs. In the city, in addition to Macedonian language being an official one, the Vlach language (according to the new decision of the Kruševo City Council dated May 30, 2006) and the Albanian language are official, too.
Krushevo is a small town of just over 5,000 inhabitants, tightly knit as all isolated mountain communities seem to be. The topography has protected Krushevo from change over the decades and as a result, it feels a little locked in time.
Kruševo literally means ``a place of pears`` in Macedonian language, a sweet name for an undeniably beautiful piece of land. In summer and autumn, the trees drop plums, pears and figs on fields of tobacco leaves, and in winter, the hills turn into ski slopes.
However, beneath the quiet, peaceful life, Krushevo has long been known for the fierce fighting spirit that fueled the grassroots rebel liberation movement in 1903. The Ilinden uprising originated from Krushevo. It began by appeal to the people of all ethnicities and religions to unite against the ruling Ottoman Sultanate, and ended by declaring the Republic of Kruševo, the only self-governing region in the Ottoman Empire at the time.
The Krushevo Republic was short-lived – it lasted only 10 days. In retaliation, the soldiers executed nearly 10,000 people and destroyed most of the city. But it was a key moment in shaping the narrative around Krushevo. The people here fought hard to maintain their traditions and independence in a time of struggle - and there was a lot of it.
Various sports and cultural events, festivals, presentations, workshops are organized in Krushevo throughout the year. The tradition here is at the highest level, the large number of church buildings and cultural and historical monuments will not leave you indifferent and will fulfill every moment of your stay. Among the many facilities, let's point out: The Ilinden Monument (Macedonium): The Uprising also gave the town its most famous landmark. If you have heard of Krushevo before, it is probably in the context with the Ilinden Monument, a distinctive monument (war memorial from the Yugoslav era). It was unveiled on August 2, 1974 on the day of the thirtieth anniversary of the meeting of ASNOM and the 71st anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising. The monument marks the insubordination, struggle and eternal striving of the Macedonian people for freedom and an independent state. Locally known as Makedonium, this building has won many international accolades, including the one of the top 10 most unique buildings in the world by “Architecture and Design”.
The interior is just as interesting as the exterior profile, so I strongly urge you to pay the ticket price and venture inside. Each ``node`` is a deep alcove - the upper rows are equipped with either a stained glass window (a set of four panels designed by the artist Borko Lazeski, representing the four seasons) or a skylight.
The Museum of the Ilinden Uprising and the Krushevo Republic is located in the old town 19th century house, in which the Krushevo Republic was proclaimed in 1903. Original exhibits of weapons, cards, maps, photographs are located here, which logically depict the events related to the Ilinden epic.
Memorial: Todor Proeski's home represents a grandiose and unique project with a specific purpose and reason for construction. The memorial was opened on April 25, 2011. The facility has an area of 870 square meters and is in the shape of a cross.
It represents a monument to a man who was, still is, and will remain a moral beacon and guide for all people. Tose Proeski was one of the biggest music stars in the Balkans, but his early death cut short his brilliant career. A museum that you must visit and learn more about the Macedonian music idol Toshe. The monastery complex dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord: it is located in the village of Ruchalo at altitude of about 1642 m., in a beautiful and picturesque natural environment. From Krushevo, to the north, the complex is about 8 km away. It is located near the locality ``Sliva``. The monastery was vandalistically destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century, and was restored in 1986. This monastery is a transition point for mountain bikers and mountaineers on the way to Musica, at an altitude of 1,780. And this monastery is connected to Toshe
Proeski, who dedicated his whole life to the restoration of this monastery.
Mechkin Kamen: Mechkin Kamen is one of the most famous localities near Krushevo. This locality is known for the historical battle that took place on August 2, 1903, in defense of the Krushevo Republic. Duke Pitu Guli died heroically in this legendary battle, with almost his entire revolutionary troop fighting bravely against the stronger opponent - the army of Bakhtiar Pasha and the bashibozuk. A monument was built on this site in honor of Pitu Guli and his revolutionary troop who bravely fought for the Republic of Krushevo. In addition to these, there are also recreational centers in Krushevo for every choice in all 4 weather seasons. The Stanich ski center, for instance, has three tracks, two ski lifts and a two-seater cable car that takes you from the town, through a beech forest, directly to the slopes. The paths have different difficulty levels: the easy one 350m long, the medium 400m one and a path with an advanced level of 700m under the two-seater cable car.
The paragliding sport with the flying platform is the number 1 attraction in Krushevo. World and European championships, world cups in paragliding are held here, and thousands of paragliders stay even for several months.
Monastery tourism is also very attractive - including visits to the four town churches (St. Nicholas, St. John, the one dedicated to Holy Mother of God and the other dedicated to The Holy Trinity) and the three monasteries (Ascension of Jesus Christ, St. Basil and the Transfiguration of the Lord).
In addition to other sports, two cycling events are held in Krusevo, namely @When In Krusevo and @Krusevo through forest, which attract a lot of attention and a large number of cyclists and mountaineers. If you want to be a direct participant in these events, follow them on one of the social networks (link to the events of both events).
For enthusiasts of mountain biking, there are a number of trails in Krushevo that will delight you with the beautiful scenery. One of them is the bicycle path #KrushevoNizKorija which takes you to the highest point Musica at an altitude of 17887m.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Krushevo has a huge number of hiking trails, cycling trails, an artificial lake suitable for kayaking, church tourism where you can visit the great number of churches and monasteries in the very town and its surrounding.
We recommend you two cycling trails and one hiking trail, and for more options, take a look at the tourist link from Krushevo
Bicycle path: Kruševo through Forest (Krushevo niz korija), small path
Bicycle path: Kruševo through Forest (Krushevo niz korija), a large path

TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS:

You can reach Krushevo from several routes:
- The first is from Prilep, with a length of 20 km along a regional two-way road (all roads around Krushevo are two-way. Total travel time by car is 30-40 minutes.
- Via regional road Bitola-Demir Hisar-Krushevo. This road is very scenic and you won't go wrong if you choose this option. The Bitola-Krushevo route is 53 km long and it takes about 1 hour driving by car.
- Through the regional road Kichevo-Demir Hisar-Krushevo, 57.3 km long which takes about 70 minutes by car.
- Veles-Bogomila-Gostirazni-Dolneni-Krivogashtani-Krushevo route, which is longer, and on which you should pay close attention, considering that part of the road is not in good condition.
- Road infrastructure
- Kruševo is located in the southwestern part of the Pelagonian Valley, at the spring of the Krushevska River, which divides the city into two parts. Krushevo is a town that stretches between the cities of Prilep (32 km. west), Bitola (52.5 km. north) and Demir Hisar (25 km north) and 168 km from the capital Skopje. Krushevo is connected with these towns via the following regional road routes:
-  Krusevo – Prilep – Skopje;
-  Krushevo – Prilep – Bitola – Ohrid.
The following regional roads pass through the Municipality of Krushevo:
- 1. P1 regional roads;
-  Regional road 1306: Prilep – Krivogashtani – Krushevo – Sladuevo;
- 2. R2 regional roads;
-  Regional road 2337: Kruševo - Pusta Reka - Prostranje.
- The nearest highway is the M5 route, which passes near Prilep.
- The town of Krushevo is distant:
-  160km from Skopje Airport;
-  150km from Ohrid Airport;
-  250km from the airport in Thessaloniki, Greece.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACCOMMODATION CAPACITIES: Kruševo is full of hotel and apartment accommodation facilities. Review the Kruševo’s website and choose according to your taste.

Bicycle path

Bicycle path: Kruševo through Forest, a small path

Link from the track: https://www.wikiloc.com/mountain-biking-trails/krushevo-niz-korija-mala-pateka-120270631

Start point: 1416 m

Total distance: 27,78 km

Max elevation: 1582 m

Min elevation: 1221 m

Total climbing: + 827m

Total descent: – 1,000m

Average speed: 11.1 km/h

Max Grade: 25.2%

Total moving time: 04:23:21 h

Download file:

*For any standing outdoor activities, contact the site moderator.

**If you are interested in a hiking escort, contact us and we will provide you with a local mountain guide:

 

Bicycle path: Kruševo through Forest, a large path

Link from the track:https://www.wikiloc.com/mountain-biking-trails/krushevo-niz-korija-golema-pateka-120270534

Start point: 1416 m

Total distance: 35,84 km

Max elevation: 1798 m

Min elevation: 1251 m

Total climbing: + 1125 м

Total descent: – 1125 м

Average speed: 10.6 km/h

Max Grade: 27.2%

Total time: 06:11:00 h

Download file:

 

Hiking trails

Length in one direction: 13.95 km
Difficulty: 7/10
Climbing time: 6 hours & 5 min
Altitude difference: 687 m
Starting point: 611 m
Download file:
*For any outdoor activities, contact the site moderator.
**If you are interested in a hiking escort, contact us and we will provide you with a local mountain guide:

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT VELES BIKING:

Veles Biking Bicycle Group – Veles is the founder of this website. If you are interested in an escort for cycling or hiking tours, please contact us:

e-mail: velesbiking@gmail.com

web: www.velesbiking.mk

Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/velesmountbiking/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bikingveles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BikingVeles

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWUMfWbeG3OmjfElqCctmQ

mob. phone: +38976376040

STORY ABOUT THE LOCATION/REGION:

Full of history, culture, beautiful buildings, many, many green areas – that’s Krushevo. One of the few places where you can spend days visiting various localities and not get bored.

Krushevo is synonym for heroism and this is reflected in many Krushevo localities, monuments, museums. Heroism is mostly associated with the Krushevo Republic since 1903, but the contribution of the partisans, that is, this phase of history, is not left out.

Krushevo is an important historical place not only because of the battles that were fought, but also because of the very development of Krushevo which included different ethnic communities. Today, Krushevo is a trilingual municipality and a symbol of cooperation between different ethnicities that dates back for centuries.

One of the places that I visit with particular joy at least 2-3 times a year. It doesn’t matter what season – winter, summer, spring, autumn – it doesn’t matter. Krusevo will welcome you like a host, with coffee, Turkish delight and a glass of water.

First let’s deal with sleep. Where to sleep in Krushevo? Currently there are two large hotels that meet all needs for hotel accommodation. Hotel Monatana and . In addition to this, there are a large number of domestic offers for accommodation in Krushevo. Considering that outdoor camping is still allowed in Macedonia and it’s free, my option is – a tent on Mechkin Kamen. A place that is rarely found anywhere else, with special peace and tranquility, with some unusual adrenaline – even though you are not active. You won’t regret it, just bring your camping equipment and go to Mechkin Kamen. And yes, if you plan to ride a bike, be at the Mechkin Kamen in the middle of August every year. The cycling festival #KrushevoNizKorija is taking place. We won’t add special details, just be there during that time – that’s enough.

And what about food? It’s also easy and affordable. Any of the restaurants in Krushevo offer wonderful and delicious food with their specialties, such as “Krushevo chomlek”. If you are a big gourmet, it’s best to come to Krushevo in September when the “Taste Krushevo” Food and Culture Festival is held and taste from the many of Krushevo and Macedonian specialties.

Although in Krushevo you can choose many adventure destinations and sports that will fill you with adrenaline, we recommend a bicycle path with a start and finish in Mechkin kamen (right, we recommended that camping at Mechkin kamen is one of the biggest adventures here).

 

The bicycle tour starts at an altitude of 1410 m., from the Mechkin Kamen area and immediately at the start passes by the famous paraglider resort. Here, you can meet paragliders literally from all over the world. Further, the trail passes through the ski center “Stanich” and the children’s resort “Shula Mina”. In a combination of off road and some asphalt paths, somewhere in the first third of the path you enter a forest part, which is below the Cross, and thus you meditate on two wheels until the 20th km, where you turn to the right for the Musica peak. You don’t need food in this area, because mother nature has provided you with everything. In spring there are strawberries, and in autumn blackberries, raspberries and all other natural herbs and plants.

After almost 3 hours of driving, you climb to the top of Musica, from where you can see almost half of the Macedonian mountain massif. From Solunska Glava, to Ilinska, Plakenska mountain and Bigla, which is on the opposite side (towards Lake Ohrid). For those who know Macedonia well, they can also find and see Korab, Jablanica and many other peaks… After a short break, the trail gets an adrenaline rush for enthusiasts of a good downhill. For the rest, you have to drive a little slower, to have enough enjoyment. All the way to the monastery dedicated to thhe Transfiguration of the Lord. There, break again, taking phiotos, a visit to the monastery. From there, again along an extraordinary off-road path and beautiful picturesque landscapes through Krushevo forest, all the way to the “Sliva” monument, which historically has the same great significance as Mechkin Kamen. And here, regularly, it’s time to take photos for the “memory” folder and we continue towards the Makedonium and the town of Krushevo; so that after some 5 hours of driving, you arrive in Krushevo, where you can enjoy a good beer in one of the bars in the downtown or return to Mechkin Kamen – the choice is up to you.

Finally, it is again an individual choice whether you continue cycling, mountain climbing or paragliding the next day. Or you will taste the delicious Macedonian cuisine. Anyway, the choice is yours, and the offer is huge….

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