Excursion 1:
The famous Vevcani springs are some of the most famous springs to be found in the Republic of Macedonia. The springs are located on the eastern slope of the Jablanica mountain range which run through the village of Vevcani at an approximately sea level altitude at over 900 meters. The largest spring is located at the opening of one of the many caves in the region.
The Monastery of Saint Jovan Bigorski is a Macedonian Orthodox monastery located in the western part of Macedonia, near the road connecting the towns of Debar and Gostivar. The monastery church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. According to the monastery’s 1833 chronicle, it was built in 1020 by Ivan I Debranin.
Gari is a small village in the western mountains of Macedonia within the municipality of Debar. It was originally inhabited by Miyak people, a minority group in the country. The village was first noted in documents from the 15th century. The master wood-carver Petar Filopović (Filopovski) and his brother Marko lived in the village but traveled to create some of the finest iconostases in Macedonia during the early 19th century. The village is reputed to have some of the best examples of traditional Miyak dwelling structures.
Excursion 2:
Monastery St.Naum-National park Galicica-Village Trpejca-Bay of Bones
Naum was one of the founders of the Pliska Literary School (later Preslav Literary School) where he worked between 886 and 893. After Clement was ordained bishop of Drembica (Velika) in 893, Naum continued Clement’s work at the Ohrid Literary School. In 905 Naum founded a monastery at Lake Ohrid, R.Macedonia.
On the southern coast of Gradiste Peninsula in the Bay of Bones, a pile-dwelling settlement has been erected, which in the past was spreading at a total surface of 8.500 m2. It is an authentic reconstruction of a part of the pile-dwelling settlement, dating back between 1200 and 700 BC.
There is a National park on the Macedonian side of the mountain, situated between the two biggest lakes in the republic: Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. It stretches on an area of 227 square kilometers (88 mi2). Beautiful views across the lakes and neighbouring mountains can be seen from the Galicica peaks. The highest one is peak Magaro (2254 m).
Excursion 3:
Ancient city Heraclea-Ancient city Stobi-Winery Popova Kula
Heraclea was an ancient Macedonian city in the north-western region of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. It was founded by the ancient Macedonian ruler Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC in Lynkestis, after its conquest, rather than by Philip V of Macedon in 2nd century BC.
Stobi (mod. Gradsko) was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and later still incorporated into the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris (now in the Republic of Macedonia).
Republic of Macedonia represents one grape growing area, which geographically can be divided into three grape growing regions: 1. Povardarie region (Vardar valley, i.e. Central Region ) – includes 83% of the total production 2. Pelagonia-Polog region (Western Region) – includes 13% of the total production 3. Pchinya–Osogovo (Eastern Region) – includes 4% of the total production Demir Kapija valley lays on the southeast part of the Tikveshiya grape growing sub-region that is a part of the Povardarie region. The oldest archeological findings proving that people in this area have grown vineyards and have made wine date 13 century b.c. The Popova Kula Winery and vineyards are located on the south slopes of the Grand Hill (Veliko Brdo) west of the lovely town of Demir Kapija and close to the highway E-75.
