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BРУEБAРUИTIКFАUL MACEDONIA
Kurbinovo, Slivnica
and Prespa Cross
The summer heat is the perfect reason to es-
cape from the city and leave the hot asphalt
behind. In Macedonia this is not so hard to do. Angel of Kurbinovo.” The image of this saint is painted
After all, our beautiful country offers count-
less opportunities for that at hand. Whether
you will chill in the mountains or by the lake, the choice
is yours, and the combination of the two is a real para-
dise. If you are lovers of pure, primordial, untouched
nature far from urban beaches, crowded and “contami-
nated” by loud music, then you surely will accept our
recommendations to visit the Prespa Region.
Villages of Kurbinovo and Slivnica are situated in
this wonderful area, on the coast of Prespa Lake that
spreads below Pelister Mountain. Both villages have
calm churches and monasteries located some 3-4 kilo-
meters above them, at the beginning of the forest where
you can arrive by car. But, the road leading to the mon-
astery above the village of Slivnica runs up steep hills
that would be a real challenge for beginner drivers.
The church above the village of Kurbinovo, “St.
George”, was built in 1191. The gate of the church is
locked, and to enter there you should ask for the key in
the village. In the center of the village you will always
find some kind old woman who will guide you to the
house where the key is carefully kept. According to art
historians, the frescoes in the church are valuable sam-
ples of the highest achievement in monumental paint-
ing of the east Christian art. Because of that the church
is a cultural monument protected by law, and recently
activities for its restoration have started. It is advisable
that you have a banknote of 50 Macedonian denars with
106 July-August 2016
you when you visit the church, as certainly you would
want to compare it to “St. Archangel Gabriel” or “The
on the east wall of the sanctuary and a segment of the
mural is depicted on the back of the banknote of 50 de-
nars. From the churchyard there is a beautiful view of
Prespa Lake, which you can enjoy sitting on some of the
benches under the old oak tree, while enjoying the peace
and tranquility that only these places can offer.
Slivnica monastery, “St. Virgin Mary”, is about 400
years old and offers the possibility of accommodation
in the restored inn. At this place, believers from all Pre-
spa villages and from the village of Malovishte, located
on the other side of the mountain, gather together on
the great Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of
St. Virgin Mary. This monastery is located deep in the
woods and it offers an incredibly fresh air and shade
ideal for escaping the July and the August heat. It is be-
lieved that the water springs in the monastery courtyard
is healing for women with infertility problems.
After visiting these two villages you can relax and chill
out on one of the nearby beaches, such as the beaches
in the villages Slivnica or Dolno Dupeni that have been
nicely maintained and offer various possibilities for
a day trip or a great weekend with a possibility to find
accommodation in any of the villages such as Asamati,
Pretor, Slivnica etc.
Do not skip the visit to the area Prespa Cross, just
above the village of Podmochani, which a work of the
true patriotic expatriates and local masters.
The climbers are offered two paths. The first is called