Eastern North Macedonia - Macedonia del Nord orientale

Eastern North Macedonia
Grad Delcevo.JPG
Location
Eastern North Macedonia - Location
Coat of arms
Eastern North Macedonia - Coat of Arms
State
Institutional website

Eastern North Macedonia is a touristic-geographical region of the North Macedonia.

To know

Geographical notes

The area in question is located east of the Vardar River. It has hilly features with minor reliefs, and includes Lake Dojran, located on the border between Greece, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

Background

The territory of present-day North Macedonia has been part, over the centuries, of numerous ancient states and empires. Peony, ancient Macedonia, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire; in the VI-VII century A.D. the first Slavs arrived and later the medieval states of Bulgaria and Serbia were formed. In the 15th century the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.

Following the two Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, it became part of Serbia and was recognized as Јужна Србија (Južna Srbija, "Southern Serbia"). After the First World War, Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was renamed Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called "banovina". The territory of modern North Macedonia became the Province of Vardar (Vardarska Banovina).

In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers. The Vardarska Banovina province was divided between Bulgaria and Italy, which at the time occupied Albania. The rigid government that the occupying forces established in the area encouraged many Macedonian Slavs to support the resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito, who became the president of Yugoslavia at the end of the war. After the conclusion of the Second World War, the People's Republic of Macedonia in Yugoslavia became one of the six republics of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. Following the renaming of the Yugoslav Federation to the Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the Federal Republic of Macedonia was renamed in the same way Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The republic renamed itself the Republic of Macedonia in 1991, when it peacefully separated from Yugoslavia. It entered into formal conflict with Greece over the official name of the state after its declaration of independence, and in 2013 the dispute persists.

The Republic of Macedonia remained at peace during the Yugoslav Civil War in the early 1990s but was partially involved in the Kosovo War in 1999, when some 360,000 Albanians fled from Kosovo to the country. The refugees quickly returned to their region at the end of the war, but shortly thereafter, Albanian radicals on both sides of the border took up arms to claim autonomy or independence for the Albanian-majority areas of the republic. A small civil war was fought and the ethnic Albanians rebelled, especially in the north and east of the country, in March / June 2001. The conflict was concluded with the intervention of a small NATO monitoring contingent and with the government's commitment to culturally recognize the Albanian minority.

When to go

The climate is cold and snowy in the winter and hot and humid in the summer. It is advisable to go to these areas in late spring.

Spoken languages

The major language is Macedonian, a language of the South Slavic lineage, followed by Albanian, Turkish, Bulgarian and Romani.

Territories and tourist destinations

Urban centers

  • Berovo - Backed by the Bregalnica River, Berovo is located at 830-900m (2,723-2,953ft) above sea level and can be reached by car using a single paved road leading into the city. Berovo Lake and Maleshevo Mountains Forest are two popular spots for tourists and Berovo craftsmen are famous for their traditional woodworking skills. Berovo cheese is also a well known commodity. Furthermore, the Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael and the respective convent can be visited.
  • Bogdanci - Small town, near the border with Greece. It is located at approximately 41 ° 12'11 "N 22 ° 34'32" E, and is the seat of the Municipality of Bogdanci.
  • Delčevo - The RKC Golak center is located just 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Delcevo at 1300m above sea level, below the peak (1358m) of Mount Golak. Away from the noise of the city, the beautiful greenery, clean fresh air and the cold, crystal clear water of the mountain are just what visitors need. In winter, under a thick blanket of snow, Mount Golak (mk) offers unforgettable and unique views.
  • Dojran - Located on the western shore of Lake Dojran in the southeastern part of North Macedonia. Today, it is a collective name for two villages on the territory of the ruined city: Nov (new) Dojran (set from the end of WWI to WWII) and Star (old) Dojran, which contains both ancient ruins and recent construction, in particular hotels, resorts and restaurants. The old city of Dojran was completely destroyed during the First World War and after the Second World War the modern villages were built. The Amam (Hamam), a Turkish bath located in the upper part of the city was once inhabited by the Turkish population. The year it was built is unknown and only parts of the tower remain. The Church of St. Ilija was built in 1874 in the northern part of the city. The current state of the church; fragments of paintings, suggests that the walls of the church were originally covered with frescoes. Dojran is also archaeologically significant due to numerous accidental or systematic excavation discoveries including reliefs, marble slabs with Greek inscriptions, remains of walls, coins and tombs with epitaphs.
  • Gevgelija - City with a population of 15,685 inhabitants located in southeastern North Macedonia along the banks of the Vardar River, located on the main border of the country with Greece (Bogorodica-Evzoni), the point that connects the highway from Skopje and others three former Yugoslav capitals (Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana) with Thessaloniki.
  • Kočani - The city has numerous cultural and historical monuments, from antiquity to the Middle Ages. One of these is an archaeological site of Dolno Gradishte from the late ancient period and two medieval towers in the center of the city.

The monastic complexes in the neighboring villages Morodvis and Panteley are world famous for both their architecture and unique frescoes. The greenery of the city, especially along the river bed and the banks of the Kočani River, is the pride of the local population. The city is very clean and tidy, which is why it proudly holds the prestigious title of "The cleanest city in Macedonia". Today Kočani is a modern city with planned infrastructure, boulevards, many modern buildings and apartment buildings, a hospital, a shopping center, a park and a newly built industrial zone. All this is carefully planned and structured, according to modern standards of living and aesthetics. The new suburbs are built mainly to the east, where the city almost reaches the first houses of Orizari and to the west which extends over the industrial area.

  • Kratovo - It is known for its many memories of the past. One of its symbols are its stone towers. Once there were twelve, but now only six towers remain (Saat or Clock Tower, Simić, Krstev, Eminbeg, Zlatković and Hadži Kostov Tower). The towers were built in the late Middle Ages, starting from the end of the 14th century and were used not only as a protection but also as a warehouse. Kratovo bridges are another feature of this city made by old masters. The city has unique and interesting 19th-century architecture and a unique art gallery of children's drawings, featuring images of Kratovo children who have won numerous awards in several international exhibitions. many organizations are working on the reconstruction of the city. One of the boldest of these efforts comes from the University of Florida's Engineering Without Borders program which is currently working on developing a sustainable solid waste system to help Macedonia's efforts to achieve recognition in the European Union.
  • Kriva Palanka - City located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It has 14,558 inhabitants. The town of Kriva Palanka is the seat of the municipality of Kriva Palanka, which has nearly 21,000 inhabitants. The city is located near the national border of Deve Bair with Bulgaria, as such, almost constant heavy traffic passes through the main road that cuts the sides of the city in two (Deve Bair is considered the main border between Macedonia and Bulgaria because connects the capitals Skopje with Sofia).
  • Kumanovo - Kumanovo has several monuments dating back to the prehistoric period. The most important are:

Gradište, an archaeological site of interest which is located near the village of Pelince and dates back to the Bronze Age.Near the village of Mlado Nagoričane there is another interesting site dating back to the Neolithic period.Near the village of Lopate is the place of Drezga which represents a Roman necropolis. One of the most important sites located near Kumanovo is the 4000-year-old megalithic astronomical observatory of Kokino, located 30 km northeast of Kumanovo and discovered in 2001. It is located 4th place on the list of old NASA observatories. The Four Poli monument is also located in the city center, on the main square, the Memorial Ossuary and the House Museum of Hristijan Todorovski Karpoš. The oldest and largest church in the city is San Nicola. There are 13th century icons in the church. The church is a masterpiece of Andreja Damjanov, an important Macedonian Renaissance architect. We also find the Holy Trinity Church built in 1902, and the Church of St. George, the Church of St. Petka in the village of Mlado Nagoričane, the monastery of Karpino, the Ascension of the Holy Mother in the village of Matejče, the Eski mosque built in 1751. , the Zebrnjak monument, Kumanovska Banja in the village of Proevce and the Sokolana sports hall.

  • Makedonska Kamenica - City in northeastern North Macedonia. It has 5,147 inhabitants, most of whom are ethnic Macedonians. The city is the seat of the Makedonska Kamenica municipality.
  • Pehčevo - Small town in the eastern part of North Macedonia. It is the seat of the municipality of Pehčevo. In 2002, the city had 3,193 residents
  • Probištip - City in Macedonia and seat of the Municipality of Probištip. The city has a population of 10,826
  • Radoviš - City in the southeastern part of North Macedonia. It is the second largest city in the southeastern region. The town is the seat of the Radoviš municipality, which is located at the bottom of the Plačkovica mountain and in the northern part of the Radoviš-Strumica valley. The main road M6 Štip-Radoviš-Strumica is located tangentially on the municipality of Radoviš. This road is a main communication route with other parts of the country.
  • Strumica - The largest city in the eastern part of North Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. It takes its name from the Strumica river that crosses it.
  • Sveti Nikole - There are many archaeological sites in the municipality of Sveti Nikole from all eras in the past. The outlying villages of Sveti Nikole include Amzabegovo, with its newly excavated archaeological site, and Burilovci, famous for the magnificent frescoes that adorn its St. Nicholas church.
  • Valandovo - Valandovo is known for its annual music festival in which Macedonia's best folk singers take part.
  • Vinica - There are several archaeological sites in Vinica and its surroundings:

Vinica, medieval settlement, Pazarište, Roman settlement, Fortress of Vinica, fortified settlement from late antiquity, Gorica, early Christian settlement and basilica from late antiquity, Ila, necropolis of the Iron Age.

  • Štip - Štip has the ruins of an ancient castle which overlooks the city from the hill of Isar. There are three 14th-century churches in the city and nearby, built around the time the city was part of medieval Serbia.


How to get

By plane

The neighboring airports are:

  • Airport of Skopje (IATA: SKP) (Macedonian: Аеродром Скопје, Aerodrom Skopje);
  • Thessaloniki Airport "Makedonia" (Greek: Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Θεσσαλονίκης "Μακεδονία", Kratikós Aeroliménas Thessaloníkis "Makedonía") (IATA: SKG).

By car

It is possible to cross the border crossings with Bulgaria to the east of Kumanovo or with Greece at Gevgelija.

On the train

It is possible to take advantage of direct connections with the capital Skopje, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, according to these reports:

  • Line Skopje - Stip - Kocani;
  • Line Belgrade - Kumanovo - Skopje - Gevgelija (international).

For more information, consult the website of Macedonian Railways.

By bus

Numerous links accessible from Skopje, Kumanovo, Stip, Kricevo, Gevgelija, Veles, Belgrade is Sofia.

How to get around

By car

The main road axis E75 runs along the north-south Thessaloniki-Gevgelija (border with Greece) - Skopje - Tabanovce (border with Serbia-Montenegro) - Belgrade; the stretch that runs along the FYROM is almost entirely motorway. The other important connection route runs along the east-west Sofia-Kriva Palanka (border with Bulgaria) - Skopje - Tetovo - Ohrid, partly motorway. The conditions of the paved roads are satisfactory, with some exceptions within the cities. On the motorway sections (total approx.145 km) a toll is payable, payable at the barriers, only in cash.

On the train

It is possible to take advantage of railway connections in the centers of Stip, Kumanovo, Gevgelija, Kocani. For more information, consult the website of Macedonian Railways.

By bus

Numerous connections between major and small towns are usable.

Collective taxis

Typical of the Republic of Macedonia, collective taxis, in competition with common means of transport, offer routes at very advantageous prices.

What see

The numerous archaeological centers, together with those in Ottoman Turkish style, surrounded by the presence of natural areas, are to be considered a heritage of great tourist impact.

What to do

Cultural, archaeological and naturalistic visits.

At the table

Typical is the Boza drink, obtained from the alcoholic fermentation of numerous essences, which can be associated with traditional Balkan, Greek and Turkish dishes.

Safety

Pay attention to driving. Cases of serious petty crime are rare, frequent pickpocketing and mugging from tourists. Pay attention to the weather conditions

Other projects

  • Collaborate on WikipediaWikipedia contains an entry concerning Eastern North Macedonia
  • Collaborate on CommonsCommons contains images or other files on Eastern North Macedonia
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