| Povardariae | |
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| State | North Macedonia |
|---|---|
Povardariae (Повардарие) is a touristic-geographical region of the North Macedonia located along the Vardar River and which includes the capital Skopje and the city of Veles.
To know
Geographical notes
Povardarie consists of a strip of land in the middle of the North Macedonia bounded by the borders with the Serbia is Greece. Its terrain is characterized by mountains, canyons and valleys dominated by the Vardar River, the longest national river.
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 AD 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, the 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.
Spoken languages
The majority language is Macedonian, a South Slavic language, accompanied by Albanian, Bulgarian, Turkish and Romani.
When to go
The area in question has a continental climate with rigid and snowy winters and hot and sultry summers, especially in the areas adjacent to Vardar.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
- Demir Kapija - With the former royal cellars, ancient ruins and junction to the surrounding mountains offering a decent choice of outdoor sports enthusiasts, and last but not least the impressive "Iron Gate" Canyon. Demir Kapija is an outdoor paradise for sports and leisure activities. Climbers often enjoy hiking the area for their favorite tea plants. Previously, national and regional Kayak competitions were held here due to the natural rapids formed by the river in the canyon. Climbers climb the rock towers to see the most impressive view of the canyon beyond. Trails are also made to hike to these points, as well as to the remains of the aforementioned ruins of the Prosek fortress. Probably the most popular excursion, known in The Bradt Guide to Macedonia, is the stopping point between the 2 motorway tunnels.
- Dračevo - Suburb of Skopje. The ancient village was located 15 km (9 miles) southeast of the center of Skopje. The belief is that in 1200 there was a Slavic settlement, whose origin is of ancient Rome. Roman remains and mosaics have recently been found in the archaeological site called Crkviste. They are still there in the backyard of the church. The settlement in the Roman period is believed to be ruled by a Roman representative called the Tribu
- Kavadarci - City in the heart of the Macedonian wine area. In the first week of September each year, a festival called "Tikveški Grozdober" (Тиквешки гроздобер, Tikveš grape harvest) is held for several days which marks the beginning of the grape harvest in the Tikveš region and commemorates the liberation of Kavadarci. Such is the importance of this fruit, the city flag is made up of six circles in white and red that represent the most abundant and important products of the city. Lake Tikveš (Macedonian: Тиквешко Езеро) is the largest artificial lake in North Macedonia. It is located 165 meters (541 ft) above sea level, 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) southwest of Kavadarci on the Crna Reka and 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the village of Vozarci. Established in 1997, Tikveš Strict Nature Reserve is located 30 kilometers southeast of Kavadarci and covers an area of approximately 100 square kilometers (40 square miles). About 23 species of predatory birds are present in the reserve and of these 17 nest in this area. It is said to be one of the most important ornithological sites in Europe.
- Negotino - Some of the best wines and rakija in the country. The city is easily accessible from the highway and railway Skopje-ThessalonikiThe Negotin museum houses a number of archaeological finds, from the Roman era to the era of the Second World War. The municipality of Negotin hosts several galleries, monuments, churches and monasteries and archaeological sites. The nearby Iron Gates National Park offers sweeping views, hunting areas, and hiking trails (some trails aren't well marked or maintained, so hiking is only recommended for experts).
- Skopje - The national capital; a true multicultural city that features a bit of all the Balkan ethnicities, as well as countless Romanesque, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern day attractions.
- Veles - City on the Vardar river valley with a rich cultural heritage and centuries-old churches.
Other destinations
- Stobi - The most famous archaeological site in the nation. Stobi has some of the best preserved ruins from both the pre-Roman (Peony and ancient Macedonia) and Roman periods. It was an ancient city of Peony, later conquered by Macedonia, and later transformed into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris (now near Gradsko in North Macedonia). It is located on the main road leading from the Danube to the Aegean Sea and is considered by many to be the most famous archaeological site in North Macedonia. Stobi was built where the Erigón river (mod. Crna) joins the Axiós river (mod. Vardar), making it strategically important as a center for both trade and war.
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 of North Macedonia through these areas:
On the train
It is possible to take advantage of direct connections with the capital Skopje, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, according to these reports:
For more information, consult the website of Macedonian Railways.
By bus
Numerous connections between major and small towns, from Skopje, Veles, Negotino, Kavadarci, Sofia.
How to get around
By car
It is possible to use the only E75 motorway, which, following the course of the Vardar, leads to Greece via Gevgelija. The road network is good, and the conditions of the road surface are fair.
What see
The area includes places of historical and ethnographic interest, such as:
- Skopje, The largest city in North Macedonia, which has significant historical and naturalistic places of interest;
- Royal cellars by Demir Kaplija;
- Crkviste settlement, near Dracevo;
- The cellars Tikves, near Kavadarci;
- Negotin Museum;
- Stobi.
What to do
It is possible to dedicate oneself to archaeological (Stobi, Crkviste, Negotin, Archaeological Museum of Macedonia - Skopje), naturalistic - ethnographic (Tikves, Demir Kaplija) visits.
At the table
Drinks
In the south of Povardarie, near the cities of Kavadarci is Negotino, is the prized Macedonian wine area. This flat land is known as Tikveš and here is one of the largest wine-growing industrial areas of the Balkans.
Safety
The periodic worsening of the atmospheric pollution situation, in particular in the capital Skopje and in the northern part of the country, coinciding with the start of the winter season, which could cause problematic health consequences for the respiratory tract and conditions of discomfort for the population, should be noted. particularly to the most exposed groups such as the elderly and children. Another recurring problem is the incidence of seismic risk, which North Macedonia shares with all the other countries of the Balkan area; in particular Skopje, which rises along a tectonic fault, is frequently hit by earthquakes. Over the last year, some seismic tremors of medium-strong intensity have hit Skopje and its surroundings, among which, the 5.3 Richter degree of 11 September 2016, the most intense ever since the devastating one (6.3) of 1963. , which destroyed the city (razing eighty percent of the buildings to the ground and causing more than a thousand deaths and thousands of wounded). Due to the continuing uncertainty of the political situation and in the light of these recent events, compatriots are advised to avoid demonstrations and any kind of gathering. The country shares exposure to the phenomenon of international terrorism with most of the rest of the world. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Like other countries of the Balkan area, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is in particular exposed to the infiltration of elements of Albanian Islamic radicalism (a certain number of jihadist guerrillas who died in the conflict Syrian are of Albanian ethnicity coming from Macedonia). In connection with the Ramadan period, and in the light of the attacks that have occurred in Europe in recent months, the local authorities consider the risk of hostile actions to be higher. In this regard, the local authorities, also in light of the attacks in Europe in recent months, have further raised the level of alert, especially as regards places with a high concentration of people in the capital Skopje, due to the increased risk of hostile actions from part of formations linked to fundamentalist terrorism, increasing controls and the number of units deployed. Serious episodes of common crime are rare. In Skopje, however, there have been cases of robberies and pickpockets by gangs of Roma children in the places of gathering of tourists and foreigners, especially near the main square (Plostad Makedonija), the shopping center (Trgovski Centar), in the old part of the city as well as close to entertainment venues. It is therefore advisable to leave the travel document used for entry into the country in a guarded place and bring with you another identity document and in any case photocopies of all identity documents.
