Berovo

From Strumica, a road ascends into the mountains of eastern Macedonia, leading to the town of Berovo. Nestled at the edge of a fertile valley at an altitude of 900 meters, Berovo enjoys pleasant summer weather. The town itself has a quiet pedestrian street and a museum that is usually closed, but its main attractions lie to the east, where two monasteries are located.

The first is the Monastery of Archangel Michael, built in the 19th century as a center for Macedonia’s cultural revival. Run by nuns, it is situated next to the picturesque Monastir Hotel. A little further up the road, about 500 meters away, stands another monastery, this one dedicated to the Prophet Elijah and inhabited by monks.

A 15-km drive from Berovo leads to the stunning Berovo Lake, surrounded by dense mountain forests. The area has only a handful of guesthouses and a high-quality five-star hotel, beyond which lie vast forests and scattered sheep farms.