Osogovski Monastery

Half an hour from Kratovo, 3 km from the town of Kriva Palanka and 10 km from the Bulgarian border, lies one of the most beautiful monasteries in Macedonia, dedicated to Saint Osogovo. He was a disciple of Ivan Rilski and, according to tradition, had a vision of Mount Osogovo, where he was commanded to retreat into seclusion, which he did for the rest of his life. Near the end of his life, hunters discovered him and spread his fame. After his death, he is said to have appeared to solitary monks, instructing them to collect his bones and establish a monastery.

Since then, the monastery has been a center of Macedonian monasticism. The complex includes a 19th-century church with 12 domes, an older 13th-century church built in the Serbian Moravian style, and several large public buildings, including a guesthouse and a center for local art. Situated on a mountainside among dense forests and flowing springs, it is a stunning and serene place, offering breathtaking sunsets.