Page Type: | Canyon |
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Activities: | Hiking, Sport Climbing |
Season: | Spring, Summer, Fall |
At 2000m altitude, up in the Stogovo and Bistra mountains, Treska river streams downhill through steep valley till mt. Karadzica. Location: 10 miles SW of Skopje, the Macedonian capital. Canyon boundaries: Skopje basin on the N, Osoj hill on the NW, Vodno on the E, the Suva Gora mountain on the SE Geology, geomorphology Treska canyon area is hard carst ground ground consisting of thick layers of over one billion years old carbonate rocks and somewhat younger slate carbonate, rocky masses. By morphogenetics, it is a breakthrough gorge. Karstified limestone forms of particular interest are mainly located at theVisoki Rid (High Hill) at 885m altitude. - 10 caves, length ranging between 20 and 176 m, 2 vertical chasms with a depth up to 35 meters, caves Vrelo (The Spring), Krshtalna (The Baptistery), and Ubava (The Beautiful One) regarded as most beautiful ones. Some of the caves are illuminated, and visits led by an official guide. Ecological value: Protected nature reserve , featured on CORINE biotopes database. 1000+ different plants - in average one out of five is either relic or endemic specie. 259 different butterrflie species. Climbing: 500 years ago, Matka canyon may have looked like the Shangri La of the Balkans. 14th century monastieres, hidden either deep inside the canyon or on the top of the surrounding vertical cliffs Nothing to hear but silence, interrupted by monks mumbling mystical prayers. Those days have gone, frescos rich macedonian ortodox monastieres are still there, accessible by marked hiking trails. Sv. Nikola Sisevski monastery, east side of the river on the verrttical cliff, great views. Marked hiking trail cut into rock leads up there. Sv. Andrea monastery, west side of the river at lake Matka, right next to the Matka hut. Sv. Spas (Holy Salvation) monastery, on 800 high top above the Matka lake and St. Andrea monastery Sv.Troica (Holy Trinity) monastery, sharing location with Sv. Spas |
by plane: by car: from Skopje, drive westbound toward Tetovo, by bus:
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Nearest camping is at the Matka recreational lake, enroute from Skopje to Matka canyon. Nearest hut is located right in the Matka canyon, as mentioned in above chapters. Hut owners: SD Peoni Smilevska bb 1060 Skopje Telephone / Fax: (389 2) 341206 Homepage
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