- Location: 17 km from Skopje
- Area: 5000 hectares
- Rock: marble
The Matka Canyon is a picturesque area in Macedonia , which was formed by the Creek River, which made its way through the mountain range . The rock of the canyon is marble, which gives it even more beauty.
History
In 1938, local authorities blocked the Tresku River with a dam to provide water to the hydropower plant. Thus, over time, a canyon was formed, which today is a landmark. The water has a turquoise color, and the mountains surrounding it make this place even more attractive. It seems that human efforts have not been made to create the lake.
What to see?
Canyon Uterus attracts wildlife, clean air and landscapes. Thanks to the rocky mountains there is developed rock climbing, you will find a lot of routes of any complexity. Tourist centers organize hikes even for beginners, and instructors will worry about making your little trip safe.
With the help of a path from the car park you can get to the dam and feel all the power of the TPP. It is forbidden to take photographs there, but the view from the dam opens so beautiful that many tourists violate this prohibition.
Near the canyon of the Matka there are two monasteries, one of which is St. Nicholas, from which today only the same church remained, built at the end of the XIV century. The path leads to the temple from the canyon and its visit is an obligatory point of the excursion. The second is the monastery of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin. It is preserved better, so tourists like to visit it. On the territory of the canyon itself there are three churches: St. Andrew (IV century), the Holy Savior (the remains of the early Christian church of the Holy Trinity and George) and the Holy Week. The first temple has settled down I will type a lake near a mooring, therefore it is impossible to pass by it.
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Above the artificial lake hangs a lot of grottoes, in which are hidden deep caves, one of them is Vrelo. It consists of two large halls, the total length of which is 176 meters. But not everybody is going to visit it, as the inhabitants of the first hall are bats. In addition to the horror that sets the "living" ceiling, not everyone can sustain the smell from the livelihoods of these animals. But despite this, the cave is still one of the most famous.
The canyon is another lake - Doiran, which is located on the border with Greece. Despite the fact that it can not boast of great depth, Doiran is considered one of the richest European lakes - it hosts 16 species of fish. Doiran's coast is called the "Russian beach". The legend says that some Russian jumped into the icy water, which caused surprise and admiration from other tourists, because no one else dared to do such an act. It was after this nameless beach and nicknamed "Russian".
How to get there?
You can get to the canyon by car, and at the entrance to it there is a parking lot. To do this, you need to leave the city of Skopje and drive 17 km. You can also go to the canyon on the excursion bus.
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