It's amazing how much charm and beauty, history, monuments, tragedy, glory, courage and strength, wonderful and unusual architecture, kindness and goodness, tradition and modern, incredible and unique natural beauty fit into such a small place. I'm taking you to Krushevo - one of the highest settlements in the Balkans, symbol of freedom, the pride of North Macedonia and, for me personally, a great emotion.
I have been to Krushevo several times, this time for the first time with my family. Coming to Krushevo was different from visiting some other place. It is imbued with wonderful memories of my childhood and teenage days when I camped here with my friends. To clarify, my mom is Macedonian. I haven't been to North Macedonia for a long time, then only Macedonia, so this trip was especially important for me.
A bit of history and Specific and authentic architecture of the town
In the beginning, the settlement was small. According to legend, only a few families settled around one wild pear tree, from where the settlement began to spread. That's how Krushevo got its name (pear-krusha).
The name was first officially mentioned in the 15th century. During the 18th century, it began to expand significantly. Vlachs, Albanians and Macedonians settled first. During the 18th century there were more inhabitants than today. Than 12,000, today only 5,000. As in most smaller Balkan towns, emigration did not bypass this town either.
The most significant historical moment is the Illinden uprising in 1903, when Krushevo was liberated after a long period of Ottoman rule. Although only for ten days, the Republic of Krushevo was the first republic in the Balkans, but the uprising was bloodily suppressed after that. The revenge of the Ottomans was cruel.
Krushevo is an open-air museum, with wonderful and authentic architecture, narrow winding streets, most of which are cobblestones, like in the old days. Being in Krushevo is really like a time machine, which takes you back to ancient times.
Wonderful and authentic architecture gives a special charm to this place. Unusual old facades, interesting windows, wooden beams of Krushevo houses are the result of the symbiosis of Vlach and Miacs culture. The Vlachs are the general name for the people of Romanian origin living in the Balkans, while the Miacs are the people who inhabit the western part of the country.
Makedonium - Ilinden (memorial)
Brutalism and futurism in the architecture of the former Yugoslavia is truly authentic and interesting, especially for foreign tourists. I've written about these huge concrete monuments a couple of times, but I'm presenting Makedonium to you for the first time. They were built to represent the strength of a state, that's why they are so massive and dominate the surroundings. Like all the others, Ilinden is dedicated to the fighters in the Second World War who gave their lives for freedom, but also to those who died in the aforementioned famous Ilinden uprising. A lot of money has been invested in these monuments, which are part of the ideology, which was very carefully created around the figure of the controversial dictator and ruler, Comrade Tito.
The essence is not in beauty, but in massiveness and occupying a huge space, in order to leave a strong impression. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so slowly these forgotten monuments are finding their way to curious tourists again.
Makedonium is the symbol of the town, its tragedy and freedom, a monument that stands prominently and proudly as a guardian over the it. The entire memorial complex around it is very interesting and unusual. It was officially opened on August 2, 1974, exactly 71 years after the aforementioned uprising.
Entering this monument, at a very symbolic price, was like entering a spaceship for my children. And indeed, the interior is also futuristic and very interesting, with virtase and reflections of colors on the floor and the surroundings. The acoustic and unusual space creates a really nice feeling about this place. The guide will tell you the story of the people who lived here. About the Vlachs, who were many in Krushevo, about their origin. About the sufferings of the people of Krushevo, their courage and struggle for identity and freedom.
Mechkin kamen - Bear rock
The "Mechkin kamen" is a monument and picnic area about three kilometers from Krushevo. The cruelest battle took place here, in which the extraordinary courage of the defenders of freedom was demonstrated. This monument was erected in that name, which very symbolically and graphically shows the courage and determination of a man who, despite a much stronger opponent, fights for freedom and is not afraid to give his life to protect his loved ones.
The tall trees of the forest and the shade were very pleasing to us, because the day was very warm. We like to say. The nature around the monument is beautiful.
A bit of geography...
This beautiful charming town is located at 1250 meters above sea level, on the slopes of the Busheva Mountain (1788m) - which is also the natural border of the beautiful and fertile basin of Patagonia.
Paradise for paragliders
While visiting Krushevo, I thought that nothing new would surprise me. The town has mostly remained as it was, wonderful and authentic, but without much change in its tourist content.
But on our way to Bear's Stone, a new site, we came across a wonderful viewpoint filled with paragliders from the early parts of Europe. It was obvious that it was a competition, because teams from different countries were preparing for their route.
I am someone who likes to stick to the ground, but I have always admired these brave people. The atmosphere was wonderful, colorful parachutes, catching the wind and flying towards the wonderful expanse of Patagonia. Really fascinating!
Later I found out that a few years ago the world paragliding championship was held here and that this is a very attractive location for this sport.
This small, charming place will literally satisfy all your curiosity and your senses. If you like long walks in nature, if you are a mushroom hunter, if you like mountain biking, if you ski, if you like music, if you are a foodie, if you are a history buff, if you like to fly, if you adore nature - this is the place for you. It is liveliest on the second of August, when the anniversary of the uprising is celebrated, then the town is full of people, and the inhabitants of Krushevo will try to bring you back to ancient times with music, food, clothing, stories and pictures, and in such a magical environment it is not difficult.
I really liked this little time machine, I hope you do too. And I will definitely return to my wonderful Krushevo, because I like to create new memories there.
Notes: I am very curious by nature, so I knew most of the information I presented, since I have been to this town several times, but I took some of the information from the brochure "Krushevo - charm of exciting trangulity" issued by the municipality of Kruševo.