The Wine Road – Tikvesh Lake, Family Winery, Polog Monastery

The Taste of Tikvesh will reveal to you the most mysterious and the most distant beauties of the Tikvesh Region.The Debar Lake, Globochica, Kalimanci are all easily accessible and there are roads taking you to their shores, but that is not the case with the Tikvesh Lake.Nested deeply into the isolated Mariovo Region, the lake unveils itself only to the most persistent ones. Just to give you an idea how deep the canyon of the Crna Reka is: the Tikvesh Lake is deeper than the Prespa Lake!

Starting from the so-called Resava Bay, the speedboat will take you 13 kilometres to the south, passing by the old town of Tikvesh, all the way to the St. George Monastery. The Monastery is also known as the Polog Monastery, and it has been named after the village of Poloshko, which has remained under the waters of the Tikvesh Lake. Before the lake, the Monastery was located above the picturesque canyon of Crna Reka.

Today, the only way to get to the Monastery is by water.Is the church the mausoleum of Jovan Dragushin, whose skeleton has been unearthed in the church, what is the connection to Mount Athos, how the faces of the ktitors have been revealed, what are the mysterious frescos, and what wonders are associated with the visits to this Monastery?

You will also hear the legend of the site called Mominska Karpa. To defend their honour, three girls from the village of Galishte jumped off a cliff. To prevent anyone of them changing her mind, they had braided their hairs one to another. Even today, the massive rock looks terrifying, but it is also a reminder of the heroic act of the three girls.

Did you know that high above the lake, there are cave churches dating back to the 14th century, where monks have lived in solitude, dedicating their lives to God?One precious gem is the cave church dedicated to St. Lazarus dating back to the Middle Ages, which is part of the Macedonian Mount Athos.

The Tikvesh terroir is favorable for cultivation of grape vines, so many families in this region make their own wine and rakija.Well, we have to try them, don’t we?And where better, if not in a family-owned winery in Kavadarci?The tour ends with the visit of the site called Moklishte. The site is clearly well named, as Moklishte means a damp spot, as the Vatashka River is just nearby.

The Moklishte Monastery is dedicated to Saint Nikolas and it dates back to the 16th century.The Moklishko Lake is just a few kilometres away, a unique lake due to the way it was formed, where many other interesting facts remain to be discovered.Moklishte is an attractive weekend getaway spot, where you can enjoy great food in several restaurants. You may also hear a weird fisherman story or two, related to the Tikvesh Lake.Believe us, there are many.After the visit of the Moklishte Monastery, a delicious meal in the local restaurants is on the menu.

Logistic information:Kavadarci is the starting point of the tour.The tour also includes ride to the Resava Bay and Moklishte, and a speedboat ride on the Tikvesh Lake.The speedboat’s capacity is eight persons.Please note the tour takes around five hours.