Attractions and Places To See in Polog Region - Top 20

It's not easy to get down to the dam, 600m elevation difference, but if you are staying in Grizzly mountain resort make a day trip with visit to the beach. Road is closed at the dam so you won't be able to get down to the Treska river. There is a small church of Saint Nicholas right at the dam with nice gazebo for your lunch break. Interesting facts about the dam is that's built in 1994 with only rocks and wet clay, no concrete at all. Enjoy and respect

The two countries share this peak. That's why you can climb it from both sides. In my case, I chose the route in Albania. I think the surroundings are very beautiful and you have a great view from the top when the weather is good.

The border from Kosovo to Macedonia is only open for locals (people from Kosovo and Macedonia). If you're foreign, even as an EU citizen there is no way border police will let you pass. So consider this route CLOSED if you come from Kosovo.

In the lower, 44 km long section of its course, the Radika continues to flow south, having carved a long and 1 km deep gorge between the Korab and Dešat mountains to the west and Bistra (to the east). There are many interesting places along the Radika valley, including the villages of Velebrdo, Rostuša, Janče, Prisojnica and Skudrinje, the Monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski, the Kosovratska Banja spa (with sulphurous water up to 49 °C) and the unique Alčija cave, formed from alabaster. Alabaster is abundant in the area and is mined and processed in the town of Debar for industrial and commercial purposes. After the gorge, the Radika receives its largest tributary, the Valovica river from the right, and flows along the northern slopes of the Stogovo mountain. After the villages of Dolno Kosovrasti, Dolno Melničani, Gorenci and Rajčica, the Radika flows into the Black Drin, just south of Debar. The Black Drin is one of the tributaries of the Drin river, while the next is the White Drin, which originates from Kosova. In fact, the lowest section of the river is flooded by the artificial lake Debar on the Black Drin, forming one of the lake's bays. From the pictures you can see how powerfully the Radika digs through the rocks, it's a must-see 👍

Mavrovo National Park (Macedonian: Национален Парк Маврово Nacionalen Park Mavrovo, Albanian: Parku Kombëtar i Mavrovës) is the largest of the four national parks in North Macedonia. It was founded in 1949 and has an area of 731 km². It is located in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, southwest of the city of Gostivar. Originally the national park had an area of 118 km². In 1952 it was expanded, at the same time Lake Mavrovo was created - a 13.7 km² reservoir located at 1233 m above sea level - which supplies the surrounding area with electricity.[1] The village of Mavrovi Anovi, which was flooded by the lake, was rebuilt north of the lake. The highest point in the national park is Korab Peak. The national park is used by tourists for hiking, cycling and skiing; there are hotels, holiday homes and ski lifts. Hiking trails are only sporadically marked. Worth seeing are the Duf waterfall near Bituše, the village of Galičnik and the Sveti Jovan Bigorski monastery. Large parts of the national park consist of grassland, as large areas of forest were cleared up until the early 1950s to facilitate the intensive sheep farming of the time. Norway spruce and beech grow in particular at higher altitudes, while various types of oak can be found at lower altitudes. Animal species found in the national park include the western rock vole, the Martino snow vole, the western blind vole, the Balkan mole, several species of shrews and bats, as well as otters, wild cats, lynxes, wolves and brown bears, as well as numerous rare amphibians, reptiles and insects. There were plans for two hydroelectric power plants in the national park that would have threatened the survival of the Balkan lynx. The park is home to the most significant population of the critically endangered lynx species. A campaign by the environmental organization Eko-svest led by Ana Čolović Lešoska resulted in the project's building permit being revoked in 2016.[2][3] A part of the national park, namely the valley of the river Dlaboka Reka ("Deep River") flowing through the national park, was included in the transnational World Heritage Site "Ancient Beech Forests and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe" in 2021.[4]

The Monastery of Sveti Jovan Bigorski (Macedonian: Манастир Свети Јован Бигорски) is an Orthodox monastery in the west of the Republic of North Macedonia, founded in 1020. Its good structural condition as well as a large six-row, wood-framed iconostasis and a three-row gallery of Orthodox saints and biblical motifs on the outer wall of the monastery church make it one of the most important cultural sights in the country. The name of the monastery is derived from John the Baptist, to whom the monastery is dedicated. The nickname Bigorski is derived from the tuff rock (Macedonian: bigor), which was used as building material. The current abbot of the monastery has been the Macedonian bishop Partenij Antaniski since 1995.

Very good restaurant - the food is excellent, the service is friendly, there is WiFi and a map in German if you scan the QR code. Including pictures so you know what you are ordering. You can also stay overnight in the house.

In August 2023, the water level in Lake Mavrovo was so low that the church was used again for church services and events.