PRILEP AND KRUSEVO

KRUSEVO sits an hour up in the hills above Prilep. Compact old streets house traditional Ottoman homes. A substantial rural centre, Prilep is the home of the tobacco industry, ruins and monasteries. Both are enjoyable and interesting places that keep you well fed.

MACEDONIA PRILEP mural street art flag urban eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Sitting roughly half way between Skopje and Ohrid are two pleasant and intersting places, the small city of Prilep.....

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO village hillside houses hotel summer old mansion traditional family house eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — ...and the smaller mountain town of Krusevo.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO cheese eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Both had some very good places to eat. This cheese dish and...

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO stew food cooking traditional family restaurant eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — and this hearty mountain stew came from a very traditional family run restaurant in Krusevo.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO village roofs views old mansion traditional family house eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Even without paragliding and whatnot, Krusevo itself is a charming old town for wandering.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO old mansion traditional family house eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Distinctive, Ottoman-era double and triple storey family houses climb the hillside towards the out of place Hotel Montana Palace.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO old mansion traditional family house eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Some have of course fallen into disrepair, but by and large, they are much loved and lived in homes.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO old mansions traditional family houses village eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — On the opposite side, the church and bazaar sit below two very 20th century monuments.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO Ilinden Monument Spomeniks uprising historyeastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — The memorial to local turned internation rock star Tose Proeski is like no other. Opposite sits this, probably the most famous of all Yugoslav "spomenik" (monuments).

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO Ilinden Monument Spomeniks uprising historyeastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — The Illinden Monument commemorates the widespread 1903 uprising against Ottoman rule. The insurgents' Krusevo Republic lasted just ten days.

MACEDONIA KRUSEVO old truck soviet engineering eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Just an hour on a bus takes you back from the never nevr land of Krusevo....

MACEDONIA PRILEP selfish driver arseholes are universal eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — ....to the big brother city of Prilep.

MACEDONIA PRILEP tobacco drying eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Prilep is the centre of Macedonia's tobacco industry, and tens of thousands of dollars of the leaves are left to dry everywhere.

MACEDONIA PRILEP jazz mural street art old town square art music eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — The old bazaar area has most of the town's bars and restaurants.

MACEDONIA PRILEP town square eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — It abuts the town square where families stroll, snack and sip in the cool of the evening.

MACEDONIA PRILEP Marko Towers history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — A walkable distance to the north are more of Prilep's attractions.

MACEDONIA PRILEP St Archangel Michael Monastery church religion history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — The Varos district was once home to 77 churches and monasteries, mostly from the 15th to 17th centuries.

MACEDONIA PRILEP Marko Towers history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — On the hills above is (are?) Marko Towers.

MACEDONIA PRILEP Marko Towers history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Fortifications were built here from the 10th to 14th centuries, including under the last pre-Ottoman king, Marko.

MACEDONIA PRILEP Marko Towers history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Both the fort remains and the views justify the easy walk up.

MACEDONIA PRILEP Marko Towers history hiking mountains views eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Remarkably, there are no signs, no staff, gates or tickets. The site is completely open, unwatched.

MACEDONIA PRILEP old yugoslav car zastava eastern europe balkans Northern Macedonia Yugoslavia FYROM — Perhaps the city slickers of Prilep aren't readdy to swap their Zastavas for Porsches just yet.