Pelagonija Region – Prilep and Krushevo

Krushevo
Located 33km from Prilep and 53 km from Bitola, Krusevo is located above the Pelagonija valley at 1300m on Busheva Mountain. It is the highest town in Macedonia and resembles a nest hidden high in the mountains. The harmony between the harshness of the mountain ambiance and the fine “soft” architecture creates almost unreal atmosphere in this small town. A separate world – a city rebellion, a city museum in which the past and present can be experienced at the same time. The main cultural attractions of the town are:

The Church St.Nicola
Gallery of Nikola Martinovski
Old artisan shops for production of barrels and Lokum sweets
Monument of Ilinden- Makedonium
Memorial house Todor Proeski

Krushevo ethno-town festival 2-12 August

Ahistorical festival aimed for the small town to resemble the look from 1903 where it was the center of the Ilinden Uprising. People dressed like Ottoman Turks and Macedonian revolutionary freedom fighters walk the streets and the festival has a rich cultural program. The main celebration starts on Meckin Kamen, the spot of beginning of the uprising of 1903 and Macedonian Uprising Day is celebrated. Another significant monument for the festival is the Makedonium monument.

Virtual tour of Krusevo

Prilep

One of the oldest cities in our country, Prilep is a city devoted to its culture and tradition, legends and heroes. One can find here wonderful cultural sights, charming nature and excellent food complemented by the smile of pleasant hosts. The composition of grand granite rocks that surrounds the space and the spirituality that springs from its monasteries and churches makes this site exceptional for those who want to hear stories for its medieval life. There used to be 77 churches in Prilep, built by King Marko and some of them still exist:

St. Nicolas and St. Dimitri XIV c. – Varosh
St. Archangel Michael IX c. – XIV c. – Varosh
Treskavec Monastery XIV c. – 10km from Prilep, in the arms of the massive rocks of Zlatovrv
Zrze MonasteryIX c. -XIV c.– 33 km from Prilep, on the foothills of Mount Dautica

In the last 500 years Prilep has been famous for its tobacco production. It is now the home to one of the largest tobacco museums in the world with a collection of more than 2,500 objects.

Virtual tour of Prilep

Major Sights

Makedonium Krushevo
The gallery of Nikola Martinovski
Memorial house Todor Proeski
The Monastery of Holy Assumption Krushevo
The lokum and old wine barrel factory
Trescavec Monastery
Markovi kuli – Prilep
Monastery Varosh – Prilep
Tobacco plantations and Tobacco Museum – Prilep

Cultural Tours

Krushevo

Gallery of Nikola Martinovski – the town’s galleries include an exhibit of 19th century icons and a more than 20 paintings from the Macedonian painter Nikola Martinovski who was born in this town.
Makedonium – The Ilinden Memorial Complex, is one of the most remarkable monuments in Krusevo and Macedonia. It is a complex of four platforms that symbolize the invincibility, the struggle and the eternal aspiration of the Macedonian people for freedom and an independent state.
Museum of the People’s Liberation War– located near the plateau of the Ilinden monument and contains exhibits from 1941 to 1945. The museum is dominated by a Mural on the frontal wall which depicts the course of the war, the work of the great master, BorkaLazeski.
Memorial House of ToseProeski (1981 – 2007) – the most popular singer in Macedonia and one of the biggest stars on the Balkan music scene. In 2004, he was proclaimed UNICEF ambassador of goodwill. He was tragically killed in a car accident. Posthumously, Tose was proclaimed honorary citizen of Macedonia. Krusevo, his birthplace, paid tribute to him by opening the memorial house on April 25, 2011.

Prilep

The fortress – MarkoviKuli is a geo-morphological locationswith a combination of human and natural work of art. It is a place full with legends, with panoramic view of the entire area and the extraordinary forms created by nature in the course of millions of years like:the Elephant, the colorful carpet, the bread, the magnificent throne and others.

Adventure tours

Boldering – Monastery Treskavec – Prilep

Distance from Prilep: 14 .2 km Elevation: 1260m Rock Difficulty: from V5 – V11

Traditional food

Shirden – Prilep

A variation of the Scottish haggis dish, lamb intestines filed with chopped lamb, pork , onions and cooked rice and red peppers.

Krushevskilokum

Krushevo lokum is the North Macedonian version of Turkish delight, made with a mixture of water, sugar, starch, and lemon acid, which is cooked in a large copper vessel.

Vlashka pita
A local Kurshevo pie based on wheat flour and combination of curd and leek molded in special finger shape small pie sticks. Combined together make the vlashka pita.

Chomlek

Chomlek is a traditional North Macedonian stew that is typically prepared with veal or baby beef, a generous amount of tiny, walnut-sized onion bulbs (called kokar or arpadzik in Macedonian), and garlic.

Prilep Janija
A chicken stew mixed with potatoes, onions and red peppers cooked in a earth dish with local spices.