Tourist destination 8: Polog area (Tetovo, Popova Shapka) and surroundings
Most Important Attractions in the Destination
- Shar Mountain, Popova shapka and outdoor/ adventure activities
- Tetovo: Ara Baba Teke, Sharena Dzamija
Destination 8: Polog area (Tetovo, Popova Shapka) and surroundings
Municipalities: Tetovo, Bogovinje, Brvenica, Vrapciste, Gostivar, Zelino, Jegunovce, Tearce
Municipality of Tetovo
The town of Tetovo is situated at the foot of the picturesque Shar Mountain, and is a place where different cultures, religions and people have always mixed together. In our reportage find out more about the history, tradition and cultural features of Tetovo.
Tetovo is an important center in this region as it is home to several interesting cultural heritage sites such as Ara Bati Baba Teke and Sharena Dzamija, as well as Leshok Monastery just outside of town, as well as the Shar Mountain with the Popova Shapka Ski Center and possibilities for wide range of outdoor/ adventure activities.
Being in the centre of the Polog Valley, Tetovo historically had a great economic and strategic importance. For this reason many rulers in the past, tried to rule this strategic region. Tetovo presents a very rich ethno cultural, material and spiritual treasure in different historical periods. The cultural and historical heritage of Tetovo presents an overall spiritual and material values created during its history. With the arrival of Turkish-Ottomans in the Balkan in the XIV and XV century, the Ottomans regulated their administration, where Tetovo becomes an administrative and cultural centre in the Polog Valley. Through architecture and culture, begins the construction of sacral, economical and societal buildings. In Tetovo many religious monuments were built, such as: mosques, masjids, shrines, etc. In the meantime many buildings of the economic and societal character are being built, such as: caravan sarays, inns, hamams, public drinking fountains, etc. All these buildings are very old and date from the beginning of the Ottoman Rule. The value of these architectural objects speaks for the cultural and spiritual development of the people in the region.
Tetovo as a centre of trade and craftsmanship, is seen in the first part of the XIX century till the Balkan wars. After the Balkan wars, Tetovo stagnates in its cultural development. After the Second World War, Tetovo begins a rapid cultural development.
Festivals and cultural events
- Shari këndon (Sharr sings) – folklore festival
- Symbol days
- 8th April – International Roma Day – folklore festival
- Burimet e Sharit (Sharr’s resources) – folklore festival
- Multiethnic amateur theatre
- Bletëzat (Bees) – children’s festival
- Ditët e Naimit (Days of Naim) – International Poetry Festival
- Mollëzat (Apples) – children’s festival
- Teho - Choral music festival
- Ylberi (Rainbow) – children’s festival
Ilyrian carnivals
This traditional feast with a 3000 years history, which dates from the antic Ilyrian times was inherited to the new generation. The dwellers of village Bozovce have kept it as a tradition and is celebrated from 13th of March till the 21st of March. Dressed up in fur and sheep leather, they believe that they will frighten the bad spirits, and thus they will stay away from their village. This feast, in the same manner has been organized in other villages as well, such as village Lisec, Veshalle, and Shipkovice, but today it is only organized in Bozovce. The carnivals end with a traditional lunch of Bozovce.
National traditional games (Sellce)
The inhabitants of village Sellce, have reintroduced the old tradition of the common games that were part of their lives in the past. This event is organized by the nongovernmental organization for sport, art and culture “Fisi” and supported by the Municipality of Tetovo with the aid of the Sharr highland. It gathers many people in order to evoke the memories of the games and competitions that were part of the past. The national traditional games in Sellce are an old tradition of these people that aim to keep the customs and to cultivate the sentiment for their highland tradition. The organized games of this event are: pulling a rope, throwing a cannon ball and relay running. It is also enhanced with a rich cultural program.
Shar Mountain is well known for many traced hiking/mountaineering trails within various projects that give high potential to adventure tourism together with the renovated mountaineering huts.
Resorts / River Pena (Shkumbin) gorge / Ski Center Popova Shapka
Museums; Places of interest; Hotels and Restaurants, Media and Press, Banks, Transportation
Potential types of tourism: Mountain-picnics, Festivals / carnivals, historical and cultural sights, Monastery-church-mosques visits, outdoor sports activities, skiing / snow boarding, air-spa, eco-tourism, biodiversity, traditional cuisine, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, horse riding and many more.
Municipality of Bogovinje
The municipality of Bogovinje is an Albanian population municipality located in the western part of North Macedonia, and is located in the Polog Region. The centre of the municipality is located in Bogovinje village, under which the name of the municipality is also named.
Tourism and Attractions
Bogovinje Lake
Bogovinje Lake is one of the 39 lakes in Shar Mountain and as the other lakes it increases the tourism in the local area. It is located between Brustovec (Borislavec) and Small Smreka at 1.936m above sea level. In the southwest – northeast direction it is 245m long and wide 210m. The largest depth is 2,2 meters and has an area of 66.880 m². It is located in the rocky lakes, with a very elongated shape, with a large change in width, and with this it differs from the other lakes.
The mountain houses of the Municipality of Bogovinje
The two mountain houses in the Municipality of Bogovinje aim to present the place as a sustainable and safe tourist destination, which will include the tourists’ satisfaction from offer but as well as the locals’ hospitality during tourists’ stay. The opening of the winter season officially takes place on January 5 each year.
Potential types of tourism: Mountain-picnics areas, outdoor sports activities, skiing / snow boarding, air-spa, eco-tourism, fishing, biodiversity, traditional cuisine, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, sighting traditional cloths both Macedonian and Albanian, and many more.
Municipality of Brvenica
Brvenica is a municipality located in the Polog region of north-western North Macedonia, just south of Tetovo. As Polog valley is one of the most fertile plains in the country, the population of are mostly engaged in agriculture, fruit production, intensive farming. The municipality is home to ten villages with nearly 16,000 residents. It consists of the villages: Blace, Brvenica, Celopek, Dolno Sedlarce, Gurgurnica, Miletino, Radiovce, Stence, Tenovo, and Volkovija. Brvenica Municipality is home to an ethnically mixed population of Albanians and Macedonians. Unfortunately, much of the population from Brvenica is temporarily working in foreign countries: Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
The village Brvenica is located near the mountain Suva Gora, and has an excellent view of the Sar Mountain. The village Gurgurnica is located at 1250 m above sea level on the Suva Gora Mountain. It is 40 km southeast of Tetovo. The name Gurgurnitsa means Stone on Stone. The place is difficult to access and a karst, but has beautiful landscapes. On the west side of the plateau is the view of Polog Valley, and on the east side of the plateau is the Treska River with the Lake Kozjak.
Church of St Nicholas in village of Celopek. One of the oldest churches in the Polog region. The small Church of St. Nicholas was built between 1337 and 1347. Its frescoes were likely completed soon thereafter. The iconostasis was completed in the 18th century with 26 icons. Built mostly of rock, the church has a separate bell tower next to it.
Church of St Elijah in village of Stence. It is believed that this church was built atop foundations of a medieval church in 1867. Four of the icons in the church were painted in 1866 by noted regional artist Dico Zograf, while its fresco work was completed in 1882.
Church of St Athanasius in village of Radiovce. Built in 1917. This white church is capped by two domes. Its frescoes were completed in 1919 by a painter from Lazaropole. The interior floor is made from marble. The feast of St. Athanasius on 31 January is devoted to this church in Brvenica.
Potential types of tourism: Monastery-church-mosques visits, outdoor sports activities, mountain-picnics, air-spa, eco-tourism, biodiversity, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, mountain tourism, traditional cuisine.
Municipality of Vrapciste
Archaeological sites
- Brca - Necropolis of Late Antiquity;
- Gradiste - settlement from Late Antiquity;
- Tumba - a necropolis of the Middle Ages;
- Fence - settlement and necropolis of late antiquity;
- Toplisnica - settlement and necropolis of late antiquity;
Potential types of tourism: Archaeological sites, traditional cuisine and more.
Municipality of Gostivar
Gostivar is situated on the foothills of the Sar Mountains and is promoting everything that is connected to the Sar mountain capacities and natural beauties. Gostivar as municipality covers about 650 square kilometres. The city represents an administrative, political, business and cultural environment for about eighty thousand inhabitants, of which approximately 36,000 live in the city's core. Typical multicultural environment. Albanians, Macedonians, Turks, Roma and others live here. A city that is a really nice place to live, because it offers a pleasant climate at all times of the year with excellent location, communications, business conditions, schooling…
That is why, for years, there has been a clear expansion of both the population and economic development, nurturing of particularities and, in particular, the care and creation of the highest possible standards of living.
Due to its location and the two mountains Shar Planina and Suva Gora that surrounds the municipality, Gostivar is acting towards developing the winter tourism, adventure tourism, hiking and mountaineering, building capacities of tourist guides.
To see available lists of Hotels, restaurants, touristic agencies go to the next link: http://gostivari.gov.mk/hike-n-bike/mk/service.html
http://gostivari.gov.mk/hike-n-bike/mk/publications.html
Diary and Cheese Manufacturer “Fejzi” - Healthy food for healthy life
Clock Tower (Turkish: Ebu Bekir Paşa Saat Kulesi) is one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the city of Gostivar. It is one of the three cultural and historical monuments in Gostivar and is also on the municipal coat of arms and flag.
Potential types of tourism: Mountain-picnics, air-spa, eco-tourism, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, general mountain tourism, educational visits traditional cuisine, various methods of vegetable production, quality organic products, cheese tasting and much more.
Municipality of Zelino
Potential types of tourism: Mountain-picnics, air-spa, eco-tourism, biodiversity, endemic plants, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, general mountain tourism, educational visits traditional cuisine and much more.
Municipality of Jegunovce
The area of the Jegunovce Municipality has been inhabited for a long time, as evidenced by the large number of objects found since ancient times (5th and 6th centuries). Remains of continuous settlement development have also been noted, with numerous archaeological findings: necropolises, early Christian buildings, medieval churches and other witnesses to the cultural heritage of the area. After its location, Jegunovce Municipality is very important for the economic and strategic position, since it is connected with the Republic of Kosovo with a wide area and through a single crossing.
Archaeological sites in the municipality
With one part Shar Mountain is within Jegunovce Municipality. So this municipality is also known for the traced hiking/mountaineering trails within various projects that give high potential to adventure tourism.
Vratnicko Lake (Golina Lake), only with possible potentials for lake tourism, fishing,
Potential types of tourism: Archaeological sites, Mountain-picnics, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, general mountain tourism, educational visits traditional cuisine and much more.
Municipality of Tearce
With one part Shar Mountain is within Tearce Municipality. So this municipality is also known for the traced hiking/mountaineering trails within various projects that give high potential to adventure tourism.
Potential types of tourism: Mountain-picnics, air-spa, eco-tourism, adventure, mountaineering, mountain biking, hiking, general mountain tourism, educational visits traditional cuisine and much more.
