Berovo Lake
Reservoir on the Ratevska river, built in 1970 and now completely enclosed by pine forest
Walk the loop path round the water in the early morning; swimming is only really pleasant in high summer.
Berovo LakeBerovo LakePine Forest
Berovo & Maleševo, North Macedonia
Ideal: 2 daysBest: Jun–SepPrice: Inexpensive
In 60 seconds
Berovo & Maleševo in 60 seconds
Maleševo is the far eastern corner of North Macedonia, a long forested ridge on the Bulgarian border that almost no itinerary includes. Berovo, its only town, sits at about 800 metres in pine country and has built its modest reputation on exactly that: clean cold air, a reservoir made in 1970 that now looks entirely natural inside its ring of forest, and a pair of monasteries that have been the district's spiritual centre since the early nineteenth century. There is very little to see in the usual sense. There are, instead, roughly thirty kilometres of ridge with marked paths along it, wood workshops in the town, a hard local sheep's cheese, and genuine quiet.
Pine ForestBerovo LakeMaleševo MountainsMonasteriesWood Crafts
Best for
Known for
- Berovo Lake, a reservoir of 1970 enclosed by dense pine forest a few kilometres from town
- The Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael, consecrated in 1818 and the oldest religious house in the district
- A convent beside the lake road that is the only one in the country producing mosaics
- The Maleševo ridge, about thirty kilometres long, rising to Kadiica at 1,932 metres
- Berovo sheep's cheese, and the woodworking the town's craftsmen are known for
Skip if
You want sights, nightlife or company; Maleševo's entire appeal is that nothing much happens here.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Berovo & Maleševo fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael
Monastery begun in 1815 and consecrated in 1818, the oldest in the Maleševo district
Listed as cultural heritage and still working; the carved fittings are the thing to look at.
Berovo19th CenturyMonastery
Church of the Nativity of the Virgin
Town church of 1912 with a belfry added in 1930, unusually Italianate for the region
An odd, rather charming building; the tower is the only tall thing in Berovo.
Berovo20th CenturyBelfry
The Maleševo ridge paths
Marked walking and cycling routes along the border ridge, including a long transversal path
Five shorter marked paths and one long traverse; take the ridge rather than the valley routes.
Maleševo MountainsMaleševo MountainsRidge
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Berovo town kitchens
InexpensiveFamily restaurants in the town cooking lamb, bean dishes and the local cheese
Ask for the Berovo cheese by name; it is the one thing the district exports to the rest of the country.
BerovoHome CookingRoast Lamb
Lakeside restaurants
InexpensiveA handful of restaurants by the water serving trout from the lake and grills
Eat the trout outside under the pines; that is the whole experience of Berovo in one sitting.
Berovo LakeBerovo LakePine Forest
Berovo square cafés
InexpensiveCafés on the small main square, the town's only concentration of anything
The square is Berovo's entire public life, and an hour on it is not wasted.
BerovoCoffeeSmall Town
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
The mosaic convent
Women's monastery on the lake road, the only house in the country making mosaics
Ask whether the workshop is open; watching the tesserae being cut is the reason to call in.
Berovo LakeConventMosaics
Pehčevo & its waterfalls
Small neighbouring town with a set of forest waterfalls on short marked paths above it
Ten kilometres away and almost never visited; the falls are modest and the walk in is lovely.
PehčevoForest PathSmall Town
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Berovo
Low town of timber and stone houses around a square, with workshops on the side streets
Twenty minutes to walk end to end, and worth doing slowly for the woodwork in the shopfronts.
Small TownTimber houses
Berovo Lake
Forested shore five kilometres above the town, with hotels, the convent and the loop path
Where to stay rather than in town, if you came for the forest rather than the square.
Berovo LakeHotels
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
By the lake
Hotels and cabins in the pine forest around the reservoir
The better choice: quiet, cool, and straight onto the forest paths.
Berovo LakeCabins
Berovo town
Guesthouses and rooms in town, within walking distance of the restaurants
Simpler and cheaper, and sensible if you have no car.
CentralGuesthouses
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting There
- Berovo is about 2.5 hrs south-east of Skopje by car. There is one asphalt approach, so a car is effectively necessary.
- Getting Around
- The town is walkable; the lake is five kilometres above it, and the ridge paths start from the forest roads.
- Currency
- Macedonian Denar (MKD). Cash is needed almost everywhere in the district.
- Seasons
- Summer is the season; the town is cold and very quiet from November through March.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- Ottoman period
Berovo grew as a highland settlement of the Maleševo district, largely self-sufficient and known for its timber.
- 1815–1818
The Monastery of the Holy Archangel Michael was built and consecrated, becoming the district's religious centre.
- 1912
The town church of the Nativity of the Virgin was completed, and its belfry was added in 1930.
- 1970
The Ratevska river was dammed in the Linakot forest, creating the lake that the town is now known for.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Strumica & the Belasica slopes
Larger town to the south-west, with thermal springs and waterfalls on the Belasica mountain
The nearest place with a choice of anything, and the Smolare falls are worth the detour.
1 hr drive south-westMountainThermal spa
Kratovo
Mining town inside an extinct volcano, built around stone towers and arched bridges
A long drive, and the obvious companion piece if you are touring the east of the country.
2 hr drive north-westArched BridgesStone Towers