A half-hour drive from Skopje, or slightly longer city bus trip, accesses tranquil Lake Matka. Although crowded at weekends, this idyllic spot beneath steep Treska Canyon is excellent, offering hiking, rock climbing, caving (€10) and ancient churches in its forested environs. On-site restaurants provide nourishment and lake views. The mountaineering hut Matka offers guides, climbing gear and accommodation. Matka's underwater caverns are as deep, or maybe deeper, than any in Europe, at almost 218m.
Matka's traditional link with the Virgin Mary (Matka means 'womb' in Macedonian) is accentuated by grotto shrines such as Sveta Bogorodica . From here a steep path reaches Sveti Spas , Sveta Trojca and Sveta Nedela – the last, a 4km walk (around 1½ hours). These caves once sheltered ascetics and anti-Ottoman revolutionaries. After the Church of Sveti Nikola , beyond the dam and across the bridge, visit the frescoed Church of Sveti Andrej (1389).
From Skopje come by taxi (450MKD) or bus 60 along bul Partizanski Odredi (50MKD, 40 minutes, hourly).
