Lying in south-western Macedonia, Pelagonia is a beautiful region which is sometimes overlooked by tourists, but as its easy to get two from either Ohrid of Skopje it seems strange because there are many interesting places to visit, most notably Prilep, Bitola, and Kruševo.

Kruševo

In the wintertime Kruševo is a ski resort, but it is still worth a visit in the summer as the air, at 1200m, is very refreshing. Indeed the town is one of the highest in the Balkans. The town once tried to become a republic, in 1903, but was quickly put down and visitors can find out all about it in the town’s museum and Ilinden monument (the uprising was on Ilinden - Elijah's Day). The blue and white painted houses are a beauty to behold, especially with the mountains as a backdrop.

Bitola

If ever a city has fallen from grace it is Bitola. Though it is still Macedonia’s second largesy city, it used to be the most important until it was cut off from Greece during the years of communist rule. Back in the day, it was an import route from Belgrade to Thessaloniki and many traders, foreign dignitaries and wealthily individuals came to the city. Though it is still an important place there is a definite air of faded glory about the streets; however it is still an interesting city and worth spending a day exploring. Just south of the town are the ruins of Heraclea Lyncestis which include a theatre dating from Roman times as well as some fascinating mosaics. The Clock Tower sits at the end of the main pedestrian area and is a nice place to relax.

Prilep

The area surrounded Prilep is dotted with wonderful little gems, which are worth taking the time to explore. For instance just north of the town there is the Monastery of St Michael the Archangel, at the bottom of the Markovi Kuli. The Markovi Kuli itself are a few broken towers, but it’s the view from up the hill on which they sit which warrants the trek to the top. Finally there is the wonderful Treskavec Monastery with its lovely frescoes and architecture. It is also virtually tourist free, which means you can take pleasant strolls with smiling priests at your leisure