High mountains close to Skopje
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The mountain Karadzica is part of the Jakupica mountain range, located in the central part of Macedonia, south of Skopje, the capital city. Karadzica can rightfully be called a hidden gem within reach of Skopje, making it ideal for day hiking tours when Skopje is used as a logistical point for accommodation.
Karadzica embodies many characteristics typical of the mountains in the Western Balkans but also boasts unique features specific to itself, such as biodiversity, relief forms, geology, or the small villages scattered at the foothills beneath peaks rising over 2000 meters above sea level.
As for hiking experiences on Mount Karadzica, we often offer hiking to peaks like Ostri Vrv at 2263 meters, Ubava at 2346 meters, Karadzica Peak itself, the highest at 2472 meters on the mountain, as well as Mirska Voda at 2179 meters and Milenkov Kamen at 2217 meters. Hiking to some of these peaks can also be done as traverses to connect multiple summits during one tour, depending on the desires, fitness level, and interests of the clients.
Why is Karadzica so intriguing? Because within less than an hour’s drive from Skopje, one enters a completely different world, not only different from the urban city environment but adorned with quaint and scenically integrated villages where traditional architecture is mostly preserved. It’s a world rich in diverse biodiversity, numerous mountain streams, and fantastic views of the broader Balkan surroundings and the mountains of Macedonia and neighboring countries.
Due to the value of the hiking experience, we say that Karadzica is not just a place to visit; it’s a place where almost invariably, anyone who has been there once, returns. And often, they return multiple times.
Skopje Crna Gora is a mountain reached in about half an hour’s drive from the center of Skopje. With its specific location and geographical exposure, it offers excellent hiking opportunities throughout the year.
In the winter, due to the southern exposure of the most frequently used trails, it provides opportunities for almost summer-like and enjoyable hiking, while in the summer, when higher villages or tourist settlements are used as starting points for hiking tours, the conditions are fresh, especially if the tours start early.
What makes Skopje Crna Gora unique is multifaceted. Mostly because it represents a synchronized combination of hiking adventures, visits to rural places, and as the crowning glory of day hiking trips, visits to one of the many spiritual temples – churches and monasteries on the mountain whose frescoes are a precursor to the Renaissance in art, for which, according to one interpretation, it received its name. But we’ll leave the stories about the origin of the name for you to hear from our guides on the spot.
The views from the highest mountain ridges, despite being “only” 1600 meters high, due to the geographical location of the mountain, give the feeling that you are observing the mountains in Macedonia and neighboring countries from a much higher perspective. An excellent motive for fans of panoramic photography tours.
It’s hard to believe that when someone knows what hiking experience they can have just half an hour’s drive from the city center, they would resist the temptation to enjoy on excellent trails, unforgettable panoramas, and visit spiritual sanctuaries with priceless artistic and historical value.