About a 100km from Macedonia’s capital Skopje is a quiet little town that really takes you back in time into a different century. It’s one of the oldest towns in Macedonia and till now it preserves much of its simplicity and more traditional architecture, which in this case would mean – mud and stones.
To give an example, here is one house that we were allowed to ventures into. Just by the looks of it, you might expect it to collapse any minute…
But inside, things were laid out as an old traditional Macedonian house…
Walking around town, I was a bit shocked at the living standards which at times resembled some of what I saw in the non-urban India…
Wikipedia has a very positive intro to the village-town:
Kratovo is a small picturesque town in Macedonia, one of the regions’ living museums. It is the seat of Kratovo Municipality. It lies on the western slopes of Mount Osogovo at an altitude of 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level. Having a mild and pleasant climate, it is located in the crater of an extinct volcano. It is famous for its bridges. […]
Today’s Kratovo has many characteristics of the past times. Once there were 12 towers, but now one can notice six towers which primarily served miners, chiefs and guards. The Kratovo bridges are another characteristic of this town made by old masters. The town has unique and interesting architecture from the 19th century and a unique Art gallery of children’s drawings, with pictures by Kratovo children which have won numerous prizes at different international exhibitions.
Wikitravel has a little:
The rich cultural-historical past of Kratovo left numerous bridges and towers. Only 6 of 12 medieval towers of the city have been preserved to the present day. The time of the construction of those towers has not been established yet, but their architectural style and the ornamentation used, indicate that those construction originate from the period of the Turkish rule. The more significant towers in Kratovo, are the Simiceva tower, Emin-Bey tower and the Hadzi-Kostova tower. The bridges which unite both parts of the city, extend as lances between the two shores of Tavacka river, and are a special feature of the city.
Let’s take a little stroll around town…
There’s also a very small local museum and a bar-street that seemed relatively busy for a town this small. If you’re in the area, check it out. Better see if you can also get an English speaking local tourguide to really take you into the more interesting buildings in the area.
Thanks, Chris. that’s nice to hear. Would love to go see Macedonia again.
thank you! I love Macedonia, and your sites photos are wonderful