MACEDONIA & ALBANIA multi-sport through the balkans by bike, kayak & foot This itinerary interweaves visits to medieval monasteries, timeworn bazaars and ancient fortresses with navigating through Macedonia’s storybook landscape by bike, kayak and foot. You will kayak through Matka Canyon’s crystal clear waters; bike through legendary Shar Planina, the largest mountain range in the Balkans; and hike through Mavrovo National Park, a UNESCO heritage site. At night, refuel over exquisite traditional meals, often paired with local wines and artisan cheeses. This 8-day journey is the perfect combination of cultural encounters, active pursuits and the region’s culinary delights. 1 BikeHike Adventures | www.bikehike.com Address: 210-1807 Maritime Mews, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6H 3W7 Phone: (604) 731-2442 | Fax: (604) 677-5514 | Toll-free: (888) 805-0061 | Email: [email protected] Day 1 SKOPJE Arrival Upon arrival into the Skopje International Airport, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in the city. After a brief break to get settled, we will venture out on a short walking tour of Skopje’s most famous sites including the Stone Bridge, Mother Teresa memorial house, the Old Bazaar and the Skopje Fortress. In the evening, we’ll be treated to a Macedonian welcome dinner at a traditional restaurant. The local dishes served are specifically typical to Skopje. Meals: Dinner Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Skopje Day 3 Day 2 SKOPJE - MATKA CANYON MAVROVO NATIONAL PARK kayaking biking After breakfast, we will transfer 30 minutes to Matka Today, we’ll switch gears and get on our bikes for the canyon, one of Macedonia’s most popular kayaking, day, riding 50 km / 30 mi through Mavrovo National mountaineering and climbing areas. The vast Matka Park’s mountainous and alpine terrain. We will first have Canyon is a magnificent protected natural reserve. a 30 minute drive to Carevec, our starting point located Available for your discovery within it are several at 1600 m / 5200 ft. From there, we’ll cycle on dirt roads medieval monasteries and caves along with an that wind through pastures and meadows, passing abundant variety of flora and fauna. Today, starting several flocks of sheep along the way. We’ll eventually out from the Monastery of St. Andrew, we will kayak enter deep into a forest, the road gradually leading to the on our sit-on-top kayaks along peaceful Matka Lake village of Leunovo. At the village, our ride will return to to arrive at Vrelo cave. There, we will leave our kayaks paved roads as we cycle toward Bunec, a national park and enter the cave to marvel at its interior and wildlife. known for its deer. Along the way, we’ll have time for a We will then transfer back to the day’s starting point short stop to explore an educational trail to learn about by boat. Upon our return, we will have a short transfer the national park’s wildlife. We will then continue biking to the village of Saraj. There, a delicious lunch of local around the lake on the lookout for a perfect, picturesque traditional dishes will be waiting for us. After lunch, picnic lunch spot. That evening, we’ll return to our same we’ll transfer to the village of Janche, in Mavrovo hotel within Mavrovo National Park for dinner. National Park, where we’ll dine and overnight. Biking Distance: 50 km / 30 mi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Mavrovo Accommodation: Same comfortable hotel in Mavrovo National Park National Park 2 BikeHike Adventures For more details call BikeHike Adventures at 1-888-805-0061 or 1-604-731-2442 email [email protected] or surf us at www.bikehike.com to Macedonia on a leisurely ride back to Ohrid, along the Day 4 MAVROVO NATIONAL PARK lake’s east coast. Once back in Ohrid, we’ll explore the city Hiking by bike, visiting the Church of St. Sofia, the Theatre and the Tzar Samuil’s Fortress. For dinner, we’ll be transferred This morning, we will transfer 45 minutes to the small from the hotel to the nearby village of Kuratica, where we’ll town of Galicnik. From there, we’ll spend the day hiking in have a very special home-cooked dinner. This evening, our another area of Mavrovo National Park. The hike starts at hosts will entertain us by playing their guitars and singing 1400 m / 4600 ft and at Mount Medenica we will reach our highest point, 2160 m / 7100 ft. From there, we will descend Biking Distance: 97 km / 60 mi on foot to Galicnik where we’ll have a special lunch served Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner by a local family in their small family restaurant. Descending Accommodation: Same comfortable hotel in Ohrid further after lunch, we’ll make our way to Jance to break for tea in the mountains. After tea, we’ll meet our driver and Day 6 transfer to Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage site. En route, PRILEP - KING MARKO’S TOWERS we’ll stop briefly at the monastery of St. John the Baptist hiking Bigorski, one of the region’s most famous monasteries, famous for the wooden carved iconostasis created by local After breakfast, we will depart for the city of Prilep. From woodcarvers in the 19th century. The monastery is a must- there, we will start our hike from King Marko’s towers see for any visitor to Macedonia. This evening, we’ll be arriv- onward to the Treskavec Monastery, established in the ing in Ohrid in time for our dinner, served at the hotel. 12th century and located at an elevation of 1250 m / 4100 ft. The hike entails a little bit of scrambling with some Hiking Distance: 15 km / 10 mi sections secured with a steel cable. Upon arrival, we will Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner be rewarded with extraordinary views from this ancient Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Ohrid monastery’s exquisite location overlooking Prilep. The area’s last remaining monk, Brother Kalist, runs the Day 5 monastery. Once here, there is a good chance we will have MACEDONIA& ALBANIA - OHRID LAKE the rare opportunity to share a coffee/tea break with this biking fascinating man, hearing from him his own story as well We’re back on our bikes today, riding a total of 97 km / 60 as that of the monastery. This visit is a true trip highlight mi around Ohrid Lake and into Albania. We will start out for many. After transferring back to Prilep, we will enjoy from our hotel, riding through a Turkish neighbourhood another traditional lunch before driving to the Tikvesh and along an old road that stretches past Ohrid Lake. wine region for an overnight stay at a winery estate. If Today’s route is not difficult and will be entirely on paved time allows on the way, we’ll stop to explore the Roman roads. There will be two steeper uphill climbs but they are archaeological site of Stobi. This site is famous for its not very long. We’ll have full vehicle support during the remains of the Roman city Stobensium, once an important ride for anyone who wishes to jump in the van. We’ll arrive trade and cultural centre. Tonight, we’ll have a wine tasting at the city of Struga for a short visit before riding onward during dinner, arranged at our hotel-winery. to the Albanian border crossing at Kyafa-Thane. Once we’ve passed the border crossing, we’ll ride along the Hiking Distance: 7 km / 5 mi Albanian coast of Ohrid, stopping for lunch in the small Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner coastal town of Pogradec. After lunch, we will return back Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Tikvesh 3 BikeHike Adventures For more details call BikeHike Adventures at 1-888-805-0061 or 1-604-731-2442 email [email protected] or surf us at www.bikehike.com Day 8 SKOPJE departure Today is the conclusion of the Macedonia and Albania Multi-sport through the Balkans Adventure. You will be transferred to the airport to connect with your flight home. Meals: Breakfast TRIP INCLUDES All accommodation in 3-4 star hotels (twin shared), meals as indicated, land transportation, Specialized/ Scott/RAM bikes, sit-on-top kayaks, support vehicle on the biking, entrance fees at National Parks, Day 7 airport transfers and English speaking guides. TIKVESH Biking Today, we will be biking in the picturesque Tikvesh wine NOT INCLUDED region. Tikvesh is the largest wine region in the Balkans. International flights, gratuities, meals not indicated After breakfast, we’ll drive to the small town of Kavadarci, and items of a personal nature. the Macedonian wine capital. From there, we’ll begin biking all the way to Barovo, a prime wine growing micro locality within the region. We’ll cycle on peaceful country roads, through an endless panorama of vineyards and centuries-old village houses. There are a few hills but as before, there we will have full vehicle support for anyone wishing to hop in the van. After a stop in Barovo, we will cycle to a small family boutique winery in the village of Krnjevo. There, we will have a full wine tasting accompanied by an epic farewell lunch filled with dishes typical for the Tikvesh region. Our bellies filled, we’ll be transferred to Skopje in the late afternoon hours. Tonight, our last Macedonian dinner will be enjoyed in Debar Maalo, Skopje’s bohemian quarters. Biking Distance: 30 km / 19 mi Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Comfortable hotel in Skopje 4 BikeHike Adventures For more details call BikeHike Adventures at 1-888-805-0061 or 1-604-731-2442 email [email protected] or surf us at www.bikehike.com.