Travel Destination RADIKA the Emerald Princess and Its Fairytale Realm he Reka region in the western glacial landscapes. Further down, the part of Macedonia is one of the river gets narrow and deep, forming a ecologically cleanest, culturally spectacular 30-kilometer gorge. The and even ethnologically richest canyon formed over millions of years breaking regions of our country, with through the mountain sides is breathtaking Tthe most beautiful nature. It is formed by and has many geomorphologic structures, the valleys of the rivers Radika and Mala thick vegetation and waters rich in fish. Reka (Small River). Its northern border is As it picks up many tributary streams the southern slope of the Shara Mountain and rivers the waters become more and the Deshat Mountain is its southern ferocious, creating foaming cascades border. It includes the lakes Mavrovo and and impressive waterfalls. The rapid Debar, the towns of Debar and Kichevo, water fights with the vegetation clinging as well as a stretch of the border with to limestone cliffs. Albania. The highest mountain Korab is on its western border while the gently sloping RIVER OF TWO BASINS cattle breeding mountains Bistra and Stogovo form its eastern horizon. Due to A unique engineering project has resulted its outstanding natural beauty the region in the river draining into two basins: the became part of the Mavrovo National Park Aegean and the Adriatic Seas. Through an established in 1949. artificial bifurcation near the abandoned The Radika is considered a gem among village of Volkovia the Upper Radika is Macedonian rivers. It has pure, clear and taken into the artificial lake of Mavrovo cool water. Its unusual dark green colour is and then through a system of hydro- due to the high calcium carbonate content. power plans into the Vardar river which It flows from the Kosovo side of the flows into the Aegean. The Lower Radika Shara Mountain and enters Macedonian continues for more than 40 kilometers territory flowing south. From its source to southwards and empties itself into the the mouth of the river in Debar Lake it Adriatic Sea flowing into the Black Drim is 67 km long. The source is high above forming a beautiful bay on the artificial the timberline in the desolate highlands Debar Lake. of the Shara. In its very beginning, a The Radika River is a very rare phenomenon. Shara mountain glacier has widened and It is a very important river as it separates flattened the valley floor, attracting the three giant mountains: the Shar, the different streams which transverse the Korab and the Bistra. Flowing among www.dmwc.org.mk • March 2012 15 Travel Destination them, the Radika forms many unusual especially cruiser and grey eagles. The gorges, cliffs, caves and rocks. The so- mountains are covered with black forests called Barich Canyon is one of the most and oaks where owls dwell. picturesque in the Balkans. The three The waters of the Radika are also famous mountains have numerous glacial lakes. for their healing properties. Kosovrasti The most magnificent panoramas can be spa lies near the mouth of the river at enjoyed from the localities Careva Cesma the Debar Lake. The hot 48º C sulphurous and Tonivoda where the majestic scenery and radioactive waters used for the of the Korab massif and parts of the Shara treatment of rheumatic diseases add to the and Bistra Mountains and Mavrovo Lake attractions of the Radika. reveal themselves. Other scenic views are the landscapes of the Galicnik area PEOPLE WITH GOLDEN HANDS villages, waterfalls and natural cascades on the tributary rivers of the Radika. Some This beautiful and wealthy region has al- mountain sheepfolds on the Bistra have ways attracted people. There is evidence already been turned into tourist attractions of highly organized living here since an- and rest stops for skiers in winters and tiquity. Today at least four nationalities mountaineers in other seasons. live here together: Macedonians, Albanians, The mountains in the Reka region belong Turks and Aromanians. They belong to to the Shara alpine group with high relief the Orthodox Christian and the Muslim and with 52 peaks above 2000 meters. religions, although the Pope objected to The highest peak is the Large Korab which the conversion of the local Catholics into with its 2764 metres was considered the Islam in 1644. The records suggest that highest elevation in the whole Yugoslavia. in the 1840s the population of Galichnik Many tours are regularly organized to was re-Christianized in accordance with conquer the peaks. For the curious their own will. Some Orthodox Macedo- admirers, the most interesting shapes nians who lived in the now abandoned are the fourteen karst fields made by ero- villages of Brodec, Volkovija, Krakornica sion to be found all over the region. The and Vrben spoke Albanian as their mother fishermen enjoy the Radika for the abun- tongue. Despite its complex diversity, dance of trout, which thrives in its clean over the centuries, the local population waters. The hunters have also a lot of animals has shown incredible mutual respect and to experience: dear, wild goat, wild boar, tolerance. Many traditions, unlike in other bear, wolf, fox, and the Balkan lynx, a rare regions, are mixed and many holidays and protected species. The high slopes are jointly celebrated by neighbouring are ideal for all kinds of predator birds, communities. When a recent fire 16 March 2012•www.dmwc.org.mk Travel Destination almost demolished St. John’s Monastery and fresco painting and mosaic. donations for its restoration came from Population living in the highland villages all the local ethnic and religious groups. of Gari, Tresonce, Lazaropole, Rosoki consider All the groups remember the kingdom of themselves to be descendants of the Georg Kastriot, the brave Skenderbey, and Mijak tribes, who enjoyed good reputation his unprecedented resistance to the imperial for their bravery as well as culture. They Ottoman forces which failed to defeat him are very proud of the Mijak identity, during his lifetime. Some of the oldest centred on the Galicnik wedding that and richest Albanian epics connected with recently became famous and other popular this period still exist in the Debar region traditions. The unpublished dictionary and are part of the Albanian heritage. of the Mijak dialect written by Panayot The bravery of another son of this region Ginovski in 1822 contains 20 000 words. inspired Grigor Prlicev, who was called the Nowadays, many of the highland villages “second Homer” in 1860 in Athens for his are abandoned. Under the pressure of poem The Serdar. Based on a folk poem, modernization and in pursuit of better it deals with the exploits and heroic death lives the population has migrated into of Kuzman Kapidan, a famous hero and cities, emigrated to Western Europe and protector of the Christian people in the on to other continents. But migration Debar region in their struggle with bandits. has always been a feature of the region However it was hard to survive in this thanks to the reputation of the Reka people rich region. The people of Reka have a as workers and craftsmen. They have centuries-old reputation as hard workers. been building churches and houses and They have mastered the crafts of builders, developing different businesses all over wood carvers, cheese makers, cattle the Balkans. Even today, some of the leading breeders and master bakers and become masters in the Italian heritage conservation widely known for their achievements in come from this region. these areas. In the 1920s a pipeline was Today, the most lively and developed transporting milk from mountain villages villages are Zhirovnica, Vrbjani, Rostushe, down to the dairies. Cheese products Bitushe, Jance, Velebrdo, Skudrinje and were exported to North America through Prisojnica. They all have old traditional the Thessaloniki Port. The Reka Mountains architecture: huge houses made of stone used to be covered by grazing sheep, goats and wood erected on steep slopes. Each and horses. Skillful craftsmen and artisans passing through the Reka region is a of the region to this day are the leaders in festivity of its own kind. ecclesiastic architecture, woodwork, icon www.dmwc.org.mk • March 2012 17.