In the eastern part of Macedonia, at altitude of 800 – 900 m, on the slopes of the Maleshevo mountains (highest peak Kadiica 1932 m) lies the town of Berovo, a simple small mountain town.
Berovo and the Maleshevo mountains are just a small region, but there one can find a unique combination of almost untouched nature, cultural and historical heritage, ethnography, traditional music and handicrafts.
The climate is mild continental, in certain places modified into mountain-continental characterized by cold winters and cool summers. Berovo is the town with highest concentration of oxygen on the Balkan peninsula. The average annual temperature is 11.1˚C.  Berovo is the town with most sunny days during the year in the whole country, with an average of 6.4 sunny hours per day.

Interesting places to visit:

The historical and ethnologic museum of the town of Berovo

Housed in a 19th century building, redecorated preserving the authentic construction style. The historical exhibits comprise documents and artifacts from the times of Grandpa Iljo Malesevski, Dimitar Pop Georgjiev, the Razlovo uprising.. Part of the exhibits are the antique and medieval coins, evidencing the economic development and the trading relations the region of Maleshevo had. The ethnologic exhibition consists of a Maleshevo room reconstruction, Maleshevo national costumes Maleshevo jewelry, pottery, musical instruments and a reconstruction of a Maleshevo blacksmith’s workshop.

The “St. Archangel Michael” church

Built in the period 1815-1818 is located on the outskirts of the town of Berovo, on the road to the lake. The saints’ characters have been painted in a characteristic style, deviating from the Byzantine canons. The women monastery within the church played an important role in World War II, as well as in making people literate, since it was exactly there where the first cell school was opened, a period from which a number of old books have been preserved, subject to respect and admiration among the contemporary generations.

The Mother of God Church – built in 1972-1975 in the Byzantine

Macedonian medieval church style. On the very spot where the church was built there had been an old church, on the foundations of which the new one was built. The religious holiday of Mother of God’s Assumption, known among the people as GOLEMA BOGORODICA is celebrated on August 28th when Berovo is the host of the holiday organized in the monastery, an event attended by a great number of Orthodox Christians, culture and tradition lovers and tourists.

The Nativity of the Mother of God church

One of Berovo earmarks is located in the town center where all the roads lead to, both for the inhabitants and the visitors, was built in 1912 and it was sanctified in 1922.

 

Marked archeological sites:

  • Breza, a late ancient time settlement.
  • Vrcvite, necropolis – Iron Age tombs.
  • Gradiste, settlement and necropolis from late ancient time.
  • Dolno Gradiste - Ablanica, Roman time settlement.
  • Kelaklevec, late ancient time settlement
  • Kukjata, Roman time settlement..
  • Shirok Dol, tombs from Late ancient time.

  • Kovacilnica, an established settlement from Iron Age and Late Ancient and Medieval.
  • Linako, Late ancient time settlement.
  • Pashajlov Preslap, Late ancient time settlement.
  • Popov rid, Gradishte from Late ancient time.
  • St. Archangel Michael , medieval cavities.
  • Selca, Roman time settlement.
  • Shabansko Gradishte, from Late ancient time.

    • In the region of Maleshevo the old traditional crafts are still practiced: woodcarving, tannery, goldsmith, silversmith, weaving..

  • The women from Maleshevo as tradition preservers still enthusiastically process the sheep and goat wool and make clothing, wool blankets, carpets, rugs and alike.
  • Felt is a technique known in the Maleshevo region from long ago, making “short wooden socks”, under knee pads, and vests.
  • The woodcarvers form the Maleshevo region are known for their quality works of all kinds of woodcarvings and luxurious decorative elements for interior design.
  • silversmith and goldsmith as crafts which used to be part of the everyday lives of the people living in the Maleshevo region.
  • Sheepfold huts where sheep are bred in a traditional manner and where the widely known Maleshevo white cheese is produced, as well as other diary products and specialties.
  • In the Maleshevo regain there are beautiful landscapes for walks, sports, recreation, relaxation, outings and gatherings.

  • The Maleshevo region is proud of it potato and plum, as well as its ecologically produced and healthy food.
  • Cow, sheep and goat milk is used for the Maleshevo specialties: Maleshevo (Berovo) white cheese, yellow cheese, bulamach, yogurt…
  • The bees bred in the region of Maleshevo produce the best honey – mountain honey and pasture honey. Honey can be combined with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts. Apart from honey, highly demanded products are royal jelly and propolis which can be used as medicines. Honey in honeycombs is a unique kind of specialty.
  • The nature in the region of Maleshevo is extremely rich with wild forest fruits. Depending on the season, you can try wild strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackthorns, cornel cherries, apples, plums, and you can also pick various tea herbs (thyme, daisies, yarrow..). The fruits are ideal for making jams, juices and stewed fruit with different flavors.

    • Fashion Caffee

    Calipso

    Refresh Caffee

    Cultural events

    A number of cultural events have been organized in the past decades, reminding us of the tradition, customs, habits of the local inhabitance:

    January 20th – Ratevo Carnival “Bamburci “  

    This carnival is a cultural event held in the village of Ratevo and directly related to the religious holiday “the Commemoration of St. John the Forerunner”. The masks are usually traditional, made of animal fur and bells. Many guests from other towns in Macedonia as well as from abroad participate in the festival.

    March/April - Easter. Selection of hardest and best decorated egg.

    Each year on Easter, a cultural event is organized when the hardest and the best decorated eggs are selected.

     

    August 2nd: St. Prophet Elijah day

    St. prophet Elijah’s day is celebrated in Berovo each year, for two reasons: as the Ilinden uprising day and the day of the first assembly of ASNOM (Anti fascist assembly for the people’s liberation in Macedonia) .

     August 10-18 – Berovo Art colony

    The Berovo art colony is continually organized from the year 2003 on and it is an international colony, having participants form Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia. The pieces of art produced there are exhibited in Berovo as well as other Macedonian towns.

     

    August 23rd – The day of the Municipality of Berovo

    This is the day when Berovo was liberated and it is celebrated with a traditional evening concert as well as a range of other cultural events, among which is the exhibition of the pieces of art created in the colony.

    August 23 - 28 – International Folk Festival “Maleshevo folk gathering”

    In August each year a folk festival is organized in Berovo, the host being the folk dances ensemble “Dimitar Berovski “ from Berovo, with participating ensembles form Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia.

    August 27 - 28 – Ethno – square festival – an international ethno festival

  • Ethno camp – concert and music workshop uniting internationally recognized performers
  • Maleshevo on hands “- traditional healthy food products fair, skillful handicrafts and souvenirs, woodcarvings
  • Maleshevo folk gatherings

    • August 28th - Mother of God’s Assumption

    The religious holiday of the Mother of God’s Assumption, known among people as GOLEMA BOGORODICA takes place in the same period as the international Ethno Square festival.

    October - International terrain vehicles rally

    In the beginning of October, the Auto-moto Association of Macedonia and Jeep Rally Sport Skopje organize an international terrain vehicles rally in Berovo. The event takes place in the locality called Shushlevec, on a track specially prepared for the rally.

    October – The potato day in Maleshevo region

    The event is a sale exhibition, at which all sorts of potatoes are presented, and during which you can taste the local potato specialties combined with the widely known Maleshevo white cheese and the Maleshevo plum rakija.

    December – Village of Rusinovo to Petlec expedition   

    On the occasion of the Macedonian revolutionary Dame Gruev’s death and in order to give honor to his deed, every year an expedition is organized, starting from the village of Rusinovo to Petlec, the place where he was killed in 1906.