I had been wanting to do this hike for years, because both Mount Vodno with the Millennium Cross and Lake Matka are two great places that we visited separately in the past, so why not combine them in one hike?
The reason that we did not do this hike before is that we were told that especially the end of the hike, when you reach Lake Matka, is badly marked. In retrospect, I think that when you have a good look at the map, in combination with the sparse marking of the trail, it should be possible to do it without a guide, but you may go wrong here or there…
This year however (2011), I bought an outdoor GPS and downloaded a track describing this hike from internet. Almost foolproof and no local guide needed!
We went by car from Skopje to the parking at Middle Vodno (Sredno Vodo), which is halfway the top of the mountain. Then, we took the new cable car lift to the top of Mount Vodno and the Millennium Cross. Note the that cable car does not run on Mondays and the last Tuesday of the month, and inform yourself about the opening times (http://zicnica.jsp.com.mk/).
Alternatively, you can walk all the way to the top, from the foot of the mountain or from Middle Vodno, but that adds a pretty steep ascent to this hike!
From the top of Mount Vodno the hike is only downhill, so it is not too hard on your condition. Some of the last parts are rather steep downhill, so high shoes and walking sticks are recommended. The scenery and the trail are both pretty diverse, the views of the Matka Canyon are amazing.
When you arrive at the bridge over the Treska river, you have to go left to visit the lake. There are several churches around the lake, as well as a bar/restaurant for well-deserved refreshments!
There is a mini-bus going back to Skopje, but you can also arrange for a cab. The buses stop near the bridge.
The hike from the Millennium Cross to the bridge at Matka is about 11-12 km long and took us 4 hours including breaks. From the bridge to Lake Matka behind the dam is an additional 1.5 km. We really enjoyed this 5 out of 5 start hike.
Here you can check the GPS track of our hike: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/skopje-mount-vodno-to-matka-7546809
PS: It is also possible to include a visit to the Monastery of St Nikola Shishevski before you descent to Lake Matka. This was not included in the trail that we followed but you can find this route e.g. here: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/millennium-cross-to-matka-11739226
See here for more information about Lake Matka
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