This hike is almost 20 km with 1050 m ascent. If you do not climb the Kadiica Peak, you save yourself 2.5 km and 300 m climbing.
We had our accommodation at Villa River in Pehchevo, very close to the start of this hike. The accommodation comes highly recommended!
Parts of this hike are apparently part of a biking trail, as a sign near the start of the hike states:
“The bicycle trail “The Beauties of Pehchevo” is with a total length of 10 km and it connects the town of Pehchevo with the three tourist localities Vrtena Skala, Delibovi Kashchi and Judovi Livadi. These three localities are located on the southern slope of the fossil volcanic cone Bukovik (1723 m) that rises high above Pehchevo. The three localities are at an altitude of 1100-1400 m, and most of the bicycle trail is also at this altitude”.
If you are planning to cycle that trail, I would not count that the marking or signs for this biking trail are very clear or accurate. There has been a big fire in the surrounding in 2024 and marking may have been lost.
This hike visits both the Vrtena Skala rock formation and Judovi Livadi (Juduvi Meadow) with its insectivorous plants, but I don’t know what the mentioned locality Delibovi Kashchi is supposed to be.
The first sight is the Smrdliva Chesma or Stinky Spring. The water allegedly has a yellowish reddish color, and the taste is sour and bitter, probably because it passes through iron ores that are abundant in Bukovik. The water is used for stomach ailments. I actually didn’t notice anything about the color or the odor of the water, but I suppose it is more likely to get stomach problems from the water than to have them fixed!
Next is the The Vrtena Skala or Twisted Rock, a rock formation of about 5 m high. There is an opening in the rock and it is believed that crawling through this opening helps women who cannot get children. The walking through the rock is performed with a special ritual. Usually a man is chosen who leads the woman to the revolving staircase, in the presence of her husband and other close relatives He helps the woman to go through the opening from one end to the other Then gifts and money are left on the rock. The woman gives the man gifts and he becomes her fraternal brother. Every year on that day the woman and her family go to visit the fraternal brother with gifts and food. You can see in the pictures that there are actually gifts left at the rock.
The hole in the rock looked kind of narrow to me and this curative rock may not be suitable for obese childless women…
Next we were very confused about a wooden sign on a tree saying “Judovi Livadi” (in Macedonian), on a location that according to us what not correct. Nevertheless, we searched for the carnivorous plants that are supposed to grow at Judovi Livadi, without success. I really think this sign was misplaced, because we found Judovi Livadi at the end of this hike, as expected. Our fruitless search in this area was removed from the GPS track.
At the next sign, you have the option to go left or right for the Kadiica Peak (1932 m). My girlfriend said she was too tired to climb the peak, so we went left to avoid that she had to climb the Kadiica peak. She had a long break near the farm, while I climbed the Kadiica peak which is on the border with Bulgaria – we kept contact with the walkie-talkies that we carry on our hikes. This part actually is the most beautiful part of the hike, so if you plan to climb the peak you may want to take the trail to the right at the junction, so you make a circle instead of having to walk the same trail to Kadiica Peak uphill and downhill.
For the Judovi Livadi locality you have to leave the road that you’re following for a small detour.
At the actual site of Judovi Livadi there are carnivorous (insectivorous) plants. Until 2014 it was the only site where the insectivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia or Roundleaf Sundew was found, but since then it has been found at several other sites in the Maleshevo Mountains and Bukovik. However, the largest and best preserved population of the Sundew is located at Judovi Livadi. The red color of the hairs on the plant attracts insects. When they land on the leaf, their movement causes the leaf to close, so the insect is quickly trapped in the sticky glands that contain enzymes which break down the insects. It feeds in this way because of the low amount of nutrients in the soil.
The plants are tiny with a diameter of 3-5 cm and you really have to look very carefully for them. Make sure not to step on them!
This was a pleasant hike. The first few kilometers were burned badly in 2024, which gave it a bit of a surreal feeling. The hike gets 3.5 stars out of 5.
You can view and download the GPS track of this hike here: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/kadiica-peak-from-pehchevo-via-vrtena-skala-and-judovi-livadi-236568943
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