You can visit these caves starting from the mountain hut Vrteska near Stip, but only with a guide from the Mountain Club Lisec. Our guides were Lazar and his friend Marija.
The caves are closed with an iron gate, so without a guide you would not be able to enter. The Kup Cave, which we visited first, was about 90-120 minutes walking from the mountain hut Vrteska. The Ajducka Cave (Freedom Fighter Cave) is about 60 minutes further walking from the Kup cave.
You will need to climb at bit to get into the caves and inside the caves as well. In the Ajducka cave you’ll have to climb through a small tunnel, so the cave is not suitable for the claustrophobic!
Although there are lamps in the caves, they were not working when we visited. So take a flashlight, or even better, a headlamp so you’ve got both hands free for the climbing.
Mountain hut Vrteska is about 40 km from Stip, near the village Vrteska on the Plackovica mountain. It is along the same road as the archeological site Bargala and you will also pass the Monastery of St Petka. About 50 people can stay in the hut, it has 6 rooms with 2, 4, 6 or 14 beds. There are also a dining room, kitchen where you can prepare your own food (which you have to take yourself) and showers.
Next to the Vrteska mountain hut is a small church dedicated to St George.
We stayed in this hut in 2010 after our hike to the Kup Cave and Ajducka Cave. It was the best hut we’ve been to until now The stars were wonderful at night, and we could clearly see the Milky Way. We paid 250 MKD per person, just over 4 euros.
On the map below you can see the location of the mountain hut on the right and the archeological site Bargala.
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