Velgosti (Velgoshti) is a small village close to Ohrid. It is the first village on your right along the road from Ohrid to Resen and Bitola. You can also reach Velgosti from Ohrid by a hiking trail of 6.5 km. The trail starts close to the Biljana Springs in Ohrid and goes via the rural village Ramne to Velgosti.
There are several churches in and around Velgosti. The most famous is the Monastery and Church of St Petka. The Monastery of St Petka lies on the slopes of a hill. The church was built in 1890, with the permission of the Ottomans. Underneath today’s church there are leftovers of mortar from a cave-church. The church was enlarged in 1922. The iconostasis is from 1969.
The Monastery of St Petka is a working monastery, where you can get a simple room and use the kitchen. We were told that you pay 200-300 Denars per night, that is about 5 euros but the price may have gone up. The atmosphere in the monastery was really friendly when we arrived after a hike. Some of the the guests offered us coffee and mastika (a strong spirit).
In one of the rooms there is a memorial for the soldiers of the VMRO, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, who fought against the Ottomans.
Below the Monastery of St Petka you can find a little chapel with healing water. Directions: N41.12917 E20.83999
Church of St Nedela
The Church of St Nedela (St Sunday) is at the beginning of the street going up to the Monastery of St Petka in Velgosti. Directions N41.12892 E20.83691
Church of St Rusa Sreda (St Blond Wednesday)
The pink Church of St Rusa Sreda (St Blond Wednesday) is close to the Church of St Nedela and the Monastery of St Petka. According to an inscription the church was built in 1975 and the water found here has healing power.
If you face the entrance of St Nedela in Velgosti, go left and left again at the crossing and walk straight on (you will pass some bridges over a brook that might be dry).
When we visited this church it was closed, but people in Velgosti may have the key. Key of the church = klucot od crkvata, pronounced “klutsjot od serkvata”. It is a good habit to leave some denars in the church, or to buy some candles. Directions: N41.12438 E20.83984
Cave church St Bogorodica
The Cave Church St Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) lies in the hills above the village Velgosti. Just before you reach the Church of St Rusa Sreda (see above), you will see a sign saying “Sv Bogorodica”, pointing to the left into the forest. This trail leads to the Cave Church St Bogorodica (and eventually to the Churches of St Ilija and St Nikolai, which may be harder to find).
The church is situated in a natural cave. The picture does not show the actual cave church, but the entrance to the church.
The locals of Velgosti visit the church on the celebration of the Holy Martyr Teodor, six weeks before Easter.
A legend: Originally this cave church was dedicated to St Petka. There allegedly is a passage in the cave that leads to the Monastery of St Petka, about two kilometres away. When the Monastery of St Petka was built, the icon dedicated to St Petka ‘ran away’ every morning from the monastery and was found back in the cave church. In order to make sure, the villagers let a goat into the channel and it really came out at the monastery! This passage is now locked with a steel door, see the picture. Directions: N41.12503 E20.84440
This small cave (actually more like a hole in the rocks) can be found along the trail leading from Velgosti to the Cave Church St Bogorodica.
Church of St Ilija
The Church of St Ilija is located in the hills near the village Velgosti. The hike from Velgosti to Skrebatno (18 km) passes this church. It is a very good location for a picnic, there are benches, tables, grass and lots of shadow. .
August 2nd is the name-day of St Ilija, and there will likely be a lot of festivities around the church that day.
Church of St Nikolai
The Church of St Nikolai is also located in the hills near the village Velgosti. You can reach the church hiking, e.g. from the Cave Church St Bogorodica. However, it might be hard to find. There is a little brook/river flowing through the grounds of the church. An inscription says that the building next to the church was renovated in 1984. This may have been the original church on this location, but the building was closed when I visited.
Gabresh spring
In the mountains of Galicica National Park near Ohrid and Velgosti you can find the Gabresh Spring. Next to the spring there is an improvised table with some tree trunks where you can picnic in the shade. The GPS hike from the village Zavoj to Ohrid passes this spring, as well as some of the churches mentioned on this page.
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