Skopska Crna Gora Mountain (Skopje’s Black Mountain) is also called “Holy Mountain of Skopje” because of the many churches.
This page describes a day trip by car that visits many of these churches. We actually did not visit all of the sights on the same day, but in 2023 we did a day trip that stopped by several of the churches. That trip was the basis for the route described here. Besides the churches, the route also includes some other interesting sites on Skopska Crna Gora.
Each stop has a link with the location on Google Maps and it should be easy to navigate from one location to the other. Not all churches are equally interesting and many of them will probably be closed. The places that I found most interesting have a heading in green. If the church is closed, the caretaker of the church often lives nearby and may open the church for you: Just ask around for the key of the church: “klucot od crkvata ?” pronounced “klutsjot od serkvata ?”.
St George in Radishani
The route starts in the settlement Radishani at the cemetery where the Church of St George is situated. This church is from the 16th century and is usually open. The church of St. George was the main village church of Radisani until the end of the sixties. It was once destroyed during Turkish rule and then rebuilt in the early 19th century. Location: N42° 04′ 23.7″ E21° 26′ 51.9″.
St Nikola in Radishani
The church dedicated to St Nikola was erected in the 16th century. The fresco paining is from 1631 and the church was restored in 1980-81. Several of the older churches visited during this tour, including St Nikola, are described in the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje” by Vasilka Dimitrovska which will give you some more detailed information than I describe here (2019, HAEMUS Center for Scientific Research and promotion of Culture, https://haemus.org.mk/). The church of St Nikola usually is open.
Interestingly, outside of the church of St Nikola it seems that several spolia were used. Spolia are re-purposed building stones from much earlier periods. They are incorporated in the floor in front of the church of St Nikola and the stone benches that are attached to the church. Location: N42° 04′ 18.9″ E21° 26′ 56.3″
St Nedela in Radishani
An alternative way of visiting these two churches in Radishani is to combine your visit with a hike that also visits the Church of St Nedela. St Nedela was closed when we visited it and it is not part of the tour described here. Location: N42° 04′ 03.8″ E21° 26′ 03.1″
St Naum of Ohrid in Radishani
The current main church of the settlement Radishani is St Naum Ohridski (St Naum of Ohrid). It was built as a monastery in 1936. During its construction the remains of an older temple were found. The church was open when we visited. Location: N42° 03′ 18.2″ E21° 27′ 19.7″
St Petka Monastery in Creshevo
The next village to visit is Creshevo. The Monastery of Sveti Petka (St Petka) is located in the most northern part of the village. In the courtyard of the monastery there should be holy water that helps with eye diseases, but we did not notice that during our visit. The date of construction of the church is unknown. The church was open when we visited. Location: N42° 03′ 33.3″ E21° 30′ 34.4″
St Spas in Creshevo
Unfortunately the church of St Spas in Creshevo was closed when we visited. We called the phone number that was on display but the caretaker was busy elsewhere. It is a pity because this church dates back to 1850. The icons of the iconostasis are from 1854, they were made by the famous icon painter Dicho Zograf. According to Wikipedia “the iconographic ensemble of this temple, together with those of St. George in Banjane and St. Nicholas in Gluvo, is one of the most beautiful and richest of Dicho’s works in Skopje. Location: N42° 03′ 18.8″ E21° 30′ 36.6″
St Jovan in Creshevo
The Church of St Jovan (St John) was the cemetery church of Creshevo. According to Wikipedia, this is an old church in which an inscription in old Slavic language can be seen, dating back to the 11th century. To us the church looked rather new and not too interesting, maybe it was renovated. It was open when we visited. So either Wikipedia is wrong or we missed something special! Location: N42° 03′ 09.5″ E21° 30′ 36.3″
Topolche Spring in Rashtak
Just before you enter the village Rashtak, there is the Topolche Spring. Supposedly the spring has healing water, with eye problems as medical specialty. The sign at the spring says “everybody who has eye problems can wash the eyes with this holy curative water“. The healing power of the water is given by the three saints St Spas, St Petka and St Bogorodica (Mother of God). There has been a spring here for a long time, but when the new road was built the spring dried up. After a few years the road had sunk about a meter and the holy water re-appeared. Then pipes and a retaining wall were installed. A local named Nikola Ivanov built the fountain, which is shaped like a small church. Nikola nearly died 50 years ago and the Mother of God appeared to him on his deathbed. She told him he should drink water from the spring, which healed him. When we visited summer 2023 the spring looked pretty much dried up again. Location: N42° 04′ 42.0″ E21° 29′ 43.3″
St Spas in Rashtak
A but further into the village Rashtak on the cemetery you will find the Church of St Spas. At the site of the current church there was an older religious building. The ruins of that church were restored in 1861. The iconostasis was completed in 1866 and in 1928 the bell tower was installed. The interior of the church is described in detail on Wikipedia, but unfortunately the church was closed and we did not ask around for the key. Location: N42° 05′ 07.2″ E21° 29′ 22.1″
St Nikola in Ljuboten
In the northern part of the village Ljuboten you find the Church of St Nikola from 1337, one of the highlights of this tour in my opinion. The church was reconstructed in 1928. When we visited in 2023 there was ongoing restoration work as well. Several marble spolia are built into the church and the stairs (spolia are stones taken from older structures and repurposed for new construction or decorative purposes). According to the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje” the church of St Nikola opens from 7 am-9 am during weekends, but it was open when we visited on a weekday in the afternoon.
We met the caretaker of the church who told us a story about the large old tree on the church grounds. According to legend an Albanian Muslim man tried to cut the hundreds of years old tree but did not succeed and died in his bed that night. Wikipedia describes the same story but does not mention the fatal ending. Location: N42° 05′ 51.3″ E21° 27′ 59.6″
Monastery of St Nikola in Ljubanci
The Monastery of St Nikola is located in the hills between the villages Ljuboten and Ljubanci. According to the legend, the Monastery of St Nicholas in the village Ljubanci was built in the middle of the 19th century after a dream of the villager named Boyko Raev who is named as the founder of the church. The construction lasted from 1849 to 1858. The iconostasis of the church has icons that were made in 1853 by the famous Dicho Zograf.
During the World War II this monastery served as a hospital and recuperation center for tuberculosis patients. It was a male monastery until 1960 but it was converted to female in 1998. At the entrance there is s small shop where you can buy herbs, candles, soap and religious items. See here for a hike that starts at this monastery. The monastery usually is open. Location: N42° 06′ 35.4″ E21° 28′ 10.4″
St Bogorodica in Ljubanci
According to Wikipedia St Bogorodica at the cemetery of Ljubanci dates back to the Middle Ages and was rebuilt in 1920 on an older foundation. The church was open at the time of visiting. A nice hike to the Crn Kamen peak starts near the church. Location: N42° 06′ 25.4″ E21° 27′ 21.3″
St Nikola in Ljubanci
The church of St Nikola is the main church of Ljubanci. It seems to date back to the middle of the 14th century, there was a reconstruction in the 16th century as well as reconstruction and painting in 1881. In 2014 another reconstruction of the church and courtyard took place and a new bell tower was placed. There are several spolia built into the church, which was closed when we visited. Location: N42° 06′ 34.6″ E21° 27′ 13.6″
Restaurant Kvin in Ljubanci
In case you got hungry from all the sightseeing, fish restaurant Kvin (Queen) near Ljubanci will be a good choice (they serve excellent ribs as well). They have their own fish pond. The last part of the road to restaurant Kvin is unpaved and you have to cross a small narrow bridge, so leave your car in the center of the village if you are uncomfortable with that. However, everybody visiting the restaurant takes that road as well so don’t worry. We did a hike to the ruins of St George which started here. Location: N42° 06′ 50.7″ E21° 27′ 26.4″
Monastery of St Bogorodica near Pobozje
The Monastery of St Bogorodica or Poboshki Monastery is located above the village Pobozje along the road to the village Brodec (Brodets). It is believed that the monastery was built in the 14th century. The monastery grounds should include a church and lodging houses but the gate was closed so we could not visit them. Location: N42° 07′ 32.4″ E21° 25′ 41.9″
While writing up this tour, I found out that there are two other churches in Pobozje that we did not visit. The main church of the village is the Church of St Petka of which it is assumed that it was built in the second half of the 12th century with a major addition in 1855. The church has an iconostasis from the 16th century, which had one row of icons and imperial doors. Today, that iconostasis is integrated into the iconostasis that was made around 1880. Location. The other church is the burial Church of St Dimitri at the cemetery. A church existed here from the Middle Ages, but collapsed during a flood in 1944. A new building was erected near the old one and the remains of the old church can still be seen. Location.
St Spas in Kuchevishte
The church of Kuchevishte originally was named St Bogorodica but is nowadays known as St Spas. It can be found in the village. The church dates back to 1330. The narthex was built between 1332 and 1337, with a chapel dedicated to St Nikola above it. In 1845 Dimitrija Dico Zograf and his team restored the iconostasis and made the altar door. At the back of the church there is a remarkable balcony with stairs, something you don’t see that often. The church is described in the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje” which mentions that the church is open on weekends from 7 am-9 am. Unfortunately the church was closed when we visited and the caretaker was unavailable. Location: N42° 06′ 43.8″ E21° 25′ 01.9″
St Arachangels Monastery in Kuchevishte
The Monastery is dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel and located less than 3 km north of Kuchevishte. The monastery is from 1631. The church is described in the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje” which mentions that the church is open every day from 10 am-5 am. During our first visit I was denied entrance to the church by an alcoholic nun who had an issue with foreigners (yes, really). During my second visit she luckily was not around. A 17 km long hike into the Skopska Crna Gora mountains starts at the Monastery of St Archangels Michael and Gabriel. Location: N42° 07′ 56.0″ E21° 24′ 51.0″
St Mercurius in Mirkovci
Along the road between Kuchevishte and Mirkovci there is this small pink Church of St Mercurius. I could not find any info about it. Location: N42° 06′ 13.3″ E21° 24′ 22.7″
The cemetery Church of St Petka is nearby but we did not visit it. It was restored in 1875. Location: 42° 6′ 12″ N , 21° 24′ 13″ E
MOnastery of St Ilija in Mirkovci
The Monastery of St Ilija in Mirkovci is also referred to as the Chardak Monastery. Behind the Church of St Ilija from 1879 there is another church, the Church of St Bogorodica. The monastery was open when we visited.
Just outside the walled Monastery of St Ilija there is the little church which is named Balaklija by the locals and which is believed to be from the 11th century. It has a spring with healing water, which may dry up from time to time. Location: N42° 05′ 07.8″ E21° 24′ 35.4″
Brazda Tomb Archeological park
Your next stop could be the Brazda archaeological park with a tomb from the 5th or 4th century BC near the village Brazda! A super impressive site, you can read more about it at https://arheoparkbrazda.mk/. Also check out this 17 km hike that includes the Brazda tomb and the Davina Kula archeological site; at this link you can also find more information about the Davina Kula site with ruins of early Christian basilicas from the 5th and 6th century. Location: N42° 04′ 36.4″ E21° 23′ 55.5″
Lavovec Spring near Gluvo
The famous Old Aqueduct near Skopje used to get its water from the Lavovec Spring, which is located near the village Gluvo. There’s really not much to see but we enjoyed our effort in locating this well hidden piece of history. Location: N42° 05′ 34.8″ E21° 23′ 40.9″ and see here for a GPS track that makes it easier to find the spring.
St Trojica in Cucer-sandevo
The Church of St Trojica/Trojitca (St Trinity) in the village Cucer-Sandevo is a relatively new church that according to Wikipedia was constructed in 1938 on the same place where churches from the 13th and 19th century have existed. Location: N42° 06′ 10.2″ E21° 22′ 42.4″. Near the church is an old spring that allegedly dates back to around 1800, you’ll pass it on the way to the church. Location: N42° 06′ 14.7″ E21° 22′ 45.8″
Monastery of St Nikita in Gornjane
The Church of St Nikita (St Nicetas) in Gornjane was built around the year 1300 by King Milutin on the foundations of an earlier church and was renovated in 1484. The iconostasis was painted in 1846. The Monastery of St Nikita is described in more detail in the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje”. There is a stone in the church that supposedly fulfills wishes. If you stand on the stone and turn 3 times, bow and say the prayer that is displayed under the icon and make a wish, your wish will come true or you will get better if you’re sick. The power allegedly is not in the stone itself, but in the relics of the saint that are under the stone. Before the entrance of the church there are several spolia (repurposed building material) used as pavement. The monastery grounds are well maintained, there were some chickens running around and it is a pleasant place to spend some time. From here you can do a 12 km hike that also visits the nearby Church of St George in Banjane, as well as the Monastery of St Bogorodica which can only be reached by an unpaved road and the Church of St Spas which can only be reached by foot. Location: N42° 06′ 27.7″ E21° 22′ 48.5″
St George in Banjane
In Banjane there is the Church of St George (1548). In 1845 new fresco paining was performed and an iconostasis was made by Dicho Zograf. The Church of St George unfortunately was closed and may only be open on weekend mornings from 07.00-09.00 (according to the guidebook “Byzantine Heritage of Skopje” by http://haemus.org.mk/) or only on Sunday mornings at 06.00-10.00 according to some locals we met. Even the church grounds were closed with a fence. Location: N42° 06′ 27.7″ E21° 23′ 09.3″
Monastery of St Ilija neAr Banjane
I have actually not visited the Monastery of St Ilija by car, but passed it during a 26 km hike starting in Banjane. However, it is possible to get to the monastery by car and I believe the road is asphalted. The monastery seems to have quite some space for lodging but I don’t know if this is actually possible. When I arrived, there were locals drinking beer in the garden. The fountain was used to keep the beer cool! There were many, many cats as well. Which also explains the sign at the entrance saying “Be decently dressed, forbidden for dogs, and forbidden to play ball”.
The monastery church dates back to the 14th century. It is built into a rock, which gives the church an unusual appearance. In 1846 the icons of the iconostasis were restored by Dicho Zograf. The eight apostolic icons are also his. Location: N42° 07′ 47.7″ E21° 23′ 15.5″
Matejche Monastery
The deserted Matejche Monastery near the village Matejche is not part of this day trip but is an interesting place to visit. The Monastery of Matejche is located on the Kumanovo side of the Skopska Crna Gora mountain. I visited this monastery during a 23 km hike from the village Viniche, see the link for more details about this deserted monastery. Location: N42° 06′ 31.5″ E21° 33′ 10.9″
Skopska Crna Gora Churches Map
Undoubtedly I will have missed some churches and sights with this tour, let me know through the contact form if you think something should be added!
Another way to enjoy the Skopska Crna Gora mountain is by foot, see here for hiking opportunities around Skopje.
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