We visited Prilep in 2005 during a 4 day trip Ohrid-Prilep-Krusevo-Ohrid. We came by bus from Ohrid and stayed two days in Prilep, to visit Marko’s Towers and two monasteries. We stayed overnight in the Hotel Kristal Palace. We retuned in 2023 to visit the Museum of Prilep before we went to see the archeological site Stibera.
Marko’s Towers
High above the town of Prilep stand the Markovi Kuli, Towers of Marko, named after the last Macedonian King Marko. When his father died in 1371 in a fight against the Ottomans, the crown was passed to Marko. Prilep, which was the capital of Marko’s empire, eventually fell to the Ottomans in 1394. A year later, King Marko was killed while he was forced to fight for the Ottomans.
Parts of the fortress should date back to the Iron Age, 3rd and 4th centuries BC and later stages were built during the Ottoman Empire. Most of the ruins that can be seen today are from medieval times.
King Marko’s Towers is one of my favorite sites in Macedonia. It’s a great experience to walk uphill on the white marble paths that lead to this ancient fortress. An interesting detail for Dutch visitors: Marko’s Towers features in the book “The Orient Express” by the Dutch writer A Den Dolaard. He also wrote “The wedding of the seven gypsies” (De bruiloft der zeven zigenuners) which is situated in Ohrid.
Below the fortress is a huge rock in the shape of an elephant. You can walk from the Towers of Marko to the Monastery of Treskavec, one of the most well-known monasteries of Macedonia. Nowadays, there is also an asphalt road to the monastery.
Treskavec Monastery
The Monastery of Treskavec lies 10 km outside Prilep. It is built on the ancient town of Kolobaise (3rd century BC – 7th century AD). The Church of St Bogorodica (Holy Mother of God) on the complex dates back to the 14th century, but was built on the foundations of a 6th-century basilica. You should take a flashlight to be able to see the frescoes and artifacts in the church. There is a rare fresco of Christ as a young boy, another one can be found in the Monastery St Bogorodica Eleusa near Strumica. There is a casket of skulls of seven monks who were executed by the Ottomans, along with 200 other monks.
The complex also has an old dining hall and an inn where you can stay the night. In February 2013 the lodging houses of the monastery burned down, but the church and old dining room were spared from the fire. Reconstruction may still be ongoing, so inform yourself well if you plan to stay the night. Make sure that you have clothes that cover shoulders and legs if you want to enter, and to introduce yourself. It is not without reason that this great place plays a central role in the Macedonian film “Before the Rain” by Milco Mancevski!
St Archangel Michael Monastery
After spending most of the day relaxing between the ruins of The Towers of Marko, we payed a short visit to the Monastery of St Michael the Archangel. The monastery can be found relatively close to the Towers of Marko, in a part of Prilep called Varos. It has a big 15th-century iron doorway. Underneath the main inn is a deep well, that can be entered through a small doorway. Take your flashlight!
Allegedly the second oldest Cyrillic inscription in Macedonia can be found here. The monastery only houses nuns.
The church of St Atanas, without a roof now, is not far from the monastery of St Michael the Archangel.
Prilep Center
This spacious pedestrian area, called Metodi Satarov Sarlo, is next to the old Turkish part of Prilep, where also the Clock Tower can be found.
The Clock Tower of Prilep dominates the old Turkish part of the town. The Clock Tower was built in 1858 to replace an older wooden tower that burned down in 1854.
Next to the Clock Tower, the ruins of the Bazaar Mosque can be seen. It was built in 1477. This mosque is a unique because it is the oldest European mosque which has two balconies on its minaret. The mosque was burned during protests in 2001 and today only ruins remain.
The ruins of the Kurshumli An can be found just north of the center of Prilep at the Alexandria Square. It used to be an inn, probably dating back to the 15th-17th century and was demolished in 1955. Location: N41° 20′ 45.8″ E21° 33′ 10.7″
The Museum of Prilep is a bit south-east of the center at Aleksandar Makedonski. There is an exhibition about archeology as well as an ethnological wing and lapidarium with findings from the archeological site Stibera. We were the only visitors and got a private tour of the whole museum. Open Monday-Friday 08.00-16.00 h with a break between 12.30-13.00 h. Most museums in Macedonia are closed on Mondays but this one is open. Location: N41° 20′ 35.8″ E21° 33′ 33.4″
The Church of St Annunciation (St Blagoveshtenie), also called Old Church, was built in 1838. Is is located not far from the Museum of Prilep. Location: N41° 20′ 34.6″ E21° 33′ 29.6″
The Church of St Transfiguration (St Preobrazhenie), also known as the Greek Church, was built in 1871. It is nearby the Church of St Annunciation. Location: N41° 20′ 37.3″ E21° 33′ 24.6″
Archeological site Stibera
The archeological site Stibera or Styberra comprises of the ruins of the ancient city of Stibera and is located near the village Chepigovo, about 20 km south-west of Prilep. The city of Stibera dates back to the 4th-3rd century BC. It’s interesting to combine a visit to Stibera with a visit to the Museum of Prilep, since the museum has a lot of the artefacts that were found at Stibera on display. See here for more information and pictures of Stibera.
Royal Tomb of Pavla Chuka
Another archeological highlight is the Royal Tomb of Pavla Chuka, about 20 km from Prilep near the village Bonche. The Royal Tomb is believed to be the burial site of a Macedonian ruler dating from the 4th century BC! The Royal Tomb is definitely more difficult to reach than the Stibera archeologiocal site mentioned above, the asphalt road stops at the village Bonche.
We combined our visit to the Pavla Chuka Tomb with climbing the Visoka peak, that is part of another archeological site. More information about the Royal Tomb of Pavla Chuka and the Visoka archeological site near Bonche.
Monastery of St Spas
After our visit to Prilep in 2005 we took a cab to the Monastery of St Spas in Trstenik, along the road from Prilep to Krusevo. The road to the monastery is down in the valley before the road starts climbing up to Krusevo.
We arrived there in the evening and got a room in the new part of the monastery. After breakfast the next day (take your own food) and visiting the church on the site, we hiked from the Monastery of Trstenik to Krusevo, together with a friendly old man and his horse. The way is not marked, but more or less obvious. Nevertheless, try to get some directions in the monastery.
St Dimitrija Monastery
In 2024 we shortly visited the Monastery of St Dimitrija (St Demetrius) near the village Seltse (Selce) close to Prilep. It is from 1933. It has a dormitory which apparently is not is use to overnight at the moment. There are two other small churches on the premises, dedicated to St Ilija and St Petka. It’s not really worth a visit. Location: N41° 19′ 30.1″ E21° 35′ 38.1″.
Ramnishte cave
After our visit to the Monastery of St Dimitrija in Selce we visited the Ramnishe cave, located between the villages Oreovec and Krstec (Krstets). You can reach the Ramnishte cave with a short hike of 3 km (there and back).
Duova Voda Cave and Spring
A hike to the Kozjak Peak (1747 m) and the Duova Cave and Duova Voda Spring starts in the village Pletvar, about 10 km from Prilep.
Peshna Cave
The Peshna Cave is about 40 km from Prilep and has an enormous entrance. Before the entrance, there are the ruins of a Byzantine fortress. The legend has it that this fortress used to be the home of Pesna, the sister of King Marko (1335- 1395). The spring of the river Peshnica is located in the cave itself.
The cave is close to the village Makedonski Brod. If you take the road from Prilep to Kicevo, take the turnoff to the village Modriste, just before Makedonski Brod. The cave is close to Motel Pesna, and a few meters past Motel Pesna there is a hardly readable sign pointing to the right to the village Lokvica.
Although the Pesna Cave is quite shallow, a flashlight is recommended. Next to the cave is a factory for tobacco, you can smell the tobacco when walking past it!
Devini Kuli
A visit to the Peshna cave should be combined with a visit to the nearby ruins of the fortress Devini Kuli, since the cave and the fortress are linked by legend. According to the legend, two sisters of King Marko (1335-1395), Deva and Peshna, lived in this region. Deva lived in the towers of the Devini Kuli fortress, which was the most strongly defended fortress in the entire region, while Peshna lived in a fortress at the entrance of the Peshna cave. The huge entrance of the Peshna cave can easily be seen when standing on the Devini Kuli site. Devini Kuli can be reached with a short hike from the village Devich.
Monastery of Zrze
The Monastery of Zrze lies above the village of Zrze about 40 km from Prilep. It is also called Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration (St Saviour).
Zmejovica (Dragon) Cave
We combined a visit to the Zrze Monastery with a hike to the Zmejovica or Dragon cave, which starts at the monastery.
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