This post sees us drive from the cities of Ohrid to Debar in North Macedonia via the snaky “Black Drin” river system through the greenest of valleys headed due North.
Another picture-perfect drive through a completely new geography – this time a long river valley with visits to two dams and two hydro-schemes. A very hot steamy day even though it was 650m to 800m. I think the super green forests and river system had a lot to do with the extra humidity wearing us down with each stop. It was worth it, as you will soon see below. The images are super.
Debar (Pop 14,561, Elev 650m, Founded 2nd Century AD) is not a good-looking city but has a colourful pedestrian walkway full of umbrellas overhead – original indeed. The river is clean and forms a focal point for the city. Debar is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has an ethnic Albanian majority of 74% and is North Macedonia's only city in which ethnic Macedonians do not rank first or second demographically. Debar is 74% Albanian Muslim. Mosques everywhere. In fact this part of Macedonia is mostly Muslim given it was at the heart of the Ottoman occupation.
The highlight of this drive was the female Monastery of St George The Victorious, just outside Debar. It features the church of St George built in 1835 which contains the knuckle bone of St George himself and a small piece of the original cross of Christ. The church is now covered by a metallic hangar to protect it from degradation by the heavy snow here during winter. A lot of work is being done to preserve the buildings here. This monastery also makes the “mitres” or head crowns worn by Orthodox Priests and Bishops. We met a young local guy helping to upgrade the site who told us all about the monastery and church.
We ended the day on an high, literally, staying in an old village home high above Debar with Yana, a lovely lady who cooked her traditional Macedonian dish of stuffed eggplants with mince and rice. We sat at a little Gazebo overlooking the valley below. Magic.
Enjoy the journey to Debar Macedonia…
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