There is a grain of truth in the ancient Slavic saying that cutting trees and taking stones from the sacred forest causes misfortune. Forest giants and fairies may exist only in Balkan pagan traditions, but they have managed to protect most of the beautiful nature around the Iron Gate in Macedonia from the advancing bulldozer of civilization.
This untouched pearl in the beautiful wine region of Macedonia is opening its beauty to the world now. With the joined project of Macedonia Travel and the local municipality of Demir Kapija, a small town by the rocky Iron Gate, this lovely place is turning into a hot-spot for outdoor adventure lovers seeking untouched nature and tranquility. As there is no industry in this area, for many generations, the only income for these people has been their traditional wine-making and occasional hunting in the mountains. There is no butcher shop here, not even a bank (only one post office), but there is one family-owned bakery, and a local restaurant with a friendly owner who is always in mood for a good chat. It is also the place where King Alexander I of Yugoslavia decided to build his winery back in 1928, and some 100 years later, a local businessmen who discovered the opportunities here built a wine chateau with comfortable rooms designed in the colors of the wines they produce.
Last year we brought the first guests to this region, then we met the mayor and agreed that this beautiful area should focus on tourism and wine production only, rather than building factories. So far we are already promoting the new “2 rivers path”, a walking route connecting the wine chateau with this village, passing by the rivers Doshnica, Boshavica and by a sacred spring of holy water coming out of the roots of an old walnut tree.
This year we started “Plant for better future”, which will give Demir Kapija a new, greener look, and also benefit the inhabitants of this small town. As part of this joint project of Macedonia Travel and the municipality of Demir Kapija, each guest travelling to Macedonia on our tours will leave a tree behind. We will plant them all at the big the weekend of October 15 – 16, 2016. In cooperation with the local municipality we’ll ensure that your trees will live long as part of the newly planted forest.