Raborci 1


Walking trail STRUMICA - MONASTERY COMPLEX ST. LEONTIUS, village of VODOCHA - MONASTERY CHURCH HOLY MOTHER OF GOD ELEUSA, village of VELJUSA

The walking trail starts at the city of Strumica, and passes through the village of Banica, where “Strumin Grob”, associated with one of the famous legends told throughout history in Strumica, is located. “Strumin Grob” is a rectangular walled tomb, with alternate layers of stone and brick, in the style of medieval tomb.

There are three legends among people for the occurrence of the tomb: according to one, the tomb belonged to Struma, sister of King Marko; according to another the tomb belonged to Perseus, the prince - a relative of Alexander the Great; and a third one is that the tomb belonged to Struma, daughter of a ruler of the Slavs of Strumica area. But whether one of these legends is true or the tomb has its own completely different history, is yet to be known.

This part of the trail is rich with various specific fruits of this region, and the most famous is “Veljushkata Cresha” (“A Cherry from Veljusa”). The trail is fully penetrable, and suitable for multiple purposes including: vacation, recreation, sports, research, education and others. On both sides of the trail there is diverse flora and splendid landscapes.

  • Flora and fauna:

The walking trail attracts many visitors for its clean environment, clean air, fresh spring water, and the village idyllic colourfulness. The flora is rich with both long and short stemmed forests.

The lower parts are prevalent with short stemmed forest, including: raspberries, blackberries, currants, blueberries, dog rose, etc. There are also several varieties of tea, and mushrooms, including: chanterelles – cantharellus; champignon- agaricus bisporus and parasol mushroom - Macrolepiota procera. Among the deciduous trees, most prevalent are: betuala alba – birch; tilia sp. – linden; acer sp. – maple. The evergreens are predominant in the upper parts, including: abies alba – fir; cupressus sp. - cypress, juniperus sp. - Juniper.

Fauna that can be spotted on the trail include: rabbits, wild boar, wolves and foxes. Among the birds that can be seen are: nightingales, pheasants, partridges, eagles and falcons, and there are also various kinds of insects.

  • Additional opportunities for using the trail (eco-tourism, rural tourism, walking and jogging, mountain biking, archaeological tourism, herbal tourism).

TRACK TYPE: Asphalt