Detailed schedule for the tour

10:00 - 10:45
Skopje - v. Matka

10:45 -11:05
Parking Matka - Monastery of Holy Mother.
There is about 20 min time for a visit and a short walk around the Monastery of Holy Mother - until 11:05.

11:05 - 11:35
Easy walk by the river Treska and the kayaks pat up to the dam of the lake Matka. From the dam to the church of St. Andrew’s we’ll walk on the beautiful path curved in the canyon stone walls.

11:35 – 13:35
Visit the Church of “St. Andrew`s” and the mountaineering house “Matka”, where we’ll stay about 2 hrs. (taking pictures, break for coffee and refreshments). Also for the most adventurers guests we can organize quick climbing lesson with alpinism climbing instructor so they will try to climb the rock called “Plochka” rising over mountaineering house “Matka”. (Additionally 15 E per person and just during the weekend).  

13:35 – 14:00
From the small port we’ll take a boat. The trip with the boat is a wonderful experience and the Treska Canyon can be observed from this trip. One way of the boat trip takes about 25 min. Lunch in hidden improvised (wood and stones only) restaurant located over the water in beautiful lake lagoon the lagoon and enjoying the traditionally prepared food and beautiful untouched nature. There we’ll stay for about 2 hrs. (depending of the group mood it can be extended) after which we’ll take a boat again and get back to the little St. Andrew’s port.

16:00 - 16:25
Returning to the small port.

16:25 - 16:50
We’ll return to the parking by foot, and after that to Skopje.
 
17:30
Arrival in Skopje.

Location: Canyon Matka - Skopje
Duration: about 7-8 hours
Tour technical difficulty: easy walks only
Group Size: min.2

Term: 01.01.2007 - 01.11. 2007
Tours: Every day
Tour Staff & Support: Tour Leader plus driver(s), boat crew and some local guides.
Meals: Lunch.
Price per person: 49 euro (5 persons group)

Note: Price depends on the group size 

The price includes transport/travel, all sightseeing, lunch, 3 refreshment drink or coffee’s and full escort by a tourist guide.


THE CANYON MATKA

The Matka canyon is located in the lower course of river Treska, 17 km southwest of Skopje. With it's geological, geomorphologic and hydrological characteristics, and the flora and fauna, it is an exceptional object of nature. The main phenomenon of this natural treasure is the canyon, a distinguished geomorphologic entity with well preserved natural and geographic characteristics in which rare and endemic species find their escape. This outstanding work of nature, with sides 1000m high and step notches of over 250m, was created by vertical erosions of the Treska River during the long geological history.
The area of the canyon is characteristic by low mountains. The Osoj hill is the northwest boundary, Suva Gora Mountain and Vodno occupy the southeast and the east of the canyon. The north frontier is an entrance to the Skopje valley, following the course of the villages of Matka, Šiševo, Glumovo and Saraj.
Geographically, the ground consists of thick layers of over one billion years old carbonate rocks and somewhat younger slate carbonate, rocky masses.
The caves and abysses as special categories of late geographic forms are mainly concentrated on the right side of the canyon, under the area Visoki Rid (High Hill) on 885m attitude. There are about ten of them, but most known are: Vrelo, Krstalno and Ubava.
The over ground carts forms are located in the wider area of Rudine represented by crevices, funnel-shaped depressions, hollows and small rocks-as special micro forms on the surface carts relief.
In the Matka canyon, on the left side of the valley high in the rocks, there is a very interesting phenomenon of a natural bridge, created by the erosive processes in the carbonate rocks.
The most interesting object is the Treska River with the Matka accumulation, offering wide opportunities for development of the tourism and recreational activities. The underground spring Koritište with water delivery of 2 m per second should be also mentioned. Besides its enormous scientific phenomenon of the carts hydrograph, it s also very important as a future water supply resource for the city of Skopje.
The Treska Canyon is the most important alpine-climbing center. Major climbing season begins in spring, somewhere around the Easter holidays when visitors come from the countries all over Europe. The season continues over summer and fall until the end of November. At the same time, the Treska Canyon is open for wild water kayaking.
The Matka canyon is also a true oasis with various and well preserved autochthonous fauna. A great number of relic and endemic species, as well as typical examples of newly discovered animal species can be found there. The most fascinating is the exclusively great number of various kinds of butterfly species, 84 of which can be found there and nowhere else on the Balkans.
A part its natural values, the Matka canyon with its immediate surroundings, are valuable treasury of our cultural heritage, presenting to us antiquities from the different time periods. Remains of many ancient and medieval settlements and fortresses and a great number of well preserved medieval churches and monasteries are discovered. Many of these discoveries are of precious value. St. Andrew's Monastery is located on Lake Matka. This monastery was built 1389 and is filled with frescos of a great artistic importance. Near Andrew's is the St. Nikola Shishovski Monastery, situated on top of the cliff above Lake Matka, thus giving the visitor a spectacular view of the lake and its surroundings. While there is no information when this monastery was built, it is first mentioned in the 17th century. Unfortunately, the monastery was abandoned during the 18th century, only to be resettled the following century. It is interesting to point that there are three layers of frescos in St. Nikola's.