Page 106 - Ekonomija i Biznis_oktomvri 2016.indd

РBУEБAРUИTIКFАUL MACEDONIA
Gradeshnica
and Budimirci
At about 55 kilometers east of Bitola is per-
haps the most isolated part of the Repub-
lic of Macedonia. The road with numerous
curves and significantly damaged asphalt
in certain parts, leads to Staravina through
the villages of Novaci, Makovo and Rapesh. From there,
the village of Gradesnica is only 3 km away. It is the
last village in the part of Mariovo that is closer to Bi-
tola. Along the way you can take a break on the bridge
in Rapesh over Crna Reka, and enjoy it with all your
senses. If you walk down the river, you will reach the
Chebrene monastery, the gorge where a hydroelectric
power plant should be constructed and the first village
in the part of Mariovo that is closer to Prilep, named
Monastery, after the monastery of “St. Nicholas”.
Between the villages Staravina and Gradeshnica the
fortress Peshta is located, witnessing the continuity of
life in this area since ancient times. The fortress is as-
sociated with the famous Mariovo Rebellion in the mid-
dle of the XVI century and the story of Kalesh Angja.
Of the seven churches in the village, the biggest is the
one dedicated to “St. Nicholas”. It is the main church lo-
cated in the center of the village, with a beautiful foun-
tain in front of the entrance. The village center resem-
bles a mini town square. Today only imagination can
take you back to the past, to picture what life looked
like a century ago. Built more than a century and a half
ago, the church was destroyed during the World War I,
106 October 2016
and then restored in 1923. In the church there is still an
inscription stating that it was restored during the ten-
ure of King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic when that part
of Macedonia was under Serbian administration.
Only a hundred meters from the village center you
will find the silent witnesses of the past whose traces
can still be noticed. In one of the houses on the left
side, there are many grenades, bombs, military hel-
mets from different armies, knives, torches, guns ...
dating from the First World War. All were found by
the locals who say that they were to be found in huge
numbers on the surrounding hills and roads towards
Kaimakchalan. Even the old barbed wire is reminiscent
of those that are still located near the trenches at over
2000 meters above sea level on the Greek side, only a
few kilometers south of Gradeshnica.
The village is the birthplace of Itar Peyo (Clever Pe-
ter), about whose witty character the storyteller and
chronicler Stale Popov, wrote many stories.
In the village you will hear the strong Gradeshnica
river from afar. The river collects the waters from
mountain Nige, and is thus very fast in spring. The
sources are wonderful, but if you want to see them in
spring, only several hours of rain could raise the water
level so high, so that you will not be able to cross the
river. The beauty of the region is confirmed also by the
fact that on the other side of the mountain is the vil-
lage of Loutraki, with its beautiful baths of natural hot