Canyon and lake · St. Andrew, 1389
A limestone canyon of the Treska with the country's oldest artificial lake, caves, and the church of St. Andrew of 1389 by the water.
These are the stories you can open in the 3D view, each at its own numbered point on the model.
Matka is a limestone canyon cut by the Treska river west of Skopje, about 17 kilometres from the city by road. The protected area covers about 5,000 hectares. There are ten caves in the canyon, the longest about 176 metres, and about one fifth of its plants are endemic. The sheer walls draw climbers, and the water draws kayakers.
The green water filling the gorge is Lake Matka, the oldest artificial lake in the country. It is held back by the dam at its north end, about 29.5 metres high; the lake exists because of the hydropower plant. The dam's date is not confirmed in the sources used here; OpenStreetMap gives 1938.
The monastery church of St. Andrew stands on a small walled terrace above the water, near the dam. It was founded in 1389 by Andrijaš, a son of King Vukašin. The church is small, about 14 by 7 metres, built of stone and brick, with a tall eight-sided drum over the middle. A porch was added on the west side in the middle of the sixteenth century.
The plan is a cross with a trefoil: the north and south arms end in apses that serve as choirs, and the east arm ends in the altar apse. On the outside the walls carry two rows of shallow, round-headed niches. Inside, the space rises to the dome on its drum.
The frescoes inside were painted by Metropolitan Jovan and the monks Makarije and Grigorije. Many of the original inscriptions survive, so the names of the painters are known. The church's opening hours are irregular; it may ask a small fee or a donation.
Boats and kayaks leave from here, by the restaurant. A boat trip up the gorge to the Vrelo cave on the right bank and back takes about an hour; prices of about 400 to 500 denars a person are reported but not confirmed. Vrelo was among the nominees of the New7Wonders of Nature.
From the centre of Skopje it is about 17 kilometres by road, roughly half an hour by car (estimate). Cars park below the dam, and a short walk along the water leads past the dam to the church and the pier. Paths along the gorge are narrow and in places unfenced, so keep children close.
Typical prices are our estimates for orientation, not menu prices. Check opening hours on the spot.
Walk around the model, switch between day and night, and hear each story read aloud in English, Macedonian or Turkish.
Open in 3D
