Travel Destinations

Abandoned Carved Stone Houses

I n the curves of Kriva Reka (the Twisted River) there lies one of the most peculiar Macedonian villages. It is almost abandoned. Less than hundred older people live in the houses which are spread around in groups forming neighborhoods scattered over more than 15 square kilometers. It is said that one needs two hours to visit the whole village. There are many facts and legends speaking about the glorious past of the village and the whole area. The village is called Sopsko Rudare and is first mentioned in the Ottoman deftersin 1519. It is mentioned in connection with the mining activities of the local population belonging to Slavic tribes. The term is used (probably by the Ottomans) to distinguish it from another village in the region called Tursko rudare (Turkish miners). The village is only 16 kilometres away from Kratovo, which was a mining centre in Macedonia since Antiquity. Read more…