LAZAROPOLE

Lazaropole is situated on a plateau at Mount Bistra at 1,350 m altitude and is a mountain heaven in Macedonia. The mild mountain climate due to the thermal influences of the Mediterranean which extend along the river of Radika is a reason for Lazaropole to have over 2000 sunny hours per year. The abundant forests as a natural filter purify the air to the level of crystal clarity. As a result, Lazaropole is officially registered as a location with the freshest air on the Balkan Peninsula.

Lazaropole is one of the highest settlements in the country. The village is named after a local medieval hero, Lazar, who according to legend was the sole survivor of a Turkish attack on his village. The rest of the townspeople were killed in a cave where they had sought refuge, while Lazar, the only survivor, crawled outside and built a new town. There are about 400 houses in the village. The older ones reveal the traces of the Mijaci highland building style. Especially picturesque are the village church of St. George, built in 1838, and the small churches in the forests near the village.

The traditional Macedonian folk dance “teshkoto” is from the area of Lazaropole.