Delčevo

Delčevo (Macedonian: Делчево) is a town of over 11,000 people in very Eastern North Macedonia, close to the border with Bulgaria and the Delčevo/Logodazh border crossing.

Delčevo

Understand

Prior to 1950, the town was known as Carevo Selo (Tsar's Village). It was renamed to honor the revolutionary hero Goce Delčev.

The Delčevo-area village of Razlovci was the site of an uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1876. Poor economic conditions and high taxes pushed individuals to organize and rebel. The uprising was, however, suppressed shortly thereafter.

See

• 1 Delčevo Monastery (Делчевски манастир). This monastery was built in the end of the 20th century. It is situated in a forested area on a hillside. The grounds consists of two churches, as well as rock formations. (updated Jan 2019)

Further afield

The ruins of Gradište above the village of Grad

The Church of St Petka in Selnik

• 2 Gradište (Градиште) (village of Grad). Sitting on a hill overlooking the village, this site is home to ruins of a fortress from Late Antiquity - the town of Armonia. Archaeological findings provide evidence of settlement since the Hellenistic period. On the rocky hill today, one tower stands prominently among the ruins. (updated Jan 2019)
• 3 Dsvegor Mosque (Ѕвегорски манастир) (village of Dsvegor). Dsvegor was once home to a large Turkish majority population. In the later half of the 20th century, the community just about completely vacated the village. The village mosque stands in ruins with a minaret the only surviving piece. (updated Jan 2019)
• 4 Dedo Mitko Memorial House (Спомен-дом „Дедо Митко“) (village of Dramče). Towards the end of 2014, the birthplace of the long-time leader of the folk dance, the kopačka, Dimitrija Stanoevski (1917-2009), better known as "Dedo Mitko", was converted into a memorial house, which exhibits presents old photos, domestic and foreign newspapers, objects and instruments that the peddler used, as well as folk costumes in which he led the dance. (updated Jan 2019)
• 5 Memorial House of the Razlovci Uprising (Спомен-дом на Разловечкото востание) (village of Razlovci). Construction of this memorial house began 100 years after the uprising itself, in 1976, and was completed five years later. Designed by architect Georgi Konstantinovski, it won the most prestigious architecture award of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately, the building has fallen into a state of disrepair, in need of major renovation. (updated Jan 2019)
• 6 Church of Saint Petka (Црква „Св. Петка“) (village of Selnik). The main church of Selnik and one of the most important in Delčevo, St Petka was likely built in the 14th century. The church is entirely frescoed on the interior, with the oldest dating to around the construction of the church. The iconostasis was completed in 1906. The church is small and single-naved, built of stone. Saint Petka is celebrated at the church every 27 October. (updated Jan 2019)
• 7 Church of Saints Constantine and Elena (Црква „Св. Константин и Елена“) (village of Razlovci). This church is partially dug into the ground as a result of Turkish restrictions during the Ottoman era, but a four-story bell tower was built in 1938 that makes the church more dominant in Razlovci. The frescoes were completed in 1859 and the iconostasis was also completed in the 19th century. (updated Jan 2019)
• 8 Kalata (Калата), village of Dulica. Eastern Macedonia's only island. Situated in the Kalimanci artificial lake, it was the site of a fortified Roman town where mining occurred, though not much remains of it today. The lake is near the town of Makedonska Kamenica. (updated May 2019)

Do

• Dance the Kopačka, village of Dramče. Recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, this traditional dance is known for its difficulty, performed only by the most skilled men of the village at various public gatherings. This dance is a symbol of this region. (updated Sep 2021)

Sleep

• 1 Motel Restaurant PARK Panorama, village of Dramce, ☏ +389 77 657 373. (updated Feb 2020)

Go next

• Blagoevgrad across the border in Bulgaria