Negotino

The entry to Negotino's bazaar

Negotino (Macedonian: Неготино) is a town of 13,000 people (2015) in the Povardarie region of North Macedonia. Along with neighbouring Kavadarci and Demir Kapija, it is part of the country's foremost wine-growing region.

Negotino Municipality consists of the town and 18 surrounding villages. This area is home to the largest military base of the Macedonian army, Krivolak.

Get in

The M-1 highway leads through the city, as does the railway line connecting between Skopje and Gevgelija-Greece.

See

The Monastery of St George

• 1 Museum of the City of Negotino (Музеј на град Неготино), Маршал Тито street, #119. 08:00-16:00. Founded in 1978, this museum showcases historical and cultural artifacts from Negotino and the surrounding region. It is divided into four sections: archaeological, ethnological, fine arts, and historical. The archaeological collection has exhibited over 1,000 pieces, the historical collection contains 800 pieces, and the ethnological collection features 300 objects. The museum also maintains a wine gallery at the Monastery of St George. (updated Jun 2019)
• 2 Monastery of Saint George (Манастир „Св. Ѓорѓи“). On a hill above the right bank of the Vardar, this monastery was built in 1860 when construction was going on for the Skopje-Thessaloniki railway. It was established by a Polish engineer for lodging for the railway workers, and later had a church added. The architecture of the dormitories has been preserved and their balconies look out to the church and the Vardar valley and forests beyond. The church itself is large and features three cupolas. A bell tower stands in the courtyard. During World War II, 20 partisan soldiers were detained by the Germans in this monastery. A local grandmother, Baba Mitra, freed them. When the Germans discovered this, they set fire to the monastery with Baba Mitra inside it. A memorial plaque on the grounds memorializes her courage and a song exists in her honor. The monastery celebrates St George's Day and the Day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and offers free lodging on these nights. (updated Jun 2019)

Church of St. Athanasius the Great in Negotino

• 3 Church of Saint Athanasius the Great (Црква „Св. Атанасиј Велики“). The main church for the city, Saint Athanasius was built in 1837 near the city-centre by the quay of the Negotino River. During Bulgarian occupation in World War II, its original frescoes were covered and repainted by in a lower quality. The church is large and features a dominating bell tower. (updated Jun 2019)
• 4 Clock Tower (Саат-кула). Negotino's clock tower was built in 1810 by Haci Tair-aga Sinan who also designed the city's bezisten (covered market), which burned down in 1913. The hexagonal tower stands in a partially destroyed state. (updated Jun 2019)

Neighboring villages

• 5 Dolni Disan Mosque (Џамија (Долни Дисан)), village of Dolni Disan. Dolni Disan is a large village that used to have a significant Turkish minority which has mostly left since the end of Ottoman rule. A minaret stands in the village in rough shape alongside the mosque building that is in ruins, a remnant of the former Muslim community here. (updated Jun 2019)
• 6 Church of Saint Nicholas (Црква „Св. Никола“), village of Gorni Disan. Unlike Dolni ("lower") Disan, Gorni ("upper") Disan is largely depopulated. It features one of the more historic village churches of the Negotino area, Saint Nicholas, which sits below the village in a valley. The 19th-century church features a long covered porch. (updated Jun 2019)