Novo Selo

Novo Selo (Macedonian: Ново Село) is a municipality in the very southeastern corner of North Macedonia, bordering Bulgaria to the east and Greece to the south. The rural municipality is home to over 11,000 residents.

Understand

Novo Selo Municipality consists of 16 villages. Each of these villages are home to absolute majorities of ethnic Macedonians, almost all of whom are Orthodox Christians. The seat of the municipality is in the village of Novo Selo.

Get in

By car

Novo Selo Municipality is connected to the rest of North Macedonia by two highways. Highway R1402 runs across the south of the municipality from Strumica to the east. This highway passes through Smolari and Kolešino, among others. Highway A4 runs across the center of the municipality all the way to a border crossing with Bulgaria. It passes through the municipal center of Novo Selo.

There are no border crossings to Greece within Novo Selo Municipality.

Get around

Novo Selo is a rural municipality with places of interest spread out. Therefore, a car is needed to get around comfortably.

See

Waterfalls

Climbing up to the Kolešino Falls

The Novo Selo area is best-known for its two major waterfalls, Smolari and Kolešino.

• 1 Smolari Falls (Смоларски водопад), village of Smolari. The tallest waterfall in North Macedonia. Smolari Falls, located above the village of the same name, fall from a height of 39.5 m (129.5 ft). The waterfall is part of the Lomnica River on Belasica Mountain. It falls down a smooth, black rock face and is surrounded by beech trees. The path to Smolari Falls from the village is a narrow and curvy road shared with tractors and livestock herds. A small market exists along the path where local fruits, vegetables, and honey can be purchased from villagers. The village itself has some old architecture and a church from the 19th century. (updated Sep 2017)
• 2 Kolešino Falls (Колешински водопад), village of Kolešino. Above the village of Kolešino, these falls flow gently over stone cliffs nestled on Belasica Mountain. The height of the waterfall is 19 m (62 ft) and its width is about 6 m (19.7 ft). The falls are on the Baba River's lower course at 610 m (2,001 ft) above sea level. (updated Sep 2017)

Other sights

• 3 Mokrino Springs (Мокрински извори), village of Mokrino. Water clears the springs a rate of about 40 litres per second. The springs are situated at an elevation of 330 m (1,083 ft) on Belasica Mountain within the village of Mokrino. (updated Sep 2017)
• 4 Monastery of Saint Anthony the Great (Манастир „Св. Антониј“), village of Novo Selo. A necropolis, likely dating from Roman times, was discovered on a hill above Novo Selo village in the 1990s. Following the discovery, this monastery was established in 1995. The main church of the monastery is dedicated to Saint George. Its frescoes and iconostasis are not yet completed. The main village church, built in 1842, is also dedicated to Saint George. It features a prominent bell tower. (updated Sep 2017)
• 5 Fountain of Baba Vangja (Чешма на Баба Ванѓа), village of Novo Selo. According to legend, this is the spot where famed clairvoyant Baba Vangja lost her eyesight. Her and a relative had stopped to get water from the fountain when a strong wind hit. (updated Jun 2019)
• 6 Sušica Mosque (Џамија (Сушица)), village of Sušica. A minaret stands in ruins beside the spot where a mosque used to stand. This mosque served the former Turkish minority of the village which has disappeared since the fall of Ottoman rule. (updated Jun 2019)
• 7 Kula Pirgo (Кула Пирго), village of Mokrievo. This archaeological site consists of a ruined medieval tower believed to date from the time of Tsar Samuel and the Battle of Kleidion in 1014. Although the battle did not end the First Bulgarian Empire, it was a decisive victory for the Byzantines and prevented further ability of the First Bulgarian Empire to resist Byzantine advances. A plaque commemorates the history of the site which is also populated by interesting old trees. (updated Jun 2019)
• 8 Tumba Peak (Тумба). This peak atop Belasica Mountain is where the borders of Bulgaria, Greece, and Macedonia meet. It is situated at an elevation of 1,880 m (6,170 ft). (updated Jan 2020)

Sleep

• 1 Motel Podgorski An (Мотел Подгорски Ан), ☏ +389 34 351 100. On the R1402 highway (Maršal Tito) just before Kolešino is Motel Podgorski An. It is situated in a natural setting with traditional architecture. (updated Sep 2017)
• Complex Lebedovo Ezero, s.Smolari, ☏ +389 34 330 515, lebed_as@yahoo.com. (updated Nov 2019)

Go next

• Strumica is the main city of southeastern North Macedonia is just west of the municipality.
• Bulgaria is reachable from Novo Selo with a border crossing to Petrich.