Radoviš

View above Radoviš

Radoviš (Macedonian: Радовиш) is a city in Eastern North Macedonia that is home to the Church of the Holy Trinity, which is one of the biggest and most beautiful in Macedonia.

Understand

The city has 16,223 people with an absolute Macedonian majority. The population of the whole municipality (including the 34 villages) is approximately 28,000 people.

History

The city of Radoviš was mentioned for the first time in 1019 during the reign of the Byzantine King Basil II (which was the name of the city during the Middle Ages. At this time in history, Radoviš is an important center for regional trade, craftsmanship and mining. At that time, the town was located in the North-West of the town's present location, on the banks of the Old river, where we can find traces of several churches, for example St. Archangel church.

In the 14th century, after the destruction of the Byzantine Empire, Radoviš found itself in the Serb medieval state. In 1361, the Tsar Uroš sojourned in Radoviš. During the Ottoman Empire, in the 17th century under the Kyustendil sanjak, it belonged to the diocese of the Kustendil metropolitan. At that time, the town had 3,000–4,000 inhabitants.

The nearby village of Dedino, within the historical region of Lakavičko, is known for its role in the Ilinden Uprising of 1903. It was home to a bomb-making workshop and was the site of the murder of two Ottoman tax collectors, which resulted in the besieging of the village by Ottoman forces.

Get in

By plane

The closest airport (100 km from Radoviš) is Skopje International Airport (SKP ^IATA). Thessaloniki Airport is 176 km and Sofia Airport 260 km far from Radoviš.

By train

There is no train station in the city. The closest train station is in the city Štip, 36 km from Radoviš.

By bus

There are buses from the capital Skopje every 1 hour, passing through Veles and Štip, starting from the morning, and the last bus is in 19:00. The trip takes 2½ hours (121 km) and costs about 300 denars.

There is one bus departing from Bitola at 14:00 and passing through Prilep, Kavadarci, Negotino and arrives in Radoviš at 17:00. The trip takes 3 hours and costs ~300 denars.

Also, there are 2 buses from the nearby city Strumica. The ticket costs ~100 denars, and it is a 30 minutes trip.

By car

The road is new and modern, it is easy to travel and arrive in the city, you can reach Radoviš from south Strumica, or from the north, Štip. The main road M6 Štip - Strumica is tangentially placed on the township of Radoviš. This road is a main communication route with other parts of the country.

Get around

Church of the Holy Trinity

See

Aside from hiking the nearby mountain Plačkovica, visitors shouldn’t leave without visiting the famous orthodox church Holy Trinity (Sveta Trojca).

• 1 Church of the Holy Trinity (Црква „Св. Троица“). Radoviš's best-known attraction. This church is one of the most impressive built in the Balkans this century. Completed in 2003 with funds donated by Macedonian millionaire Risto Gušterov, a native of the city. Its frescoes were painted by Ukrainian artists, while its iconostasis was done by artists from Gevgelija. Along with the chairs, the iconostasis is made of 24-carat gold. The inside also shows inspiration from ancient Macedonia, particularly with the floor mosaic of the Vergina Sun. Architecturally, the church contains elements from styles from various Orthodox countries. There is a detached bell tower beside the church which rises 23.5 m (77 ft) tall. (updated Sep 2019)

Neighboring villages

Konče Monastery dates from the 14th century

• 2 Church of the Ascension of Christ (Црква „Вознесение Христово“), village of Injevo. This church was built in 1872. It features a porch over its front entrance and a bell tower rising from the front facade. While it is not frescoed on the inside, its iconostasis dates from the 19th century. Also in Injevo is a cross that sits upon a mountain overlooking the village, illuminated at night. (updated Sep 2019)
• 3 Konče Monastery (Конечки манастир), village of Konče. One of the most significant churches of this region lies within Konče Monastery, within the village of the same name. The Church of St Stefan was built from 1366 to 1371; its frescoes were also originally completed in 1371 though not much remains of the originals. The second painting of frescoes date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Built during the reign of Serbian Emperor Dušan, it is in the Byzantine style with a prominent dome and a covered porch. The church and the grounds are well-maintained with living quarters, a fountain, and a bell tower. (updated Apr 2019)

Do

The village of Dolni Radeš on Lake Mantovo

• 1 Lake Mantovo (Мантово) (18 km SW of Radoviš). This artificial lake was created in 1978 on the Kriva Lakavica River to be a major attraction for this region. Weekend homes have been built around the lake in the 21st century, and recreational activities such as hiking are possible. (updated Apr 2019)
• Radoviš is a destination for mountaineering due to its proximity to Plačkovica Mountain, which separates the city from Vinica. Another location for mountaineering is Pilav Tepe, a volcanic cone 12 km (7.2 mi) west of Radoviš.

Talk

Almost every young person speaks English, but it may be a problem with an older person, so a phrasebook is handy. Speakers of Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian and Slovene should have no problem getting by. German, French and Italian are also very useful.

Buy

In the centre of the city you can find ATMs (for Visa, MasterCard, Visa Electron and Maestro), exchange offices and banks.

The shops for clothing are found in the centre, while there are other shops in all the city.

Also, for fresh food you can go to the Bazaar (Pazar/Пазар in Macedonian) located in the centre as well.

Eat

• Restaurant Beverly Hills, ☏ +389 32 630 940. 
• Pizza Joker
• Pizza Santa Maria
• Pizza MeryJane, Geras Cunev n.10 (Герас Цунев бр. 10), ☏ +389 32 635 775. 
• Restaurant Ambasador
• Restaurant Shampion, ☏ +389 32 634 454. 
• Restaurant Karagjoz
• Restaurant Pilav Tepe
• Fast Food Gril Melani
• Fast Food Angela
• Fast Food Karpos

Drink

• Full House - a night club
• Club Diamond - a night club
• Ti-Amo cafe
• Escape cafe
• Twelve cafe
• Virus cafe
• Target cafe

Sleep

• Diamond Hotel & Restaurant - Sv. Spaso Radoviški 1, Radoviš. Tel: +389 32 633 334
• Hotel Bel Kamen - Mountain Plachkovica (20 km from the city), Radoviš. Tel: +389 76 247 670
• Hotel Panorama - non-functional anymore

Learn

• of Electrical Engineering - as part of the state University Goce Delčev in Štip.

Stay safe

Radoviš is a safe small and peaceful city. Most people are very friendly and hospitable.

Emergencies

In case of an emergency call 192 (police), 194 (ambulance) or 193 (fire).

Stay healthy

Water is safe to drink and there are public drinking water fountains in some public places.