Gorna Belica – a village in the Drimkol area, in the Municipality of Struga, near the city of Struga. Gorna Belica’s first name was Bella, derived from the whiteness of the Belichka River, which foams on the steep course. In time, two settlements appeared, due to which the villages got the names Gorna and Dolna Belica.
The village is located in the Drimkol area, in the western part of the territory of the Municipality of Struga, whose area rises on the eastern slope of the mountain Jablanica and touches the state border line with Albania. The village is mountainous and very high, at an altitude of 1,420 meters. It is 14 km away from the city of Struga.
It can be reached in two ways:
- Through the highway from Struga that leads to the border crossing Kjafasan.
- Through Vevchani (for us a far better option because the road from Vevchani is quite better for passenger vehicles, and the nature is amazing.
The village serves more as a weekend settlement than as a permanent residence. According to the 2002 census, only 1 resident was registered in the village.
Lake Vevchani, which is called Lokva by the population, is located west of the village of Vevchani, on the eastern mountain side of Jablanica in the source part of the Vevchanska River and in the immediate vicinity of the Macedonian-Albanian border. It is located in the valley and the area called Golina which is located immediately in the eastern direction at the foot below the highest Jablanica peak Crn Kamen 2558 meters high. The lake is located at an absolute altitude of 1993 meters, at the maximum level of the lake water. The lake can be accessed by a well-marked hiking trail from the village of Gorna Belica through the peak Crn Kamen or directly to the locality of Krivi Virovi, where there is a macadam forest road for light off-road vehicles, which takes 30-40 minutes to the lake.
Gorna Belica for us is one of the most beautiful mountain villages we have visited. Beautiful forest and weekend cottages and water bubbling from all sides. We are aware that we will not last long without visiting it again, on the way to a new peak or on a weekend stay.
If you decide to spend the night on the beautiful Jablanica, our warm recommendation: Mountain House “Jankov Kamen”. It is located halfway from the village Vevchani towards the village Gorna Belica. Contact and additional information on kajak.mk.
Route:
The trail starts from the village Gorna Belica where the start is marked with an information board. At the beginning we move on a dirt road and after a few kilometers a mountaineering trail starts but without markings. The trail passes through beautiful meadows and forest areas that literally at every step abound in springs and streams. After 2-3 km of walking we get out of the forest and arrive at the saddle under Crn Kamen where the ascent decreases and we make a semicircle towards the top. Beware of this part: the beautiful meadows and water springs are a favorite place for the sheep herd and their protectors – the shepherd dogs that do not allow approaching the herd. In the event of a meeting it is best to keep your distance from the herd. Slowly and surely we cross the saddle on a relatively easy path that abounds with beautiful views of the other peaks of Jablanica and the final ascent to Crn Kamen begins. Here the slope of the trail increases significantly and after 1.5 – 2 km of hard climbing we arrive at the top of Crn Kamen: a beautiful view of Jablanica from the Albanian side and a view down to Vevchanska Lokva.
We decided to return on the same path, but there is a possibility to return through Vevchanska Lokva (roundabout option) with an additional 2 km walk back to the village of Gorna Belica.
Nearby trails:
Village Vevchani – Vevchanska Lokva – Peak Crn Kamen
