Vevchani – a village in the Drimkol district, in the vicinity of the city of Struga, in the southwestern part of Macedonia and the seat of the municipality of the same name, the only one in Macedonia with only one settlement. The village is located in the Drimkol area, in the western part of Struško Pole, whose atar on the eastern side of the Jablanica mountain rises on its ridge where it touches the state border line with Albania. The village is hilly, whose houses rise at an altitude of 820 to 980 meters. From the city of Struga, this large village is 13.5 kilometers away, and from the regional road Struga-Debar about 7 kilometers. Vevcani is located at the foot of the eastern slopes of the Jablanica mountain, at an altitude of 800 meters. More precisely, the village is located on the border, that is, the contact between the mountain slope of Jablanica in the west and the plain of the valley floor in the east. The Atar of Vevčani is located northwest of Lake Ohrid on the western side of the Struško Pole on the eastern side of the Jablanica mountain. It stretches in the east-west direction, from the foothills, through the hilly terrain, all the way to the crest of the Jablanica mountain. It borders Struga Municipality, and in a narrower part it touches the state border line with Albania. An asphalted road leads to Vevcani, which from Struga passes through the villages of Vranishta and Veleshta. Vevcani is a large town-like village (“palanka”) and quite well urbanized, arranged and regulated. The main street runs through the middle of the settlement in an east-west direction, where most of the shops, hotels, restaurants, commercial and craft shops, the center of culture and the open stage of the amphitheater and the Health Center are concentrated. Vevcani is the seat of the municipality of the same name and it is the only case in Macedonia that only one settlement represents a separate municipality. Neighboring villages of Vevcani are: Podgorci in the north, Oktisi in the south, Veleshta in the east and Gorna Belica in the southwest. Traces of the settlement exist from the 3rd century BC. His first location was not today’s Vevcani, but it was located a little lower from the foot of the Jablanica mountain, in the place that is now called Seliste. It is also possible that there was a merger of an ancient Macedonian settlement that was located in the area of Vaytos, which is located immediately above Vevchani, with the mentioned settlement of Seliste, thus forming it at today’s location (between Vaytos and Seliste). The first legends and writings about Vevčani say that it is an old settlement, and its beginnings date back to the end of the 6th, that is, the beginning of the 7th century, when the Berziti (Brsjaci) tribe flooded the Struga Region and settled the location of today’s Vevchani, southeast of the Jablanica mountain. Here again there is a small inconsistency, because today Vevchani is mostly a washing settlement.
Vevchani Springs – one of the rarer pseudo-periodic siphon springs in Macedonia. They are located on the eastern slopes of the Jablanica mountain, near the village of Vevchani, at an altitude of 900 meters. The main spring is located in the opening of a cave. Ten meters below, there are several permanent springs that communicate underground with the main spring. The capacity of Vevchani Springs in the wet period of the year is about 1,500 liters per second.
Source: Wikipedia
Tour
We start the tour from the legendary village Vevchani. You can access the start of the Via Ferrata from two directions:
- From the famous Vevchani Springs where you are more likely to find parking spaces and from here begins a 1 km long dirt road. which leads to the start of the Via Ferrata.
- From the Vevcani – Gorna Belica road, where a 0.5 km long hiking trail bifurcates. to the start of the Via Ferrata. If you decide on this option, it is necessary to carefully maneuver your vehicle through the narrow Vevchani alleys and at the very location where the pedestrian path begins, there is the possibility of parking 1-2 passenger vehicles. Unfortunately, the ferrata is still not marked, but there is a wooden signpost that says Vevchani Springs. The Vevcani – Gorna Belica road is asphalted but with significant uphills and quite narrow (it is difficult for two vehicles to pass each other) and therefore we recommend you to be very careful.
Well, guys, here we are: the second ferrata on our belt in Macedonia, after the one in Galichica – Dobroja. Unlike Dobroja, which abounds with high vertical rock formations, long vertical sections and a set with a negative slope in the direction, Via Ferrata Vevchani is far more gentle, the terrain is abundant with vegetation, there are several vertical sections with metal treads, but they are short and the enjoyment and the views are magical.
If we were to categorize it according to the Via Ferrata Categorization: Hüsler & Schall, we would place this via ferrata in the K2 category.
The ferrata ends with a beautifully positioned summerhouse where you can rest and enjoy the beautiful view of Vevchani. A 0.3 km long footpath leads from the summerhouse to the Vevchani – Gorna Belica road, and then we return back along the 1.5 km paved road.
“Danke Deutschland” for the provided funds and thanks to the Patagonians from Ohrid (Alpine Club Patagonia) for the construction of this Via Ferrata – a perfect addition to the tourist offer of Vevchani. And finally: a beer and an appetizer in Kutmichevica is a must (warm recommendation). We hope that the Via Ferrata will be properly marked and that there will be an opportunity in the future to rent the necessary equipment.
Mountain trails nearby:
Bike trails nearby:
