🇲🇰 ОСОГОВСКИ ПЛАНИНИ
We all know them, but we know very little about them. Mountains that captivate with their green spaces. Mountains covered with dense forests. Mountains covered with dense forests. Mountains that will quietly and unobtrusively become a refuge for all nature lovers.
We had the honour of taking a one-day adventure in the most beautiful period of the year, when the day is long, the plants are in bloom, the birds are playful, and the views from above are unforgettable.
Upon the recommendation of our guides, we decided to explore the area of Kalin Kamen, which is known to the locals, but not so much to the rest of the population.
Last time we chose a short tour to the Stanechki waterfall, which made us return to this area again.
LOCATION
Access is through Kriva Palanka , where you drive on a newly paved road. From there, we headed to Osogovski Monastery - a masterpiece and significant Christian site nestled in the embrace of the mountain. The monastery has accommodation where you can spend the night, as well as a spacious terrace for a break and finding the spiritual peace the place offers.
HORSEBACK RIDING TOUR
From the monastery, you continue on the paved road that will take you to the Kalin Kamen area. Here, we embarked on our first activity - horseback riding. We met Lisa, Lishko, and Share and set off on a forest expedition. Our guide was Darko, who has a truly inspiring story about horses, and his great love and passion are recognizable from afar. The horses are tame, trained well , and especially careful when overcoming the steep forest terrain, which makes riding easy, comfortable, and really fun.
CAMP
We did a circular tour and descended into the only mountain camp in this area. It's called M Adventures Parkland, a sweet and mysterious refuge in the forest, where I believe you'll disconnect from all your worries.
This is a completely natural camp space that you can use with your own equipment or rent from there. The interesting part is that there are various activities and fun games, wooden gazebos for socializing with friends, and a place for a campfire. The temperatures in the summer are ideal, so much so that you'll forget it's summer.
ATV tour
After cooling down in the thick shade, we continued with our afternoon activity — riding ATVs. Our mission was to conquer the higher parts of the mountain and steal some distant views. We had a circular tour planned, and along the way we visited bunkers left over from the war and the watchtower on the top of the hill, drove along the ridge of the mountain, saw wild horses and climbed to the peak of Kalin Kamen. The route also included two lakes—the so-called Little Lake which is a well-hidden mountain lake, and the other famous lake Kalin Kamen area , a beautiful picnic destination you should put on your must-visit list.
FOOD
At the end of such a fulfilling day, the reward is a delicious meal, and you'll find one at Konak Kalin Kamen. Tasty, made with love, and served with care, every portion was a balm for the soul, and the view into the depths of the mountain was another priceless pleasure. Recommendation: if you come here, try their authentic burger with mushrooms 10/10.
ORGANIZATION
We entrusted the entire organization to M Adventures who made sure we had a super fun day, showing us the most beautiful, untouched parts of Osogovo. As for whether it's worth seeing this in person, I'll let the pictures do the talking.
See you in the mountains,
Ana and Mane