Strumica

Strumica sits in a fertile plain in the southeast and is best known for its carnival, held in the week before Lent and running for several days, with masked processions through the streets and a competition that draws groups from across the region. Above the town are the Vodoča and Veljusa monasteries, both eleventh century, and the remains of Roman baths at Bansko where thermal water still rises.

History

Settlement here goes back to 6000-5000 BC, and the town is first mentioned as Astraion by Livy, after the Paionian tribe of the Astrai; in Roman times it was renamed Tiberiopolis. In the 11th century written sources begin to call it by its Slavic name, Strumica, after the river that runs through it (Wikipedia, Strumica).

Highlights

• The carnival - the pre-Lent masked festival the town is known for.
• Veljusa monastery - the eleventh-century church with surviving frescoes.
• Vodoca monastery - the second eleventh-century foundation above the town.
• The Bansko baths - Roman thermal remains where hot water still rises.

When to go

Carnival falls in February or March, in the week before Lent, and fills the town. April to October is otherwise the season. Summer in the plain is very hot.

Good to know

Accommodation is impossible to find during carnival without booking well ahead. The town itself is modern and workaday. Summer heat in the plain is severe.

Nearby

Smolare Falls are south-east, and Dojran is southeast.

Key facts