Krusevo - The Ethno town

Mentioned in documents from the 15th century, Krusevo is a living museum, famous for its traditional architecture, cultural sites, and legacy as the site of the great 1903 Ilinden uprising against Ottoman domination. The rebellion failed, but its memory is cherished in Macedonia even today, as a symbol of the national struggle for freedom and democracy; while it lasted only 10 days, the Krusevo Republic of revolutionary leader Nikola Karev represented a desire for self-rule under a modern European political system. Today an enormous monument on the hill above Krusevo marks the elusive dream of the Ilinden revolutionaries. Owing to its high elevation (1300 meters or 4,400 feet), Krusevo is also one of Macedonia’s prime winter sports destinations. Yet this same quality also makes this pine-forested getaway a comfortable destination in summer, when the Krusevo air stays cooler and more pure than in the arid lowlands. The memory of Macedonian artist, Nikola Martinoski, is preserved in a traditional-style house/gallery that contains a huge collection of Martinoski’s paintings and drawings, as well as various ethnological artifacts that bring 19th century Macedonia to life. Krusevo was,as well,the hometown of Macedonian most famous pop-singer Tose Proeski (1981-2007).

There is a project called "Kruševo ethno-town", supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, which was developed by a small group of enthusiasts. According to that project, Kruševo shall look like a town from the beginning of the 20th century where it was the center of the Ilinden Uprising in 1903, that lead to the creation of the first Republic on the Balkans, The Krusevo Republic. People will be dressed like Ottoman Turks and Macedonian revolutionary freedom fighters. The project aims to make Kruševo a main tourist destination in five years.

History and Culture

Part of the Byzantine Empire. The area was temporarily annexed by the First Bulgarian Empire in the 9th century to be conquered again by the Byzantium. The region came shortly under the rule of the short-lived Principality of Prilep of Prince Marko (r. 1371 - 1395), a successor state of the Serbian Empire (1346–1371) where the father of Župan Vukašin Mrnjavčević (co-ruler of King Stefan Uroš V) held the region. The principality and region came under Ottoman Turkish rule in 1395.
Ottoman rule
In 19th century, Kruševo grew as a commercial center with connections throughout the Balkans and beyond. Local merchants such as the Nitsiotas brothers and five other companies were active in Vienna. In the 1860s a Bulgarian municipality and Bulgarian school were established the city. Subsequently, a Bulgarian girls school was opened and it operated simultaneously with the Greek schools in the town. A Romanian school started functioning in Kruševo in 1876. In the early 20th century, Kruševo was a small town with a mixed population of 4,950 Bulgarians, 4,000 Vlachs (Aromanians) and 400 Christian Albanians, according to Bulgarian geographer Vasil Kanchov's statistics. During the Ilinden Uprising in 1903 the rebels proclaimed a short lived Kruševo Republic. Having suppressed the uprising the city was almost completely destroyed by the Ottoman army. One of the most important points in the Ilinden uprising was the declaration of the "Manifesto of Kruševo". It called for all the people of Macedonia regardless of their nationality and religion to fight together against the Ottoman Empire. In the area there is a monument called Mečkin Kamen (Bear's Stone). This was the place where Pitu Guli's band (cheta) was trying to defend the town of Kruševo from the Turkish troops coming from Bitola. The band and their leader (voivode) are remembered as heroic defenders of Kruševo and the surrounding villages.

Travel by bus

If you are considering to go by bus you have a several of buses between Krusevo and Skopje.Time travel is 3 hours. Price for one way ticket is 350 denars/5,6 EUR and two way tickets is 600 denars/10 EUR.

Time of departure from Skopje: 07:45,15:45, 16:45.

Note: If you are considering travelling on weekend and holidays please contact the bus station for any changes of the lines.

Travel by train

 There is no train line to the city.

Travel with taxi

If you are not comfortable to travel by train or bus,you can always get a taxi.The price for one way is more or less 4920 denars/80 EUR.

We recommended:

ABC Logistica
Mob: +389 78 504 500
Tel: +389 2 6143 900

Go with a car or rent a car

If you'd like to explore the land during your travel to Krusevo you can go with a car or rent a car.Distance between Skopje and Krusevo is 159 km.

For rent a car we recommended:

ABC Logistica
Mob: +389 78 504 500
Tel: +389 2 6143 900

MIDA Rent-a-car
Office 2 (Airport Alexander the Great)
Tel/Fax + 389 22 56 10 10
24 hour service phones
Mob.1: 070 256 433
Mob.2: 071 223 042
Mob.3: 070 366 958