Blatec Village: An Ideal Place for Active Tourism

Sometimes, what we seek far and wide, we manage to find right in our own surroundings. This was the case during Ana Maria Pavlova's visit to the beautiful Blatec.

Although we had heard of this village, this was the first time we decided to truly visit, exploring the monasteries, waterfalls, and the artificial lake. We took photos everywhere we stopped because the views were truly extraordinary – from the hidden waterfall, which we had to hike to due to its location.

The place looked like a mini oasis, surrounded by trees and plants around the water. The temperature was already cooler due to the shade from the trees, and we could finally sigh with relief from the summer heat.

The next location was the mill, which operated through the flowing water beneath it. We were amazed by the entire process, as well as the realization that this is perhaps one of the very few places where we can observe the milling up close.

Then we visited what we called the "little lake." We stepped into the water and couldn't help but admire Mount Plackovica, which, together with the lake, looked extraordinary. After a short swim, other locals and animals joined us, making our adventure even more interesting.

To finish off, we visited friends in one of the village houses, ending the day with homemade rakija and organic vegetables. After a few posts about the village on social media, others were also inspired and eager to visit the place.

Ana Maria says that her friends went the very next week, and of course, they didn’t miss the chance to visit these beauties again with them.

For those who haven’t heard of this village, Blatec is located in the municipality of Vinica, 10 kilometers from the town of Vinica. It lies at the northern foothills of Mount Plackovica, on the edge between the mountain slope and the gently sloping lake surface of the former Vinica-Kocani Lake, at an altitude of 710 meters. It is situated on both sides of the Blateshnica River. Because the lake surface on which Blatec lies is gently sloping, from a distance, the houses appear stacked one above the other.