From Skopje to Stenche by Bike

For those who aren’t discouraged by the season from getting on their bike and enjoying a great weekend adventure, we recommend the village of Stenche. You can plan the route from Skopje through Stenche, then to Miletino, and back to Skopje — a total of 120 kilometers with 1,350 meters of elevation gain.

The route was recommended to us by Jordancho Cvetanoski, who has long been one of our active “bike guides” exploring the beauties of Macedonia on his bicycle. Together with Kosta Shimbov, they’ve sent us photos that can be your motivation for a great weekend adventure.

When you leave Skopje, on the right side of the regional Tetovo-Gostivar road, the village of Stenche emerges from the dense forest of Suva Gora. It’s a charming place full of churches and rich stories all around. Jordancho says they met some local residents, who are older in age but welcomed and greeted them with smiles.

Huge holes in collapsed ceilings and beams were the remnants of several houses, while others have been renovated and are in good condition. Some of the villagers of Stenche are engaged in livestock farming, while others work in agriculture, says Jordancho.

They took a lunch break high above the village, near the Church of St. Petka, enjoying the shy November sun.

What Jordancho points out is to be mindful of the short daylight hours, as it gets quite cold in the evening, so plan your return time accordingly. They returned to Skopje via Miletino and Strimnica.