Pauza Magazine Winter 2007 | Page 14

Page 14 Rostushe Travel Guide By: Jeremy McKinney Note: Guide is written like there are no volunteers in Rostushe, so that the guide will always remain useful long after volunteers have left. Also the information section may be boring unless you actually plan on coming to Rostushe, so don’t blame me if you get bored reading it. #1 must see when visiting Rostushe, “Duff” Canyon and waterfall. Only a half mile walk from Rostushe is the waterfall known locally as “Duff”. This is a beautiful 70ft high waterfall located at the end of Duff Canyon. A spectacular walk through this narrow canyon with rock walls reaching 100’s of feet above you, takes you to the waterfall in 30-40minutes. One last hike that is worth while is to a glacial lake called Lokuv. This is about a two to three hour hike from Trebishte on a well marked path. While I would say that the lake was not quite what I was expecting, I did find it interesting and if you allow yourself enough time there is a path that continues further up into the mountains to the Albanian border. #2 in the mountains above Rostushe are several churches which can only be reached by hiking. While the churches themselves are not that spectacular and unless you go with a monk are going to be locked, the hike and the view more than make up for it. The closest church is about a 45 minute walk from Bitushe the others are a bit further. One just above the treeline is a 3-4 hour hike and provides one of the most amazing views. If you continue up from here there is a church on the top of the mountain that is half in Macedonia and half in Albania. Where to stay while in Rostushe? Camping is always an option, there is a mountain house that is about a 45 minute hike from Rostushe and Saint Jovan Bigorski Monastery is also very close. The mountain house would be very similar to camping as it has no bathroom and while it has blankets and pillows I would recommend bringing a sleeping bag, most of the time staying here can be arranged free of charge. Camping is free and as long as you are out of everyone’s way is not a problem. Staying at the monastery is very che ??&V?WfR&?V?B3FV?'2??v?B?B6?V?B&RfW'????FW&W7F??rW?W&?V?6R??b??R&R??FW&W7FVB??F?P???V?F????W6R6??F7B&???s?S??csB?B?P?v???&R&?RF??V?f??B?B?B7V?2?GF?RV?v?6???