"Prilep" Top 5 Page for this destination Prilep by Pijlmans

Prilep Travel Guide: 29 reviews and 161 photos

This was part of a 3-4 day trip Ohrid-Prilep-Krusevo-Ohrid.

We came by bus from Ohrid and stayed two days in Prilep, to visit the Towers of Marko and two monasteries, the Monastery of St Michael the Archangel and the Monastery of Treskovec outside of Prilep. We stayed the night in the Hotel Kristal Palace.

There was a big market in the center when we were there, I don´t know if it is there every day.

Towers of Marko

Fortress Towers of Marko

High above the town of Prilep stand the Markovi Kuli, Towers of Marko, named after the last Macedonian king Marko.

Marko Mrnjavcevic, son of Tsar Volkasin Mrnjavcevic, was of Serbian origin. When his father died in 1371 in a fight against the Ottomans, the crown was passed to Marko. Prilep, which was the capital of Marko's empire, eventually fell to the Ottomans in 1394. A year later King Marko was killed while he was forced to fight for the Ottomans.

Parts of the fortress should date back to the Iron Age, 3rd and 4th centuries BC and later periods during the Ottoman Empire. Most of the ruins that can be seen today are from medieval times.

After spending most of the day relaxing between the ruines of The Towers of Marko, we payed a short visit to the Monastery of St Michael the Archangel. Allegedly the second oldest Cyrillic inscription can be found here.

Monastery of Treskovec

A great 8 km hike over an old cobbled road can be made from Prilep to the Monastery of Treskovec. The people in the monastery were very friendly and offered us a meal. The monastery itself is extremely beautiful, with magnificent frescos. Make sure that you have clothes that cover shoulders and legs if you want to enter.

It is not without reason that this great place plays a central role in the Macedonian film "Before the Rain" by Milco Mancevski!

UPDATE FEBRUARY 2013: THE LODGING HOUSES OF THE MONASTERY BURNED DOWN. THE CHURCH AND OLD DINING ROOM HAVE BEEN SPARED FROM THE FIRE.

After this hike we took a cab to the lovely Monastery of St Spas in Trstenik, on the road from Prilep to Krusevo, where we spend the night. From there we hiked to Krusevo.

Last visit to Prilep: Apr 2008
Intro Updated Feb 5, 2013
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Reviews (12)

Pesna Cave, outside of Prilep Off The Beaten Path (5)

This cave has an enormous entrance. Before the entrance, there are the ruins of a Byzantine fortress. The legend has it... more travel advice

Monastery of Zrze, outside of Prilep Off The Beaten Path (5)

After a trip with a rental car from Ohrid to Bitola, Heraclea Lyncestis, Prilep and the Towers of Marko, we decided to... more travel advice

Fountain Things to Do (6)

This beautiful fountain with a lion on it can be found close to the Clock Tower in the old Turkish part of Prilep. more travel advice

Ruins of an old mosque Things to Do (6)

Next to the Clock Tower, the ruins of this old mosque can be found. more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Hotel Kristal Palace, Prilep

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Comments (3)

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lee13 Apr 17, 2009 at 10:42 PM

Hello, My name is Tim and I'm looking for information of where my grandfather was born. His name is Johan Suklje, came to the US in 1906. Any people in the town of Lokvica with that surname? Thankyou very much for any help you might give. Lee4u39@aol.com
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ATLC Nov 15, 2007 at 9:51 PM

oh, I see a bell tower with a tiny bell in it. Did it ring by hand?
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Karolina01 May 15, 2007 at 4:17 PM

Thank you for writing about the town where I was born. I hope you had a great trip there.