The real 5 reasons why you should include Strumica in your Balkan tour
1. Strumica gives the best value for your money! You think you tried cheap tasty food in Skopje and Ohrid? Wait till you arrive in Strumica… One delicious meal with great local wine in the best fine dining restaurants will cost you no more than 6€. Private taxi (that can fit 4 passengers) will take you literally anywhere in the city for 0.8€ ONLY! The experience of drinking ice cold beer in the most popular coffee bar costs 1.2€ and you will most likely get free snacks and lovely atmosphere.
2. While talking about how affordable the restaurants are, let’s not even mention how good the food is. Yes, every city says that, but Strumica is the most famous producer of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in the country. It’s basically the hometown of Ajvar! Local people prepare it every year in their home backyards as food for the winter when peppers are much more expensive. The article linked here, will give you 15 recommendations and suggestions about what to try and where to eat in our city.
3. Strumica is known to be the city of great parties, live music and vibrant night life! Even though it is a small city, the coffee bars, restaurants and night clubs are open and crowded every weekend of the year (sometimes even on Mondays, Tuesdays, etc.) Locals here enjoy spending time with their friends and relatives, and finishing the work-week with good old music and a glass of Mastika.
Mastika is the famous brand of alcohol, that is not rakija, it is not vodka, nor ouzo – but for sure is strong enough to be counted in the same category. Trying Mastika is a must do when visiting the Eastern part of the country, and Strumica is proud to be producing it!
Strumica – hiding a 1000 years old world heritage
4. After Mastika or two, it’s a good time to start talking about history. Even though somehow history here is always neglected, this city has a lot of stories to tell. From 1000 years old Monasteries, to historically significant places where famous battles took place. One of those places is “Pirgo” in the mountain Belasitsa.
Monument of Tsar Samuel in Strumica The old maple tree of Pirgo A memorial to the Battle of Belasitsa
There Tzar (Emperor) Samuel and his army lost the battle with the Byzantine Empire. After the defeat the soldiers who survived were imprisoned. The Byzantine Emperor divided the prisoners into groups of 100 men and blinded 99 of them in each. One man in each group was left with one eye only so that he could lead the others home to the Tsar. When Tsar Samuel saw his blinded army, he died of a heart attack.
Even though it’s tragic, isn’t that one amazing history fact to learn!
Village Smolari Kolesino Waterfalls
5. If not history, nature is something that will definitely charm you. Waterfalls are Strumica’s most beautiful tourist attractions, but there are lots of amazing villages where the nature is still almost untouched. There you can still feel how cow milk truly tastes like… How a real tomato smells when cut in half… How a newborn calf looks while playing around it’s cow mama… For someone who is surrounded by the big city lights on a daily basis, visiting one of the many Strumica’s agricultural villages can be a real reconnection with nature.
7 reasons why Strumica deserves the same attention Ohrid and Skopje are getting
So, if you think this charming town deserves to be included in your next Balkan tour, here you can find some more useful information about where to stay, what to try and where to go. Or simply get in touch with us, and we as locals, will be glad to help you get the most out of your stay in our city.
