The route starts at the end of the village of Jablanica, before getting off from the local asphalt road and going along the gravel road leading to St. Ilija Monastery. There is a stone village fountain and next to it there is an information board marking the start of the route. The route leads along the gravel pathway to the football pitch and continues to the walking
path through a beech woodland, which goes through Golema Livada to the ridge leading to Peak Strmnica. From the peak, the route continues along the ridge of the mountain to the trough Slepcharen and the spring Devojkina voda, passing by the small dairy and following the basin of the river it descends to the village of Modrich, to the village
fountain. One may take the route in the opposite direction, starting from the village of Modrich. Along most of the route’s length, there is beech woodland, and in the higher parts, above 1.700 masl. it leaves the forest and continues along the mountain ridge along the vast pastures

Panoramas and landscapes:

• Almost any point on the mountain ridge, at 1.600 masl. offers beautiful panoramic views of the horizon over Lake Ohrid and Debar, as well as the mountains surrounding this region.

mapm19Biodiversity pinpoints:

Above the village of Modrich there are great expanses under beech woods, with high mountain pastures at a silicate base at the Raduch peak and high mountain pastures at a limestone base and rocky limestone grounds at the Strmnica peak above the forest belt. This is the habitat of a flora that is typical for the limestone ground, including the Shar Mountain tea (Sideritis scardica). The village of Jablanica is a village of a dispersed settlement type, with several groups of houses (districts). The area is characterized by rural
aspects of the landscape – forest lots intersected by cut meadows – it is a type of landscape that is gradually disappearing in Macedonia.

Cultural and historical / characteristic sites:

The village of Jablanica is a place worth visiting. The name of the village was for the first time mentioned in the period from 1342-1345, in the Charter of Dushan for the Monastery St. Mother of God-Perivlepta in Ohrid. Actually, the fact that this village was part of one of the roads of the Via Ignacia connecting the towns Ohrid (Lychnidus) and Struga (Enhalon) with Elbasan (Mansio Scampa) and Durres (Dyrrhachium), the items that were found made of ceramic, metal and items of jewelry and toponyms related to the Roman
period are evidence that there had been a settlement here in ancient times. The village is rich in distinctive, but modest and highly functional architecture, adequate for the climate of this mountain village.

Accommodation and food:

• Rooms in the village of Modrich and accommodation in Vevchani.

Access to starting and ending points:

• Regional road Skopje – Struga, 172 km.
• Local road Struga – The village of Modrich, 31 km.
• Local road Struga – The village of Jablanica 24 km.

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