Following the traces of the sanctuaries

Your journey begins where history breathes most deeply — next to the Monastery of St. Panteleimon in Gorno Nerezi. Here, under the cold stone almost nine centuries old, you see one of the most powerful works of Byzantine painting: the fresco “Lamentation of Christ”. Its emotion speaks louder than words – so the start here is not just the beginning of a race, but a moment of blessing, respect and humility.

From here the trail beckons you towards the Vodno ridge, through spaces that were once a true spiritual fortress. On the way you will feel the traces of Markovo Kruvce, Vrvot Kale, the Nir locality and other ruined fortifications that for centuries protected monasteries and monastic settlements — where the family of the legendary King Marko once ruled, leaving behind stories that still echo throughout the mountain today. Here every stone has its own story, and every silence — a testimony.

Then you continue the story along the slopes that lead to the bottom of the Matka Canyon — a place where nature itself built a temple. As you follow the path, your view opens to the most beautiful spiritual pearls of the canyon: the Monastery of St. Spas, the Monastery of St. Bogorodica, the silent guardian of the entrance; then St. Andrew's, with frescoes that glow even when the rocks are in shadow; and high above the water, the spiritual sentinel St. Nikola Shishevski.

In a special place, amidst a steep rocky peace, the remains of the church of St. Nedela greet you. It is worth stopping here, looking back at Vodno and the path it has already left behind. That brief glance back is a reminder that history stands still only on maps — but in reality, it lives on through us, through those who move forward.

Everything you pass through here is more than geography – it's a living medieval web, woven from prayers, stone, legends, and the people who lived among these mountains hundreds of years ago.

This race is not just a sport.
This is a chronicle that you write at your own pace.
And from the first fresco in Nerezi, to the last shadow over Matka — you become part of the story that Vodno and Matka have been telling for a thousand years.