Feed of Arvati

The history of Arvati village

2008-11-29T10:20:28+01:00

The first information about Arvati village comes from the time of tzar Samuilo when the village was called HAVRATVA. From 15th century, ("Turkish documents from 15th century", p. 210) the village is called HAVRATOVO. According to the first demographic statistics at that time the village had only 8 families. Turkish notaries have written that people were doing agriculture and farming, and especially raising the swine for which they paid the high taxes. They cultivated the fields using oxen, donkeys, and mules. They built the houses out of stone and covered them in reed and rye hay. They made their clothes from natural materials-wool, leather and wood. Even today one can find the samples of these wonderful folk clothes. The special attention was paid to female clothes that adorned each countrywoman. The village was called Harvati and the name it received the name it has today, Arvati, only after the Second World War.
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Population and famous inhabitants

2008-11-29T10:16:52+01:00

Today Arvati village has about 150 inhabitants- 55% Albanians and 45% Macedonians. They grow vegetables and grapes, keep cattle and bees. But they mostly grow various kinds of fruits. The most famous sort they grow is the Resen apple, but they grow other sorts as well such as red Prespan delicious, golden delicious, Prespan jonagold, and others. Due to the excellent quality of the apples there are more and more customers each year.
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Healthy climate

2008-11-29T10:14:32+01:00

The climate in Arvati village is healthy, moderate-continental with the influence of Mediterranean climate from the South. It has 235 sunny days, the summers are pleasant- the days are warm (35.5° C), the nights cold, ideal from good sleep and rest. The winter temperature goes down to - 23.00° C.
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How to get to Arvati village?

2008-11-29T10:13:52+01:00

Arvati village is situated at the southeastern part of Macedonia, 190 km south of the capital Skoplje and 34 km south of Ohrid (a city that is under the protection of the UNESCO), 11 km to the north from the border with Greece and 11 km to the south-east from the border with Albania. Arvati village is situated between the two national parks, Pelistera and Galičice, on the eastern coast of Prespan lake, in the fertile Prespan valley. Arvati village is at the altitude of 1000 meters, surrounded by Baba mountain, at the foot of Pelister mountain (2601m), on the mountainsides of the national park. Bitola, a city rich with historical monuments, especially the ancient ones, is only 29 km from the Arvati village. Arvati is in the municipality of Resen and the city of Resen is only 11 km from the village. Arvati is well-connected with other important centers such as the international airport in Ohrid (only 34 km from Arvati) and the airport in Skoplje (190 km away).
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Macedonia

2008-11-29T10:12:47+01:00

Macedonia is a country on the South East of Balkan pensinsula. Its population is 2 million people: 65% are Macedonians, 22% Albanians, 4% Turks, 2% Serbs, 3% Romas, and 4% the others. The following religions are represented: Orthodox 67%, Muslims 30%, the others 3%. The currency is denar (den)= 100 para. Macedonia is the only country with the legislative house whose head is the president. The capital of Macedonia is Skoplje with the population of 952.500 inhabitants, and other big cities are Bitola, Prilep, Kumanovo, Veles, Tetovo, Štip, Ohrid, Đevđelija. The official language is Macedonian. The highest mountaintop is Korab (2764m). There are three natural lakes in Macedonia- Ohrid lake (one of the oldest in the world), Prespan and Dojran lake. The most important rivers are Vardar, Treska, Black river, Pčinja, Bregalnica, Strumica and Black Drim. The climate in Macedonia is sub Mediterranean -summers are warm and dry and winters are cold and humid. In the lower altitudes the typical soil is a mixture of clay and loam and in the higher altitudes there is humus or stones in mountains or hills. The center of Macedonian culture is Ohrid. The foreigners call it Balkan Jerusalem. It's the museum in the open and its cultural heritage reaches back to the ancient history. Saint Kliment and Naum of Ohrid founded the first Panslavic university in Ohrid.
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Recreation in nature

2008-11-29T10:11:47+01:00

Feel younger, relax, release the stress by staying at the Arvati village and hiking in nearby mountain Baba (you can reach the top of the mountain in two hours of pleasant walk). There are two glacier lakes of crystal-pure water in the mountain called. They are called Pelister eyes. Big lake is situated at the altitude of 2218 meters. It is 233 meters long, 162 meters wide and 14.5 meters deep. The Small lake is at the altitude of 2180 meters. It is 79 meters long, 162 meters wide and 2.6 meters deep. Next to Big lake there is a mountain house with 50-100 beds. On the lakeside you can pick forest strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and various medicinal herbs.
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Ethno-museum

2008-11-29T10:10:47+01:00

Only 4km from the Arvati village, in Podmoćani village, there is a private museum owned by an agriculturist Joneta Eftimovskog with more than three thousand valuable objects. Among these objects there are folk costumes, looms, Ohrid filigrees and other historically valuable objects some of which are over 300 years old.
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Bitola

2008-11-29T10:10:01+01:00

According to a number of inhabitants Bitola is the second largest city in Macedonia. There you can still visit the remnants of the city from the Roman period, the Orthodox church of Saint Virgin, an old Ottoman town, the Ajdar-Kadi mosque from the 16th century, the catholic church that was a gift from France and was built upon the prototype of the Notre Dame cathedral, and many other famous sites.
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The tour of monasteries and churches

2008-11-29T10:07:41+01:00

Today we do want entertainment, especially when we are young, but we also seek for spirituality. One of the ways to satisfy our need for spirituality is to visit the buildings such as monasteries and churches and other legacies of famous rulers of the past. These buildings cherished spiritual and cultural values throughout history. While staying at the Arvati village you can visit a number of such spiritual places. In the vicinity of the Kurbinovo village, which is situated 3km from the Arvati village, there is the monastery Saint George. The monastery's fresco-painting by an anonymous master was completed in 1191. How long ago was that? But the virtuous hand of the medieval master painted certainly one of the most beautiful frescoes, "The Annunciation". It is a fresco without precedent and it is located in the upper zone of the church, close to the altar.
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Ohrid

2008-11-29T10:07:03+01:00

According to the legend an enamored girl, called Biljana, was washing her dowry (hand-made embroidered linens, table cloths, clothes, and others) at a spring of water and when she finished she forgot to close the tap. The water kept pouring all night long and out of it the lake emerged in the middle of the field. This was Ohrid lake. This legend is preserved in the famous song "Biljana washes the cloths". Nowadays there is the water-distribution station at Biljana's springs. From this station the water goes into three different places: Ohrid water pipes, the Hydrobiological institute and Ohrid lake. Ohrid town lies on the coast of the lake. There are 365 churches in Ohrid and the town is also under the protection of UNESCO. The town is also famous for its unique pearls from Ohrid lake and numerous monuments from the ancient, Byzantine and Ottoman period. When you are in Ohrid you can stay in one of the fifteen hotels (Gorica, Metropol, Belvi, Garden, Drim and others), hostels, or camps. Food is delicious, local, made in a traditional way. You will be able to try the best trout in the world. Ohrid trout is an endemic species in the Balakns and in Europe. It is the closest ancestor to the species that lived in this region since the tertiary period. It permanently inhabits Ohrid lake. It spends the day in the deep waters of the lake and places that are far away from the coast, and it raises to the water surface only in the evening when it catches the flies. Sometimes it approaches the coast, the shallow waters, looking for the food among the underwater plants. There are two types of Ohrid trout: letnica and belvica. Belvica lives only in the deepest waters of the lake, up to 200 meters deep, and it reproduces in winter like brown trout. It is not being caught as much anymore and due to this it is assumed that this species is on the verge of extinction. Among the fishes that live in the lake there are also: eel, chub, carp, barbel and small fish plaščica whose flakes are used to make famous Ohrid pearls.
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Golem grad- The Snake island

2008-11-29T10:05:48+01:00

Golem grad is a special attraction, a reserve of rare plants. You can arrive at Golem grad by boat. Due to the steep decline in the water level of Prespan lake, thirty meters high and white coasts of Golem grad can be seen from all the surrounding places on the left and right coast, including the Arvati village. Previously the island was visited by researchers and scientists but also by people curious and hungry for knowledge. It is rich in herbal and animal species some of which are endemic. Upon the request by the UNESCO the flora and fauna experts are currently working on cataloguing these species.
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Resen

2008-11-29T10:04:44+01:00

Resen is the municipal center and the small town in the Republic of Macedonia with approximately 10.000 inhabitants. It was founded as a settlement during the Roman Empire and the famous Roman road Via Ignacia was passing through it. At the beginning of the mediaeval times Resen was a part of Samuilo's state. According to the legend after the battle at Ključ, the soldiers of the defeated Samuilo's army were blinded on one eye. After that they settled on the coast of Prespan lake and the Byzantines named the settlement-Asamati, which means the settlement of one-eyed people. Later on Resen fell under the Ottoman Empire. Ahmed Nyazi Beg, a Turkish dignitary and one of the initiators and leaders of young Turkish revolution (1908) was born in Resen. He is famous for his unusual castle- Saraj which was built on the prototype of the Château de Chenonceau located in the valley of Loire in France. Approximately 16.800 inhabitants live in the municipality of Resen in a harmonious multiethnic environment.
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Prespan lake

2008-11-29T10:01:13+01:00

Surrounded by high mountains on all sides, Prespan lake enchants with its wonderful natural beauty. While the mountain tops of Galičica are still covered in the first snow, down in the plane, on the lakeside, there are still roses and autumn flowers. According to the famous legend, when walking by Prespan lake Kraljević Marko wished to see the small lake Mala Prespa (Small Prespa). When he climbed on the stone, the strong as he was he left a footprint on it. The piece of the stone van be found there even nowadays, at the border between Macedonia and Greece. It carries his name and attracts a large number of tourists. It is said that if you compare your footprint to the one Marko left on the stone you would definitely be convinced that his shoe size was at least 90.
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Folk craftsmanship and souvenirs

2008-11-29T09:55:10+01:00

Burdened by their family duties, housework, work in the field and in the stalls the women in Arvati still find time to attend to the craftwork, nowadays considered of artistic value. In a friendly working atmosphere, interspersed with songs and jokes, these women embroider, knit, weave and sew. Everything they make can be bought and taken as a souvenir from the Arvati village.
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Religious holidays

2008-11-29T09:53:33+01:00

The tradition of celebrating religious holidays at the Arvati village has been kept to this day. During the holidays the peasants take a break from everyday agricultural works. Hosts kindly welcome their cousins and friends to the table filled with food that is the gift from the God.
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Macedonian festivities and celebrations

2008-11-29T09:52:59+01:00

Pain, sorrow, making the living, drudgery, going and living abroad- that's "pečalbarski" (diasporic) life. You never stop, there is no break. The farewell to the family and the departure into the unknown, into the diasporic life, was a sad event often described in Macedonian folk songs. Some of them are performed even nowadays by Kevser Selimova and Đorđe Želčevski, a duo famous even outside the borders of Macedonia. Listen to their songs. They are sung in parties and festivities. The best way to slow down a fast pace of life, imposed on us by our struggle for money and social status, is to enjoy festivities and parties. The sounds of traditional Macedonian music urge us to start dancing very quickly. Macedonian music is specific and so are the instruments that accompany it: gadulka, ćemane, zurle, kaval, and tupan. The famous Macedonian dances are: „teškoto", „čamčeto", „lesnoto", „adana" i „komitskoto" which mimic the struggle of Macedonian people against the Ottoman reign. In folk festivities and celebrations, the countrymen symbolically wear their folk costumes and dresses. The shirts with colorful embroidery and the head bands are especially beautiful.
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Animal and fish hunting

2008-11-29T09:50:02+01:00

In the surroundings of the Arvati village the hunters, or those who would like to become ones, can return to nature and escape the noise of the everyday life by hunting all kinds of game animals. Even bears. In the forests of Galičica and Karaormana rabbits and various types of partridge can be hunted in summer and in winter there are boars, foxes and large game animals. At the lake one can hunt lake and pond birds.
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Local food and drinks

2008-11-28T09:48:56+01:00

There are no restaurants in the Arvati village. You will eat at your host's but you will also be welcome to visit any other house in the village You will feel the taste of freshly prepared, healthy food from the unpolluted gardens. The long-lost smells and tastes will return and you will forget what fast food, fast life and quick aging mean. Local home-made bread prepared in a traditional centuries-old way, various pies, roasted meat (split-roasted and under "sač" (a method "under sač" involves a large metal bell-shaped lid that serves to cover the meat and which is then sprinkled with ashes and coal)), famous sheep, goat and cow cheeses, and other traditional meals are all waiting for you. And there is more: natural juices, mulled brandy, wines from the cellars of the Arvati villagers, tea, or water from the springs. Spring water, one of the biggest boons of the Arvati village is available for you, together with various mountain teas. Forest strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all delicacies which do not leave anyone indifferent. Famous mushroom vrganj can be picked on the mountain sides around the village, together with a lot more natural food that exists only in these regions. Ecologically pure, never polluted, the village Arvati is the pearl of the Prespan area.
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Vacation in Arvati village

2008-10-09T23:06:01+01:00

You are tired of everything. You want a different vacation, in a peaceful village in intact nature with no touristic bustle? You want to experience something new, something you will describe to your acquaintances, friends, and relatives with enchantment?Come to Macedonia, to the magical Arvati village!
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Contact

2008-10-09T23:06:01+01:00

If you would like to say anything, you can do so by using the form available on this webpage. Thank you very much in advance!
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Site Map

2008-10-09T23:06:01+01:00

Site Map

Ethnotourism

2008-10-09T23:06:01+01:00

You live somewhere in the northern hemisphere, northern Balkans, northern Serbia or elsewhere - it does not matter. It is a cold, noisy environment. You need calmness, warmth, and pristine peace. The people from Vojvodina, and most of all the people from Novi Sad, very well know what it means to relax in the authentic environment. For them, these places for relaxation are granges and one of the most famous places, the perfect place, is the Salaš 84 whose creator and owner is Dimče Gulevski. Ever more people choose a careless and pleasant holiday in a village, in order to enjoy the advantages of the intact nature. There are not many such places in this world. One of them is certainly the village Arvati. Feel the nature and life in the village in a real, genuine and completely different way. Meet the spirit of the people, their customs, folklore, old crafts. Your hosts will be glad to have you as a member of their household and to help you feel all the beauties of Macedonia and the Arvati village.
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Accommodation in village houses

2008-10-09T23:06:01+01:00

Kind and welcoming hosts will not let you stay in a hotel because there is none. They will welcome you and accept you in their comfortable village houses as if you were a member of their family. If you wish they will teach you how to prepare traditional Macedonian meals: "zimnica" (canned garden vegetables), jams, marmalades and "slatko" (a type of fruit preserve) from the fruits they grow themselves. You can also try everyday work in the country. For instance, you can feed the sheep or test yourself in agricultural work: cutting the grass and collecting the hay, planting and picking the fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and especially vrganja (a type of delicious edible mushrooms mostly growing in forests). You can also pick forest strawberries, raspberries, hazelnuts and the like as much as you want to.
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