The Village of Ljubojno – Љубојно
The village of Ljubojno is located in southwestern Macedonia on the edge of the Pelister National Forest on Mount Baba near the eastern shore of Lake Prespa. This picturesque and peaceful village of stone architecture is a great spot for ecotourism and nature activities.
The name of the village is derived from “ljubov” (љубов), the Macedonian word for Love. There are several legends regarding how the village was named. One legend states that a boy and a girl from the nearby villages of Kalinci (Калинци ) and Kukishtata (Куќиштата) fell in love but due to bad blood between the villages, their married was supported by the villages. Thus, the couple left, got married and became the first settlers in the place now called Ljubojno.
Another legend, states the name of the village originated from one of the fist settlers named Ljuba who owned a bar and served excellent wine. Either way, this village, the nature and the setting is easy to love.
In addition the mountain, forest and the lake other attractions include a great restaurant called “Stara Chesma”, archaeological sites as well as churches as monasteries,
Churches in and immediately surrounding the village include:
- Athanasius – Sv. Atanas
- Demetrius – Sv. Dimitrij
- John the Divine (Sv. Jovan Bogoslov) – built in 1861, destroyed by fire in 1903 and was renovated in 1921.
- Mary – Sv Bogorodica
- Marena – Sv. Marena
- Sts Peter & Paul – Sv Petar i Pavle – Ljubojnski Monastery
Archaeological sites include:1
- Graishta (Граишта) — a roman necropolis located 1 kilometer from the village on the road to Brajchino.
- Kugjishta (Куѓишта) — a roman settlement west of the village
- Kula (Кула) meaning tower, an ancient settlement and necropolis located about 1 kilometer north of the village
- Prisoj (Присој) — a Roman settlement located 1 kilometer northeast of the village in a vineyard.
- Rudina (Рудина) — a roman settlement located in a vineyard about 1.5 kilometers west of Ljubojno
Only 2.5 kilometers from Ljubojno is another village, Brajchino that is also known for its stone architecture and ecotourism. There are six churches in the immediate vicinity of Brajčino that includes picturesque hikes to reach them such as St. Elijah (Sveti Ilija, Свети Илија) and St. Paraskeva (Sveta Petka, Света Петка).
Google Map
- https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/љубојно