OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS TOURISM AT HOLY SAVIOR - KRUSHEVO MONASTERY IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

The Church "Ascension of Christ", also called “Holy Savior”, is a Macedonian Orthodox church located 2 km (a straight line of distance) southeast of the centre of the town of Krushevo, Macedonia. The Christian temple was built in 1826. This church is located at an altitude of 600 meters. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions of the city of Krushevo. In the courtyard of the monastery, next to the church itself, there is an old inn with blue doors and windows, which are also characteristic of the Krushevo houses of that period. The guest house also has a high loggia from where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the largest valley in Macedonia - Pelagonia, and from the other side, you can see the beautiful beech forest that changes colours depending on the seasons. The guesthouse of the monastery has a large number of rooms, where guests have the opportunity to spend the night. More recently, another new guesthouse has been built on the other side of the church, which is of great importance to preserve this piece of historical heritage, so that more people can have the opportunity to come, spend the night and feel the graces of this place.