Things to Do

Veles is best seen on foot, with the main sights split between the centre, the hillside churches, and the Kosturnica ridge above town.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Kosturnica Memorial

Kosturnica, the Veles memorial ossuary, is the city's most powerful modern landmark. Its sculptural concrete form sits above town and looks across the Vardar …

Sight
02

Saint Panteleimon

Saint Panteleimon is one of Veles's most important churches, set high on the hillside southwest of the centre. Built in the 1840s, it is …

Sight
03

Clock Tower

The Clock Tower is the small urban symbol of Veles, standing on the west bank of the Vardar. It began as an Ottoman watchtower …

Sight
04

Kočo Racin Memorial House

Kočo Racin Memorial House is dedicated to the Veles-born writer and partisan often described as a founder of modern Macedonian literature. The traditional-style house …

Museum
05

National Museum of Veles

The National Museum of Veles is the town's main history and culture museum. Housed in a neoclassical building in the center, it presents archaeology, …

Museum
06

Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary

The Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary is one of Veles's prominent historic churches, built in the neighbourhood once associated with the …

Architecture
07

Saint Dimitrija Monastery

Saint Dimitrija Monastery sits south of the centre near the old fortress-and-church cluster. It is a quieter stop than Saint Panteleimon, but it gives …

Sight
08

Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is one of the oldest churches in Veles, probably dating to the 13th century. It stands on …
09

Fazil Ahmed Pasha Mosque

Fazil Ahmed Pasha Mosque is the only surviving mosque in Veles. Built in 1659 from dark stone, it gives the old town's Ottoman history …

Architecture
10

Saint Nikola and Kale

The Saint Nikola and Kale area south of Veles combines a small old church with the remains of a hilltop defensive site. The ruins …

Sight
11

Lake Mladost

Lake Mladost, also called Veles Lake, is the town's easy outdoor escape, about eight kilometres north near Otovica. It is an artificial lake, but …

Sight
12

Church of the Ascension of Christ

The Church of the Ascension of Christ is a 19th-century church near Veles, built in 1839 by artists from Debar. Its white exterior and …

Architecture
13

Vrvči

Vrvči is an archaeological site north of Čaška with early Christian tombs on the left bank of the Topolka River. The grouped graves make …
14

Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius

The Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius is a large modern cathedral in Veles, built between 2006 and 2017. It stands in a landscaped …

Architecture
15

Theater Dzhinot

Theater Dzhinot, named for the 19th-century writer and educator Jordan Hadzi Konstantinov-Dzinot, is a useful stop if you want to understand Veles as more …

Sight