Life in Tirana: Weekend in the National Forest in Macedonia: rural wedding, waterfalls and quaint towns

With a cross cultural group (10 of us) hailing from Poland, Albania, Bosnia and the US, we spent the weekend in the cool, green forest of Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia. This region, that borders Albania, has the majority of the people calling themselves Albanians.

Day one was a drive high up to a mountain town of Galicnik to the Wedding Festival. When there were residents living there year around, anyone who was getting married, did so on the second weekend in July. We happened on the real wedding below. Sweet setting.


Summer resident ready for the wedding


Mountain town of Galicnik


Wedding decoration in the church. Unfortunately it caught fire half way through the ceremony.


Outside decoration


Flower and water girl


Obviously the priest


The ring bearer, groom, bride and her father

This woman orchestrated the event. It looked like you didn't mess with her!

Cut the bread and serve it to the couple, drink the wine and light some incense.

Just to give you an idea of the bride's outfit. If you wore gold, you were high society. This looked like nickel.


Then there were the crowns. They were placed on their heads and exchanged three times

There were the walks through town, a local lad singing in our coffee shop and picnic on the high plateau mid afternoon.


The local folk singer performing at our cafe

Day 2 combines trip to a monastery, a waterfall, a Roman Bridge and more mountain towns.


Blessing of the water at the monastery that is offered to anyone who so inclined


This monastery is only 225 years old because it was burnt by the Turks. The original church was built in 1025. It is an example of the Ottoman style of architecture