Renowned german GEO magazine recently published an article entitled "Five wild natural wonders in Eastern Europe". This list also includes the wonderful Matka Canyon not far from the Macedonian capital Skopje.
In addition to the Matka Canyon, the list includes the Endla Moor in Estonia, the Łącka Dune in Poland, the Telašćica Nature Park in Croatia and the Uvac River in Serbia.
"Sure, you can travel to the other end of the world to experience something. But why? Right around the corner, with our neighbors towards sunrise, real natural treasures are hidden. We present five of them to you," GEO writes.
About GEO: The german Geo magazine is a reportage magazine from the Hamburg publishing house Gruner + Jahr and was founded in 1975 by Rolf Gillhausen. The first official booklet went on sale in October 1976. The magazine is best known for its opulent photo series and detailed reports.
Following the description of GEO about the Matka Canyon in Macedonia:
Matka-Canyon, Macedonia
There is only one mountain between Skopje and the Treska River. From 1938 it was dammed to supply the Macedonian capital with electricity - and an impressive lake was created in an even more impressive gorge. Lizards live on the high calcareous rocks, and bats are at home in the many caves - the longest is 176 meters deep. There are 77 species of butterflies only here. Most visitors book one of the small excursion boats, but it is better to rent a kayak or to walk the approximately six kilometers long hiking trail. It always leads along the wall along the bank and allows sensational views of the river. Oh yes, if you want to climb, you've come to the right place.
Don't miss out: take the cable car from Skopje up to the Vodno Mountain and walk around 10 kilometers to the canyon. The descent to the river is steep, but the tour is very varied.
SOURCE: Macedonia Tourism Blog in German/Makedonien.mk