Matka Canyon Trail — Attraction in Municipality of Saraj

We did st Nikolas trail today and it was super fun. Not difficult around an hour or so one way . Beautiful views of mountain ( not much the river though) . Ancient chapel of saint Nikolas ( closed) on the top . Amazing architecture of the chapel building ! Nice little place on mountain top to do picnic , bring along your sandwiches & beer and several benches to relax and enjoy your little picnic. The train is not steepy as such. We went on 10.30 bus no. 60 starting from central bus station and reached around 11.30 ( lot of traffic ). Parking is ample ( on road side ) but still at peak hours you may face . issues to find one. On the way to trail nice little natural water tap ( almost at the end of the trail) to refill your bottle ! It’s peaceful not much crowded on this trail. Some mosquito like bugs at some places so try to wear fully covered light cottons ( not a serious point , you can dodge them through hand or scarf movement but they are irritating & too many at some spots ) . There are some flat rocks on the way where you can chill for a while , sip water & wnjoy cold breeze & beautiful Mountain View’s & proceed ! Very enjoyable day , sun was shining but several parts of trail goes are shady & breezy so it was not so difficult. Many families with kids were there at the top of the trail so yes it’s family & kids friendly trails. Note no restaurants at this trail but free...

It’s a must be there place when the temperatures are high. You can either take a boat, pedal boats, kayak or jump and dive from the rocks like all the locals. Make sure you go where the locals go to be safe when jumping into the water.

So crystal clean and refreshing artificial lake. It has been built for the Dam that produce free energy for Skopje.

By the side to the Dam you could see an opening where the soldiers camp to protected the Dam during the II World War as it has been a target to be destroyed which has never happened.

The Cave is such a nice and cold stop with a fresh air, nature shaped walls and lake inside. Many of this cave is still not discovered as some places are very narrow.

Very high steps leading to the cave, slippery surface and rails inside due to the nature of this place and some small uneven stones, so make sure you do not fall while admiring the cave. And use a torch 🔦 to see where you going while your eyes get used to the darkness.

Not recommended for elderly or unfit people. I nearly made it 😂 (Only shows how unfit I am at the moment).

However the boat trip is for everyone who loves being by the water.

And after you can enjoy a drink or food at a local restaurant that serve...

"Beautiful scenery, but misleading info about the boat – be careful"

Canyon Matka is a stunning place – the nature, the views, the peaceful atmosphere – it’s all there and absolutely worth visiting. But one thing caught me (and others) off guard, so here’s a heads-up:

If you decide to hike along the path by the lake, be aware that it’s not possible to return by boat. Some online sources and travel blogs may suggest you can hike one way and take the boat the other, but this is not how it works in reality.

The boats operate only as round-trip tours from the main dock – you cannot get picked up or dropped off halfway. There are no piers or access points for boarding outside of the main marina. Also, the hiking trail does not reach the Vrelo cave – it ends much earlier.

I visited personally in 2025, and this information was not clear beforehand. So take it from someone who walked it: 👉 You must choose either a full boat tour (there and back) 👉 Or a separate hiking trip, which is scenic, but doesn’t go to the cave.

Too bad this isn't clearly communicated at the site or online. Would have saved me a bit of confusion and...