If you’re looking for information on hiking in Macedonia, you’ll quickly find that it can be relatively scarce. When we decided to drive from Tirana to Ohrid, we knew we wanted to scout out any pitstops along the way for hikes or exploring. After about an hour of research, I found some references to hiking routes in the region. The hike that stood out to me immediately was in the small town of Vishni (Visni in the local language). This is a detailed guide, with pictures, maps, and a trail report, of that hike.
The hike was described as a relatively flat to rolling path through a valley and woods along a brook, which naturally meant several charming wooden bridges to criss cross said brook. The hike ends at the 15th century cave church of St. Spas, which is carved into the side of a rock face in a canyon 90 meters above the base. How can you read that description and not want to go there? I can say after having visited that this is a perfect day trip from Tirana or Ohrid if you want some off the beaten path experiences. Read on for all the information.
Driving from Tirana to Vishni for the St. Spas Hike
We had a three day weekend so we decided to leave early Friday morning from Tirana for Macedonia. We broke up the drive to Ohrid with the stop in Vishni for the hike, and then continued on to Ohrid that evening. We opted for a car rental over the bus for personal comfort, freedom to make the hike pitstop on the way to Ohrid, and safety- there have been multiple bus accidents on this route due to reckless driving. After an early morning in the car a hike would be a nice break, and we could kill some time before check in at our hotel.
The good thing is, renting a car in Tirana is cheap. Five of us split a 30 euro a day fee, which included insurance. Gas was so cheap that I’m sorry, dear reader, I forgot to even record the impact on my wallet, since said impact was imperceptible and thus I forgot it as soon as it happened. Renting a car in Tirana is also easy. You just need to show a passport and your driver’s license. You do not need an international driver’s license. We picked our rental car company by virtue of proximity and possibility to communicate. It’s a local place across the street from our school, and a young woman there speaks English. Done!
This is a map of the route we took. We looked it up on GPS just to be sure we could locate it as Google Maps is notoriously not very correct in this part of the world.
Road Quality Between Tirana, Albania and Vishni/Ohrid Macedonia
We had been warned by locals about the awful, winding, “death coaster” that was the highway from Tirana to Ohrid. These are people who live and drive in Tirana, which is already a disaster of driving culture, so this description carried extra weight. And I won’t lie, it wasn’t great. There were many switchbacks, and the road was covered with gravel and debris that would make it easy to spin out. There are also plenty of 90 degree turns around blind corners with nothing between you and the valley save a flimsy metal guardrail.
In some areas the guardrail was mangled and bent, and inevitably beside this damage was a marble memorial, or a cross, dedicated to some poor soul who had sailed over the edge to their death. This was, sadly, quite a frequent sight along the drive.
The main fear came from watching drivers ahead of us passing one another on blind curves, on hills, and just generally engaging in the kind of behavior that gives you a one way ticket over the edge of the mountain. You can choose not to do that, but you have to hope someone isn’t doing it and coming your way around the corner.
We eventually made it safely out of the mountain pass and into the valley. Our first view of Lake Ohrid was on the Albanian side, and it made us giddy with joy. You could tell we had been nature-starved by the way we stumbled into the sunshine like prisoners just released, gulping in the air and smiling and saying “It smells so clean!” The lake was massive, and could have passed for the sea at a glance.
Border Crossing in a Car Between Albania and Macedonia
We continued on to the Macedonian border, which we hit about 2 hours after leaving Tirana (Google Maps was a bit wrong on driving distance here per usual, but we had planned for it). We stopped to buy the required “you’re taking a rental car out of the country” insurance, which cost 40 Euro total. There are stands set up along both sides, and you can buy it quickly and get it notarised right then and there.
Getting into Macedonia was quick and easy, entailing no more than a cursory passport check and a disinterested inquiry as to what was in our bags. The answer given- clothes- didn’t warrant a check for accuracy, and we were waved on through.
Finding Vishni Proves Difficult
Bobby was our navigator, having meticulously researched the roads and downloaded them into his GPS. We rarely used it in the US, but it proved to be invaluable on this road trip. All the little towns encircling Vishni were on the GPS, but unfortunately, Vishni proper was not. We found our way to Shume, from which we could theoretically reach Vishni.
We drove up and down the tiny roads of that tiny town, stopping periodically to ask a local “Vishni??” with a quizzical “I’m lost” look and a shoulder shrug that we hoped communicated “I need your assistance in telling me how to get to Vishni”. Going off of finger pointing and hand gestures from four different people we found a one lane dirt road overgrown in the middle with grass. Dubious it would get us where we were going, we took it anyway.
Unfortunately, at the end of that one lane dirt road, we hit a dead end, and felt quite defeated, as by that point we had been driving in circles for 30 minutes. None of us have smartphones, there is no service anyway, and our GPS was failing us. We considered the fact that perhaps a magical fairy tale hike along a brook to a church carved out of a cave was just not in the cards.
And then, as it so often does, travel magic blessed us. In the middle of nowhere Macedonia, at the end of a wrong turn dead end overgrown dirt road, we randomly found a German speaking man in Macedonia who saved our day.
We happened to be traveling with our dear German friend, Malwine, who had joined our entourage at the last minute. It turns out this travel magic had been planting its seeds in preparation for just this interaction. Malwine and the man had a friendly banter, the kind of shared humanity “Oh, it’s YOU!” feeling of closeness when you find a piece of home far away from home in an unexpected place, and then they got down to navigation business.
Armed with legitimate back roads knowledge we continued on our way. The road we had been directed to was paved, but only about one and a half lanes wide up a mountain. Slowing down and peering around corners got us on our way without a head on collision. So far, so good. We rolled into Vishni and almost immediately there was a roadside sign describing the town and the St. Spas hike specifically.
Heads up if you make this trip, when we did the turnoff for Vishni the second left was not clearly marked. This is exactly where and how we went wrong:
Village of Vishni and St. Spas Hike Trailhead
Since we had been starved for information and signs thus far, and didn’t want to depend on another random German popping up, we pulled over to take pictures of the signs.
After reading about the village and the history of St. Spas, we continued on our way. We turned right onto another gravelly dirt road, not entirely sure if we were going in the right direction until we saw this sign.
Tip: we didn’t notice it until we were on our way out, but the trail markers actually start at the main road. If you want to do this hike, look for the red and white stripes on the power line poles as soon as you are in the village of Vishni.
They start from the main road, and will lead you from the road to the actual trail. We didn’t notice the markers until after the sign, primarily because I wasn’t used to looking for trail markers on a road. Once we noticed them we drove as far as we could until they abruptly stopped, and then figured we would park there and figure it out.
In terms of parking, you just park any old where, being sure to try and stay off of trails and out of the way of the farmers. We pulled off the road and onto a grassy patch, and no one complained. When we came back, our car was untouched, so this is another vote for “it’s probably fine.”
The trailhead of this hike starts in the middle of a little farming neighborhood, so yes, you’re in the right place if you’re tromping next to someone’s field as they till the land. The proximity of the trail to people’s houses disoriented us a bit at the start. Here’s the neighborhood we walked through so you have a picture guide:
Trail Conditions on the Vishni to St. Spas Hike
Shortly after this neighborhood jaunt the hike opens up into this big field, and you start to see the trail proper. At this point you are away from the village, the trail is clear, and the markers stand out more obviously.
For example, I think it would take a herculean effort of obliviousness to miss this cross + rock combo.
From here, it was smooth sailing and we didn’t see another soul the trip out or back. The trail was well worn and cleared of brush, and there wasn’t a single scrap of litter anywhere. The trail was impeccably and frequently signposted with red and white striped trail markers. They looked as though they were very recently painted.
After the neighborhood and open field, most of the trail is fully shaded and cool even on a warm day. Hiking in mid-October was perfect weather- sunny and warm but not hot, with cool breezes. The brook was dry at this time of the year, with a few wooden bridges that are sturdy and don’t require any feats of balance or bravery to cross a ravine.
The hike is predominantly flat or downhill, and should be appropriate for younger kids and older adults. A basic level of fitness would be useful, but even a sedentary person could tackle it by walking slow and taking breaks. It’s a really charming route, with mossy rocks and thick stands of trees and lots of places to spread out a blanket and have a picnic.
The last portion takes you through steep switchbacks which would require moderate fitness to be enjoyable, but again, if you aren’t as active just take lots of breaks.
The main concern for trail conditions is the final ascent to actual get up the rock face to the church. There is a a stone staircase carved into the wall, and the steps can be a bit narrow. If they were covered in leaves or wet, they would require attention.
There is an iron rail most of the way, but it is broadly spaced and a small child could slip through- if you have kids, keep an eye out on this part.
Once you get to the top, the view of the canyon is gorgeous on a clear day. You can really see the height you gain here at the end (the church is at 90 meters as previously mentioned).
The St. Spas Cave Church: Village Traditions and 15th Century Frescoes
The picture I posted of the roadside map gives you a good overview of St. Spas, and most googling yields the same info. Apparently relics are kept in a church in Vishni, and once a year an unmarried girl is charged with washing the relics with wine and hiking out to the church to place them on the altar. She then spends the night in the cave guarding them, and returns them the next day.
This is said to impart a blessing on the girl so that she can find a husband. I’ll leave you to decide whether or not a husband is a blessing.
The church door was held shut with wire, but not locked. This was most likely just to keep animals out so nothing took up residence. The entire exterior was clean and preserved, including all the railings and the little balcony in front of the door (which are apparently newly installed for hikers), so it seems like the town is maintaining it diligently. Then again, maybe all those love-lorn young girls are maintaining it in hopes of reeling in those blessings.
We went in to explore, and found the interior to be quite small, but given the logistics of creating a church out of a cave the size was understandable. There was a small pile of offerings in a mix of currencies sprinkled on the altar, along with half melted candles and a cross. On the opposite side of the room a broom and a rag spoke to a caretaker who might come more frequently than the heartsick girls of the village on their pilgrimages.
High up on the wall bare, square windows let in some weak light. This filtered down through the damp and cave-cold air, creating an otherwordly, misty atmosphere that you could literally feel. It was easy to imagine worshipers trekking out into a much wilder wood centuries ago to seek refuge and pray. Even if you don’t share the religion, there is a reverent mood that permeates.
The fact that we could just pull off on a random road, park a rented car, and take a hike, paying no fees or entrance anywhere, and end up in such a gem of a place felt unbelievably privileged and special. The most incredible detail of the church was certainly the frescoes on the ceiling. Had Macedonia been a different player on the world stage, these could easily have been taken and displayed in a museum alongside other relics.
The frescoes were almost completely faded away with the exception of two determined arcs of haloed heads clinging to the craggy ceiling. That they had been resisting erasure by the slow and steady damp hand of the cave air brushing against them since the 15th century was honestly humbling.
I’m always awed by the age of such things, having been born and raised in such a young country. I leave places like this feeling connected to the chain of human ancestors in a visceral and overwhelming way, imagining the people who lived there, who painted the art, who created the altar, who worshipped and prayed and gathered together.
After we’d had our fill of the church we headed back down, feeling noticeably calm and relaxed. As mentioned, the stone steps are quite narrow and steep, and in a few short sections there are no handrails- this is naturally more of a problem going down than coming up.
I told my friends that someone had once told me “When you’re going down stairs, all you should be doing is going down stairs.” This is good advice, so I will say the same to you.
Distance and Time Recommended for the St. Spas Hike in Vishni
The hike is 3KM one way/6KM round trip. We went very slow to enjoy nature and take pictures, so it took us about 45 minutes one way/an hour and a half round trip. Add in half an hour exploring the cave, plus time to park and walk, and I would say a safe time estimate to really savor it, or maybe even have a picnic in the valley, would be 3 hours. The trail is in outstanding condition and well marked from start to finish, with ample shade and generally flat terrain. However, those stairs at the end are a significant outlier to the overall trail experience. Those with mobility issues or fear of heights might find this difficult.
St. Spas Hike is a Must-Do in Macedonia
For me, this hike hit all the right spots for what we needed it to be- it was beautiful, short, not too strenuous save the portions of uphill/stairs, well-marked and maintained, and it took us somewhere interesting. One can’t ask for much more out of a hike. For a day trip, the driving time from both Tirana and Ohrid is more than manageable and still leaves plenty of time to hike and continue on your way or head back to your base. The best part was how truly isolated it was. We had the whole place to ourselves, there were no kiosks selling crap tourist food like pizza and hotdogs, there is no entrance fee, and it’s charming and authentic.
If you are in Albania or Macedonia with access to a car, a GPS, a German speaking friend, a total lack of shame in asking random strangers questions, a blessing of travel magic, and a keen sense of when a car might be coming around a corner on a one-lane mountain switchback, this is the hike for you.
For Part II in Ohrid, Macedonia and the rest of our trip, check out this post.
Narrator’s Note: This was originally published October 29th, 2012, on Blogger. However, I have researched all details here and updated it at the time of this publication. The biggest change is that the route actually shows up on Google Maps now, hence the screenshots provided. I admit most of the fun adventure was not having maps, but time marches on and now you won’t need random German speaking strangers and German speaking friends to find your way to St. Spas church.
