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The
ski-resort "Zare Lazarevski" is located on the slopes of Bistra
mountain, in one of the most beautiful parts of the
country, Mavrovo plain (valley). It's also a part of the
National Park of Mavrovo and it's situated 41 km from
Gostivar,
while from the capital of Macedonia,
Skopje is 106 km
away. The ski-lifts and chairlifts were began to be built in 1964, by the
ideas of Zare Lazarevski. He planed to built ski-lifts and chairlifts all across
the lake and the built the largest ski-resort, then not only in Yugoslavia, but
the entire Balkan Peninsula.
 As you approach to the ski-resort,
the first you will see are the chairlifts, one single and two double 500 meters
from the old Mavrovo church, St. Nikola. The single
chairlift starts at 1,247 meters, the first stop is at around 1,400 meters,
while it ends at 1,605 meters by the crveniot (the red) ski-lift and the small hut. The
old double chairlift starts at 1,255 meters, his first stop is at 1,603 meters,
by the plaviot (the blue) ski-lift, while it ends at 1,680 meters between the big hut
and žoltiot (the yellow) ski-lift. The new double chairlift starts at 1,257 meters,
his first stop is at 1,630 meters and ends at 1,690 meters. It is parallel with
the old double chairlift.
 The 11 ski-lifts are situated among the
entire slopes. The most known are: Plaviot
(the blue), Crveniot (the red), Žoltiot (the yellow), Detskiot (for kids),
Galički, Belički and 5 other, of which 3 are in the place known as the hole
(dupkata), 1 by the Plaviot ski-lift and the last one is Galički 2, parallel to
the Galički ski-lift. Belički is the highest ski-lift of
all, that ends on 1,860 meters above the sea level, just 300 meters under the
highest peak Medenica 2,160 meters. The bottom of the ski slopes at Bistra, are located near
the artificial Mavrovo lake. Three chairlifts start their trip from here, up to the ski
slopes, with a capacity of more than 1,500 persons per one hour. The ski centre possesses
11
ski-lifts (drag-lifts) synchronically connected, with the capacity of over 5,000
skiers per hour. The ski slopes at Bistra start at 1,247 m and end at 1,860 m
high. The most beautiful ski runs for downhill, slalom and super-slalom are
located in this area. The famous "Bačilo" is a cafe which offers the
visitors various hot and cold drinks and snacks, in exclusively pleasant
surroundings.
 Traditionally, on the ski slopes of Bistra, for several years
now, the international ski competition "Mavrovski Memorial" is held,
at the beggining of March. The entire Mavrovo valley represents, both
summer and winter recreational resort, together with the villages: Mavrovo,
Mavrovi Anovi, Leunovo and Nikiforovo, that today
represent a weekend settlement. There are about 1,500 cottages, and many
hotels.
"Mavrovo, ski-resort "Zare Lazarevski: The end of the single
chairlift, the small hut and the Crveniot ski-lift"
The complex Bunec, near the village Duf, is the host of the "Snow city" event which is
held every year during the winter period, with thousands of children competing
in making snow figures.
 
"The Hotels Radika and Bistra"
The whole area is extremely rich in diverse flora and fauna. In this region,
there are many hunting grounds for does, bears and specially lynxes - which live
only in this region. Mavrovo Lake particularly enhances the beauty of the
region, with its pure and clear water, and abundance of trout, providing the
opportunity for sport fishing. The stay of tourists is enriched with the
numerous natural features, cultural-historical monuments, striking scenery and
mountain villages. Near Mavrovo, is the Monastery St. Jovan Bigorski - an
interesting place with impressive historical and artistic value. The road to the
monastery leads through the impressive gorge of the river Radika. Only a few
kilometers from Mavrovo, there are the villages Galičnik, Lazaropole, Gari,
Tresonče, Rostuše. These are small mountain villages with original architecture,
interesting traditional customs and folklore. In the summer period, the slopes
of Bistra offer ideal conditions for mountaineering and short walks. The
spacious green areas, the flower meadows, the abundance of diverse forest
fruits, as well as the numerous mountain pastures create unique landscapes of
untouched natural beauty.
"Map of the ski center"
In June, the famous "Mavrovo Assembly" is held with the
participation of numerous ensembles, folklore and revue groups. In the immediate
vicinity of the lake, at a height of 1,230 meters, is the village Mavrovi Anovi. Located in the pine woods, the
"suburb" harmoniously fits in
with the mountain scenery and the old houses are especially attractive on
account of their distinctive architecture. Along the lake shore, there are
modern weekend-houses and numerous restaurants. The old Mavrovo Anovi village have always
had a rich tradition of being a place for the overnight stay of travelers and
people in search of work abroad, from this region. With the construction of the
lake, most of the old houses vanished in the depths of its waters. |
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