Hiking from Vodoča’s Monastery to the Lake

The village of Vodoča is located a few kilometers outside of Strumica. We visited its monastery before walking along the river up to Lake Vodoča for a midday swim. From here, our hike back into Strumica was long but diverting. Along the way, we would stop for lunch at a hilltop restaurant and see the remains of a medieval fortress.

Vodoča is the kind of village where, just as you’ve convinced yourself that it’s completely abandoned, around the corner comes a family riding in a mule cart. Looki...