I have been traveling to North Macedonia for many years now, and it has become one of my favorite countries in the Balkans. Friendly people, delicious food, excellent wines, diverse landscapes, wonderful music, and a rich, layered history—each of these adds to the country’s quiet charm.
More than anything else, it’s the people who make North Macedonia feel so welcoming. Conversations come easily, doors open quickly, and curiosity is almost always met with warmth. That human connection is what keeps pulling me back.
Maybe that’s exactly why Kuratica village resonates with me so strongly. It reflects everything I value about this country—honest people, a slower rhythm of life, and a deep connection to place.
Kuratica Village
Kuratica is a small mountain village tucked high above Lake Ohrid, set in the mountainous Mazatar area northeast of Ohrid. It is a true mountain settlement, sitting well above 1,000 meters above sea level. Summers are cooler, winters are long and snowy, and the air feels clean and sharp year‑round.
Traditionally, Kuratica was a pastoral village shaped by livestock, forestry, and seasonal migration. Many houses are old stone buildings with wooden balconies, slowly being reclaimed by nature. Some families live here year-round, while others return only in summer or for holidays. That rhythm gives the village a slightly suspended, timeless feeling.
Nowadays, Kuratica is still very much a farming village. People grow their own vegetables, raise sheep, goats, and cows, and make use of the surrounding forests by harvesting mushrooms, blackberries, and other seasonal treasures. Rakija is still distilled in the traditional way, and when it’s being cooked, a sweet, sharp aroma drifts through the village, filling the air and marking another small ritual of everyday life.
Genuine Hospitality of Kuratica Village
Every year, I run my Harvest Season in North Macedonia photography tour, and each time we visit Kuratica. We sit down for a home-cooked lunch, try their homemade rakija, and spend time with local people. These visits are always a highlight of the trip. For me, it’s deeply rewarding to come back year after year, to be recognized, to meet the same people again, and to share a few simple words and moments that don’t need translating.
It feels like this genuine hospitality, combined with the village’s proximity to Lake Ohrid, gives Kuratica its lively atmosphere. Unlike many mountain villages that are slowly being abandoned, Kuratica feels alive and quietly thriving.
Meeting Milica
Some stories stay with you longer than any photograph. Milica’s is one of them.
I first met her in 2018. I noticed her walking slowly along the road through the village, dragging a large tree branch behind her—probably firewood. It was a simple scene, but something about her presence stopped me. I took a few photographs from a distance.
Later that same day, I saw her again. She was visiting a neighbor, the two of them chatting in the courtyard as if time wasn’t important. I approached, we talked for a while, and Milica kindly agreed to a portrait. She stood there calmly, without posing or pretending—just herself.
When I returned the following year, I brought her a print. I found her collecting stinging nettle for her livestock. She was already in her late eighties, yet still strong, still working, still fully part of the land she lived on. She smiled quietly when I gave her the photograph.
The third time I came back, I asked around for her. A neighbor called her name, and after a while, she slowly came out of her house. She was noticeably weaker. She had suffered from breast cancer and had undergone surgery, but she never fully recovered. When we said goodbye, she turned back toward me as she walked home and waved. That image—more than any photograph—stayed with me.
In 2024, I returned to Kuratica once again and walked toward her house. No one was home, so I checked the barn. Her son was there, milking a cow. I introduced myself and asked about Milica.
“She is no longer with us,” he said. She had passed away just weeks earlier.
Conclusion
Thanks for taking the time to read about Kuratica. It’s one of those places that doesn’t shout for attention—but once you spend time there, it stays with you.
If you enjoy stories and photography from lesser-known corners of the Balkans and North Macedonia, you’ll find more posts like this here on the blog. And if you’d like to experience places like Kuratica firsthand—slowly, respectfully, and with photography in mind—you’re always welcome to join me on one of my photography tours in this beautiful country.
No rush. Kuratica isn’t going anywhere.
