Activities and attractions
Biking and hiking
Chateau Sopot has an excellent position for shorter and longer, easier and more difficult biking and hiking trails, such as around the winery itself, Veles Lake Mladost or the area of Veles. Sopot Biking
Veleshko Lake Mladost
At 2.1 km from Chateau Sopot is Veleshko Lake or Mladost Lake. This artificial lake, about 1.5 km long and up to 25 m deep, once built to irrigate the vineyards in the Veles vineyard, is now a frequent location for rest, recreation and a frequent destination for fans of fishing.
Veles
Veles is a city in the central part of Macedonia on the Vardar River. Veles is the sixth largest Macedonian city with a total population of over 40,000 inhabitants. Veles is located 54 km south of Skopje and 40 km north of Tikvesh (Kavadarci, Negotino). Veles has had many names throughout history, three of which are the most important. Vilazora was originally the Payonian city of Bilazora in early classical antiquity. As part of the Ottoman Empire it became Köprülü. It became Veles as part of the Vardar Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and after World War II, the town was known as Titov Veles. Since 1996, it’s only Veles again. Veles is connected to Thessaloniki by the first railway in the Balkans built in 1873. Some of the tourist attractions include examples of Old Town architecture such as the houses of the Kasapovi and Glavinovi, or the houses of the famous Kocho Racin and the Giant. There are also churches like St. Panteleimon was built in 1840 by the famous Macedonian builder and builder of churches in Macedonia and throughout the Balkans, Andreja Damjanov.
Virtual tour Veles – Macedonia / 360 VR tour (macedoniafromabove.mk)
Sources: Veles, mywanderlust.pl
Tourist guides link
St. Tryphon, the Macedonian Tradition of Celebrating February the 14th
Although in the West known as a Valentine’s Day, the February 14th in Macedonia is celebrated traditionally as St. Tryphon’s Day. St. Tryphon’s Day is one of the most celebrated holidays in the Orthodox Christians cultures in the Balkans, aside of Macedonia especially in Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro. Some consider it as the last winter holiday, while others – as the first spring holiday.
St. Tryphon is the patron saint of gardeners and winegrowers, winemakers and restaurants and he protects the vineyards and the gardens from harm and misfortunes (diseases, insects, severe weather etc.). The day is a fertility rite intended to encourage the growth of the vines and is celebrated with many customs, but mainly known for the ritual of pruning the grape vine. On February 14th, for the first time that year, the vine growers go to the vineyards and start pruning the vines. In most parts of Macedonia, early in the morning on the day of Saint Tryphon, people go to church where the priest blesses the holy water, which is sprinkled over the vines. Legend says, if it rains on the holiday St. Tryphon, then the vine will be very fruitful that year. In the Tikvesh region the vine growers used to go into the vineyards early in the morning to prune few vines, poured wine onto them, and blessed them afterwards. In the village of Vatasha after the grape vine pruning, the priest stabbed a torch on fire in the ground in the church yard, in order to speed up the departure of winter.
In Chateau Sopot the St, Tryphon day celebration starts about noon with a prayer of blessing of the vineyards and the ritual of pruning the grape vine. That is symbolic first pruning the grape vine even the pruning starts with the start of winter. Usually, afterword there will be live music and special offers for wine testing.
Sveti Trifun – St. Tryphon of Campsada
The legend has it that St. Tryphon of Campsada was born around 225 AD in the village of Campsada in the Roman Province Frigia, todays Turkey. His parents were poor Christians, and in childhood he was a keeper of gees. In his early childhood he developed an unusual God’s gift as a miracle healer. Legend says he cured the daughter of the Gordian III ruler of the Roman Empire and as a result was given presents and honours which he gave to the poor. Later, with order Decius, new ruler of the Roman Empire, who started Decius prosecution of Christians, he was tortured and killed. He is considered a saint and his remains were transferred to Kotor in Montenegro. He was much celebrated. The saint day, his feast, 1 February later with the calendar reform changed to 14 February.