Welcome to our impressive National Park Shar Mountains, or just Shara!
Everyone's first love for Shara begins with Ljuboten. Most of the mountaineers make their first steps on this grand massif, crossing the woods over Staro Selo (Old Village). Reachable for every one with a descent fitness level, the mountain will let us walk into its forests and bring us to its spectacular rocky uplifting peak over Macedonia and Kosovo.
We shall witness a changing surface, from forest to rocks, and climate variation, where the shadows will become sun and where the silence turns into а warm windy arena. We shall also witness the importance of this particular place to the people and why it played a strategical role through the history, especially in the times of the Serbian Kingdom, then in the Ottoman times, but also in the modern history. The crossroads from the East to the West went right near this place.
Especially surprising for some nature lovers shall be the variety of species of endemic butterflies and insects, as well as many mountain plants, flowers, mountain garlic (Sremus), potatoes and types of mountain tee, with all their smells and intensive colours.
The Hut Ljuboten was built by the Serbian Authorities in 1931 as a very strategic place in the kingdom of Yugoslavia. The people who built this place were soldiers and mountaineers, mostly from Tetovo, dedicated to give a piece of paradise to the people who wanted to hike and enjoy the Shar Mountain.
Nowadays the Hut belongs to the oldest Macedonian Mountaineering Club from Tetovo, “Ljuboten”. It was resurrected after being left in a pretty bad condition in the past, and is now ran by the most belonging person there- Chichko (uncle) Mitko, a local, born on these expanses. Meeting him and witnessing the everyday lifestyle of Mitko, will give you the perfect example and perspective of the kind of people who live here, in the villages, in this macedonian micro culture. Mitko will welcome us with beautiful mountain energy and will cook us delicious eco- meals, with meat, lots of cheese, tomatoes, onions, different vegetables, spices and mushrooms, all from the mountain.
From the Hut there are 4km distance and around 850m altitude to reach the peak, which we make the following day.
Depending on the fitness level of the clients, we shall be on the peak in about 2 - 2,5 hours.
On the way up, we shall see also the tremendous Kozja Stena (The Goat Stone), a rock, dedicated only to the nimble legs of the mountain goats, as well as spectacular views towards Kosovo and Skopje.
Let us share some love and tasty experience! Ljuboten is waiting :)
Duration from the Ljuboten Hut: around 2,5 hours
Distance: 4km
Altitude: +/- 850m
