Radovis

Situated in the southeastern part of Macedonia beneath the mountain Plackovica, Radovis enjoys a Mediterranean climate suitable for the cultivation of tomatoes, peppers and tobacco. The region is also known for its copper and iron mines.

According to legend, the town got its name from the medieval queen Rada, who was looking down from the castle walls when her fiance exclaimed, “rado vis!” (“behold with pleasure!”)



The legend explains that this exclamation was meant to warn the queen of enemy attack, and so became synonymous with the town’s endurance in the face of hardship over the centuries to come.

During Byzantine times, Radovis was a regional commercial center. It was mentioned for the first time in a decree of Byzantine Emperor Basil II in 1019. The remains of several churches from that time survive even today. In 2003, an impressive Church of the Holy Trinity, with marble floor mosaics was built in Radovis.