Southern North Macedonia: Tikvesh Lake, Popova Kula and the Biggest Winery in the Balkans

This post continues our Bulgaria & North Macedonia Road Trip: 11-Day Itinerary and follows on from Melnik, Bulgaria: Sand Pyramids & Baba Vanga’s House. It forms part of our Balkans Travel Guide.

We left Baba Vanga’s House at Rupite with the volcanic warmth of that remarkable corner of Bulgaria still lingering in our minds and pointed the car south-west towards the border. Within the hour, we’d swapped one version of the Cyrillic alphabet for another, exchanged Bulgarian lev for Macedonian denar, and – as it turned out – discovered some of the finest wine we’ve enjoyed anywhere in the Balkans.

This is the South Macedonia leg of our road trip: an easy border crossing, two wineries offering completely different experiences, a villa with a view well worth the rough approach road, and a lakeside dinner where nobody spoke our language, yet somehow everything worked perfectly.

Crossing into North Macedonia at Novo Selo

We crossed at the Novo Selo–Petrich border post (also signed as Zlatarevo), the southernmost of the three official crossings between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and, by reputation, the most relaxed. The other two sit high in the mountains, whereas this one runs through the flat farmland of the Strumica Valley.

That reputation proved well deserved. We arrived well outside the busy periods and saw only a handful of cars travelling in either direction. The Bulgarian officer gave our passports little more than a glance, while the Macedonian officer asked to see our Green Card insurance certificate and enquired what we had in the boot – just a single suitcase, as it happened – before waving us through. From one side of the border to the other, the entire process took no more than ten to fifteen minutes.

The villages on the Macedonian side – Novo Selo itself and nearby Turnovo – caught us slightly by surprise. We’d built up expectations based on other parts of North Macedonia, yet this pocket of the country, tucked close to the Greek border, felt noticeably tidier and more prosperous than we’d anticipated. Neat houses, well-kept gardens and an absence of the half-finished breeze-block buildings sometimes seen elsewhere all contributed to a very positive first impression. Whether that’s due to cross-border trade with Greece, remittances from abroad or simply local pride, we couldn’t say, but it certainly made the drive into the country a pleasant one.

The roads were quiet, with only the occasional local or Bulgarian-plated car passing by. The only thing we couldn’t find was a proper roadside café for a coffee break. In the end, we settled for a cappuccino at a petrol station instead. It wasn’t quite the experience we’d hoped for, but the coffee was surprisingly decent, the air conditioning was a welcome escape from the heat, and it turned out to be exactly the pause we needed before continuing deeper into North Macedonia.

First Stop: Popova Kula Winery, Demir Kapija

Our first proper stop was Popova Kula Winery (Wine Boulevard No. 1, Demir Kapija), a name that appears on most lists of North Macedonia’s best-known wine estates and one we’d booked several weeks in advance, before we’d even landed in Bulgaria.

For around €60, the two of us enjoyed a tasting menu paired with a generous Macedonian lunch – think grilled meats, local cheeses and plenty of fresh bread – served by staff who clearly knew their subject. Whether they were formally trained sommeliers or simply highly experienced professionals, the presentation and pairing notes felt genuinely knowledgeable rather than simply tourist-brochure material.

The biggest surprise of the visit was the rakija served alongside the starter salad. It wasn’t a pairing we’d ever have chosen ourselves, and one that shouldn’t really have worked on paper, yet it did. The spirit cut beautifully through the freshness of the salad and completely changed the way we thought about rakija as an aperitif.

Among the wines, two stood out well above the rest: Vranec, the rich, full-bodied red for which Popova Kula is best known, and Temjanika, its fragrant, aromatic white counterpart. Admittedly, by the final pours our memories of the full tasting line-up had become slightly blurred – never an entirely bad sign after a successful wine tasting. The rakija itself was, without exaggeration, among the finest we’ve tasted on any of our travels, and we couldn’t resist buying a few miniature bottles to take home. The only slight complication was remembering we’d booked our flight home with hand luggage only.

It’s worth setting expectations correctly here. This wasn’t a private tasting or a staged VIP experience. We enjoyed lunch in the winery’s main restaurant alongside other visitors, overlooking the impressive architecture of the estate and the surrounding vineyard-covered hills – an authentic experience rather than an exclusive one.

🧭 T42 Vibe – Popova Kula Winery

Category	Rating	Verdict
Couple Factor	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Setting & Views	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Wine Experience	▰▰▰▰▱	Very Good
Value for Money	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Booking Experience	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent

🧭 T42 Vibe – Overall: ▰▰▰▰▰ 5/5

The food matched the wine in quality. Our only minor reservation was that there was simply a lot of it – more than a leisurely lunch really needed. Booking online was straightforward, and from the moment we arrived we felt genuinely welcomed rather than simply processed. Considering the quality of the food, wine and service, we’d rate Popova Kula as exceptional value for money.

Villa Tikvesh Lake – Our Base for Two Nights

From Demir Kapija we continued towards Tikvesh Lake, where we’d booked a self-catered stay at Villa Tikvesh Lake, near Kavadarci, for around €50 per night.

The final stretch of road becomes rough and occasionally unpaved. Although it’s steep in places, it’s perfectly manageable in a standard two-wheel-drive hire car, provided you take it slowly. There’s certainly no need to pay extra for a higher-clearance vehicle.

The villa exceeded our expectations in every respect. An infinity pool overlooked the lake, while a shaded outdoor kitchen with a barbecue, comfortable dining area and a well-stocked fridge made it an easy place to settle into for a couple of days. One particularly thoughtful touch was the lighting around the terrace, allowing us to sit outside well after sunset with the lake spread out below us.

We prepared our own breakfasts and evening meals, stocking up at a small grocery shop in the nearby village. Our terrace remained shaded throughout the morning, while the surrounding trees provided welcome relief from the afternoon sun. Mosquito nets covered every door and window, keeping most unwanted visitors outside – although we were still grateful we’d packed insect repellent.

What we’ll remember most, however, are the peaceful sunsets across the lake and waking each morning to birdsong. Sometimes the best days of a road trip are the ones where you do very little at all, and these two days were exactly that.

🧭 T42 Vibe – Villa Tikvesh Lake

Category	Rating	Verdict
Couple Factor	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Setting & Views	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Facilities	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Value for Money	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent
Peace & Quiet	▰▰▰▰▰	Excellent

🧭 T42 Vibe – Overall: ▰▰▰▰▰ 5/5

There isn’t much more to say: this was exactly what we wanted after several days of driving – two wonderfully lazy days spent around the pool with nowhere else to be. One practical tip: buy fruit, vegetables and other essentials before you arrive, rather than relying on making another trip to the village to restock.

Tikveš Winery – Underground Dining at the Biggest Winery in the Balkans

While based at the villa, we made two further outings. The first took us to Tikveš Winery in Kavadarci, which the staff described as the largest winery in the Balkans. That claim stands up to scrutiny. Founded in 1885, Tikveš is the oldest and largest wine producer in North Macedonia and one of the biggest in south-eastern Europe, with vineyards stretching across thousands of hectares and bottles exported well beyond the region.

Getting a table, however, isn’t straightforward. The winery is selective about its fine-dining tasting lunches, and we only secured a reservation on our second attempt after emailing several months before our trip. Even then, there was no guarantee of a reply until one eventually appeared in our inbox. If visiting Tikveš is on your wish list, make it one of the first bookings you arrange rather than leaving it to chance.

Arriving felt more like passing through airport security than turning up for lunch. After stopping at a checkpoint to show our booking confirmation, a member of staff escorted us down into the winery’s underground cellars, where the restaurant is set among rows of ageing barrels. A three-course lunch paired with three local wines cost around £25 (approximately 1,750 MKD) per person. Both the food and the wines were excellent, and we left with several extra bottles to enjoy during the remainder of our road trip. The naturally cool cellars were an added bonus, providing welcome relief from the outside temperatures, which were comfortably above 30°C.

Dinner by the Lake – Fried Catfish and a Two-Tier Menu

Our second excursion from the villa was far less formal but equally memorable: a small fish restaurant on the shores of Tikvesh Lake.

Nobody there spoke English, although the menu did – with one interesting detail worth mentioning. The English-language version included prices, while the Macedonian menu didn’t, suggesting a two-tier pricing system for visitors and locals. It’s hardly something to lose sleep over, but it’s useful to know before you sit down.

Any doubts disappeared as soon as the food arrived. We began with a mixed salad before choosing the fried catfish over the more commonly ordered carp. It proved to be an excellent decision. Fresh, firm and clearly a local speciality rather than something brought in from elsewhere, it paired perfectly with a glass of the house wine. If you find yourself eating beside Tikvesh Lake, we’d happily recommend skipping the safer option and ordering the catfish instead.

The restaurant, Restaurant Lule, is easy enough to find, with several roadside signs pointing the way as you drive along the lake. We’re not entirely certain whether card payments are always accepted in this part of the country, so we’d recommend carrying some cash for restaurants, cafés and small local shops, just in case.

What’s Next

From Tikvesh Lake, our road trip continued north to Matka Canyon, where we spent a night surrounded by dramatic limestone cliffs before moving on to Skopje for a night in North Macedonia’s lively capital. Both destinations are covered in dedicated posts, or you can return to our Bulgaria & North Macedonia Road Trip: 11-Day Itinerary to follow the complete route.

Practical Notes

• Border crossing: We crossed at Novo Selo–Petrich (Zlatarevo). If you’re travelling in a hire car from Bulgaria, make sure you have your rental company’s Green Card insurance certificate and vehicle registration documents.
• Currency: North Macedonia uses the Macedonian Denar (MKD). Some wineries may accept euros, but any change is usually given in denar.
• Booking ahead: Reserve Tikveš Winery several months in advance, as email responses can be slow. Popova Kula Winery is generally much easier to book, often with only a few weeks’ notice.
• Driving: A standard hire car is perfectly adequate for reaching Villa Tikvesh Lake, although the final section of road is narrow, partly unpaved and includes occasional passing places. Take your time and you’ll have no difficulty.
• Cash or card: Around Tikvesh Lake, don’t rely entirely on card payments. Carrying a small amount of cash will make life easier in restaurants, cafés and village shops.

Final Thoughts

Southern North Macedonia became one of the biggest surprises of our Balkan road trip. We expected excellent wine, but we hadn’t anticipated just how much we’d enjoy slowing down here. Between the warm welcome at Popova Kula, the remarkable setting of Tikveš Winery, peaceful days overlooking Tikvesh Lake and memorable local food, this part of the country delivered far more than simply another stop between Bulgaria and Skopje. If you’re following a similar route, we’d strongly recommend spending at least two nights here. It’s the perfect place to pause, recharge and experience a quieter side of the Balkans before continuing north.

---

Travel for Two is a couples travel journal dedicated to immersive road trips, slow travel, and destination storytelling.

Explore More of Balkans:

---