„Peshta“ Fortress is connected with the story of the beautiful girl Kalesh Angya (Kales Angja, Калеш Анѓа) as a symbol of the Macedonian disobedience.
Kalesh Angya was trapped in a treacherous way and her rescue from the home of the Turkish qadi of Prilep, somehow becomes an introduction to an organized uprising against the Ottoman Empire or “Mariovo rebellion” (1564/65).
View toward village Staravina and picturesque landscapes of Mariovo region
Panorama of Mariovo region – view toward Kajmakcalan – Click the image to enlarge
Panorama of Mariovo region – view toward village Staravina – Click the image to enlarge
There is evidence that the fortress Peshta existed since the time of ancient Macedonian kings and in the time of the Roman Empire, there was an army stationed within. After the Mariovo rebellion, the fortress lost its original purpose and was left to the ravages of time.
Today immensely destroyed, because of the bombing during World War I, it remains a mute witness to the turbulent history of this region and only small portions of the wall can be seen.
View toward the fortress from the village Gradesnica
How to get here
The road to the village Gradesnica is a narrow asphalted road with length of 52 km starting from Bitola city. At the entrance of the village, just after the bridge and before the village cemetery, there is a dirt road that leads next to the fortress (approx. – 1 km). This road is only accessible with an off road vehicle, or you can leave your car and take a 15 minute walk to the location.
