EuroVelo 13 Iron Curtain Trail

Republic of North Macedonia

EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail represents a great way to discover North Macedonia, one of less known and yet trendiest destinations in Eastern Europe. The Iron Curtain Trail enters North Macedonia from Bulgaria at the Delchevo border crossing. The route weaves its way between charming towns and villages, passing through the natural beauty of the Malesh Mountains before entering Strumica, home to the famous frescoes in St. Leontius Monastery. The final section in North Macedonia visits stunning natural areas close to the Belasica Mountains, which include some beautiful waterfalls.

EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail is a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2019.

Countries

Legend

Development status

Certified Section of at least 300 km that has successfully undergone the certification process in line with ECF’s European Certification Standard. It is the highest quality level on the EuroVelo network
Developed with EuroVelo signs Developed route (see category below) with continuous signing along the route, incorporating EuroVelo route information panels.
Developed Route developed for cyclists and signed in line with the respective national standard (i.e. it is part of a local, regional or national cycle network). There must also be a website providing information to users. Developed route can be heterogeneous in terms of infrastructure: type of cycling infrastructure, surface, width, gradients, etc
Under development Route containing sections that require further development (e.g. stretches on public highways with high levels of traffic). Cyclists are advised to use public transportation to skip these non-developed stretches.
Planning Undeveloped route with no detailed information publicly available on the Internet. The itinerary communicated is a proposal for the best possible option currently available. It may also contain dangerous sections. Cyclists are advised to use public transportation to skip these non-developed stretches.
Public transport link

Markers

Natural Heritage
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Cultural Heritage
Culinary Delights
Maritime Heritage / The Rhine / The Meuse
Other Point of Interest
Bus station
Train station
Mobility info center

Related news

In no-man's land between East and West

Mar 14, 2025

EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail is one of the greatest challenges of the European cycle route network. This certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe runs almost 10,000 kilometres along the former Iron Curtain from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. German writer Rebecca Maria Salentin is t…

Maps & Guides

EuroVelo 13: Iron Curtain Trail 5 [Bikeline Esterbauer]

[email protected]

This cycling guide describes EuroVelo 13 in Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Greece (2.100 km). The perfect tool to guide you during your journey preparation and on the road: precise and very informative maps at a scale of 1:120,000, elevation and distance profiles, GPS tracks, accommodation and service directory, LiveUpdate, handlebar bag format, and spiral-bound. Also available in German.

Iron Curtain Trail booklet - Michael Cramer

This English-language brochure presents the history of various countries separated by the Iron Curtain. With supplementary overview maps and route descriptions of all stages of the Iron Curtain Trail, this brochure is the perfect travel preparation for EuroVelo 13.