Terme Banja Kežovica

Terme Banja Kezovica is a thermal spa complex near Stip in eastern North Macedonia, drawing bicarbonated mineral springs from the Bregalnica valley in a landscape of rolling agricultural plains and Ottoman-era market towns that preserves a slower, more traditional rhythm of life than the capital Skopje forty kilometres to the west. Stip has maintained a tradition of artisan confectionery since the Ottoman period, its pralines, truffles, and walnut-filled chocolates made with local hazelnuts and Macedonian mastic enjoying a reputation that extends throughout the country and into the Balkan diaspora communities of Western Europe. The thermal springs of Kezovica, appreciated for muscular comfort and relaxation, provide a relaxed wellness base for exploring the churches, bazaars, and artisan workshops of a Macedonian market town that has changed less than most in the rapid modernisation of the post-Yugoslav Balkans.