Sveti Pantelejmon Monastery

Up in the gods around the western side of Vodno, the village of Gorno Nerezi is home to this 1164 monastery, one of North Macedonia's most significant churches. Its Byzantine frescoes, such as the Lamentation of Christ, depict a pathos and realism predating the Renaissance by two centuries. It's 5km from Skopje city centre and it takes about 20 minutes to get here by taxi (350MKD, using the meter) because of the steep, windy road. The views from the monastery's terrace are sublime.