An unexpectedly welcoming and energetic town that sits near the southern border between Macedonia and Bulgaria, Strumica can trace its story back some eight thousand years. Caught up in the imperialism of Macedonia and the tumultuous Wars of the Diadochi (which raged after the death of Alexander the Great), the town soon fell to the Romans and eventually became Byzantine and then Slavic and then Ottoman as the centuries wore on. Today, traces of this interesting past can be found mostly on the peripheries of the city, at spots like the Roman Therma, or Vodoca and Veljusa – two eye-wateringly wonderful Byzantine monasteries that are extolled by Strumica tour guides for their peacefulness and solitude. Meanwhile, the old bridal paths of Belasica Mountain offer some glorious walking, the city’s museum is a real draw card and the trickling courses of the Kolesino Falls are simply not to be missed. But that’s not it; Strumica also strums to a lively beat and has become famed in more recent years for its lively nightlife. All of these centre on the heady Lebljebedzijska, the same spot that hosts the city’s iconic carnival each year; a sort of masquerade ball with a pious, if pagan, edge!