Kavadarci is not just a point on the map, but a feeling that beats in the heart of every Tikveš inhabitant.
Located in the southeastern part of the Vardar Valley in southern Macedonia, Kavadarci is the cultural, economic, and spiritual center of the Tikveš region.
Kavadarci’s history is woven into the vine, but also into the struggle. From the Thracian and Paeonian tribes, through the Roman and medieval periods, to the Ilinden Uprising and the National Liberation War, this land has always been alive, unyielding, and proud.
The town began to take shape in the early 19th century, though archaeological sites show life here existed long before, in antiquity and the Middle Ages. Churches and monasteries around Lake Tikveš bear witness to a rich medieval heritage.
In July 1894, at the initiative of Dame Gruev, the second committee of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) was founded in Kavadarci. Its members included Pane Ivanov (head teacher), Jovanče Velkov (merchant), Ivanče Minčev (municipal clerk), and Janaki Iliev–Ćurčiev (merchant). In July 1999, a commemorative plaque was placed in the city to honor this moment.
In June 1913, Kavadarci became one of the centers of the Tikveš Uprising—the first armed resistance against Serbian occupation and forced assimilation. Around 1,000 insurgents took part, liberating Kavadarci, Negotino, and about fifty villages. Though brutally suppressed, the uprising remains a symbol of pride and sacrifice.
The Memorial Ossuary in Kavadarci symbolizes an old Macedonian house, serving as an eternal home for the fallen fighters of the National Liberation War (1941–1945). The names of the victims are engraved on granite plaques inside.
Kavadarci thrives on agriculture, especially viticulture. The region produces some of Macedonia’s finest wines.
Major enterprises include:
In recent years, the economy has grown with the opening of the German automotive parts factory Draexlmaier, which employs around 6,000 people.
In Kavadarci, sport is a way of life, passion, and identity.
Kavadarci lives through festivals, traditions, and art:
The city is also home to cultural landmarks like Marko’s House, Lake Tikveš, the Drenovo Monastery, and the vineyard-covered hills of Tikveš.
Kavadarci is the wine capital of Macedonia, where every vineyard tells a story, every glass of wine carries love, and every autumn echoes with harvest songs.
For those far from home, Kavadarci lives in every family photograph, every taste of ajvar, every sound of the bagpipe.
Macedonia and Kavadarci are always here—waiting with open arms and timeless love.
