Tourists climb St. Nicholas Church tower and jump into Mavrovo Lake, residents demand probe

Photos and video circulating on social media show people in swimwear climbing the exterior wall of the tower of St. Nicholas Church at Mavrovo Lake and jumping into the water, prompting calls from locals for an institutional response.

The author of the post says the visitors arrive by vans and climb directly onto the church building "dressed inappropriately for a church and a sacred space," and stresses that the site is both a spiritual place and part of Mavrovo’s cultural and tourist heritage.

Locals demand on-site inspection and measures

In the same message the poster asks whether anyone informs visitors that the structure is a church and whether clear rules for access and conduct exist around the site. The post says: "Are visitors warned that this is a church? Are there rules for access and behavior around the building? We are not asking for anything more than what should apply to every citizen and every tourist: Respect for the sacred place and respect for the law. If we want Mavrovo to be a serious and recognizable tourist destination, we must also have order, control and protection of our cultural and spiritual heritage."

Residents call on authorities to carry out an urgent on-site inspection to determine who allowed this behavior, whether protection regulations for the monument were breached, whether any material damage occurred and who is responsible for oversight. They also ask that, if there are grounds, appropriate sanctions be imposed on those responsible.

The post explicitly rejects singling out foreign visitors: "It is not a problem that tourists come from Germany, the Netherlands or any other country. Tourists are welcome," it says, but adds that every visitor, regardless of origin, must respect the place they visit — its faith, culture, traditions and rules.

Photo: Fejsbuk