The town of Debar, situated in the west of Macedonia near the Albanian border, was literally put on the map by Ptolemy in the middle of the 2nd century C.E. Much later, in the days of Balkan revolutionaries and brigands, it became famous for its handmade flintlock rifles.

One of the most beautiful areas of Macedonia, Debar is surrounded by high mountains, near the convergence of two rivers, and presides over the largest artificial lake in Macedonia, which offers excellent opportunities for fishing and boating.

Debar has also become renowned for its rejuvenating health spa, Banjiste. The chemical structure and mild radioactivity of the mineral water here make Banjiste one of the best such places in Europe, ideal for physical therapy and recovery from all manner of ills.