In the far northeastern corner of the country close to a popular border crossing point with neighbouring Bulgaria that serves the busy traffic route between Skopje and Sofia, the relatively small mountain town of Kriva Palanka acts as a moderate point of interest for the numerous travellers passing through the region as well as for the tourists who flock here to visit the two outstanding monasteries in the region. The town itself offers a few distractions, the most notable being the Church of St. Demetrius, built in 1833 and not much to look at on the outside but concealing an astonishingly beautiful iconostasis and several frescos painted by the celebrated artist Dimitar Papradiški (1859-1954) in 1887, although the main local reason is the outstanding Monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski immediately east of the town and the equally wonderful Monastery of St. Gavril Lesnovski some 60km or so to the south. Kriva Palanka also has a good reputation for its restaurants, of which the best are located in the immediate centre. The best place to stay for atmosphere and originality is unquestionably the Hotel Monastery of St. Joakim Osogovski.