site for sports and recreation, and is a popular tourist attraction due to the cultural monuments and rich flora and fauna of the area. The area around Lake Tikveš has been designated a protected zone; this was established and supported as a conservation project for the protection of the wildlife and surrounding environment by a local environmental association ODEK and a public enterprise Tikveško Pole. Tikveš Strict Natural Reserve Established in 1997, the Tikveš Strict Natural Reserve is southeast of Kavadarci and covers an area of approximately . Some 23 species of predatory birds are present in the reserve and of these 17 nest in this area. It is said to be one of the most important ornithological sites in Europe. Pološki Monastery and Church of St. Bogorodica of Drenovo The Pološki Monastery was built in the 14th century by a father and a son from Prespa (), well known for building monasteries and churches across Macedonia. The pair set to work with the son building a church in Drenovo () and the father the Pološki Monastery (). After the father had completed construction of the Pološki Monastery he returned to Drenovo. The vanity and arrogance of the son made him claim that the church he built was so beautiful and so well made that even if Saint Ilija came down from the heavens he would not be able to destroy it. At that moment a lightning bolt appeared out of the blue sky: Saint Ilija angered by this claim split the new church in half. It is said that if the break is repaired, each year on the day of Ilinden (), August 2 (St. Elijah's Day) the church will split in the exactly same place. The church within the Pološki Monastery is dedicated to Sveti Gorgija (Saint George) and is on the southwestern shore of Lake Tikveš that is accessible only by boat. Its fresco paintings are completely preserved and can be dated to the 14th century; the only exception being those in the narthex that was built during the 17th century. The most recent and last restoration to the building took place during the 19th century. The monastery is well known for its collections of unique icons, wood carvings and especially for its fresco art that differ from others of the same period due to its unusual compositions. Marko’s Tower Marko's Tower is a stone edifice located