About Us

Everyone benefits when recreation is also job creation

Riverside Haven

Hello!

My name is Erik Petersen. I and my wife Lisa are the co-founders of Riverside Haven.

Lisa and I came to Macedonia to work in relief and development, but we were denied a visa to do so. We started and registered a tourism company in order to stay, but soon realized that we could kill two birds with one stone.

Tourism for Development!

So here we are using Tourism for Development!
As you have already seen from the Home page, Matka Canyon is a place of great beauty. However, many visitors in the past have been completely unaware of the opportunities offered in Matka and have thus chosen to only stay one day. Local accommodation reflects this.

Matka Canyon

Possibilities!

It was immediately clear that we needed to get as many local businesses as possible onto Google Maps and verified. (The former was easily done, but the latter has proved problematic). A centralized website was needed, bringing all of the information a visitor might want into one place.
(Your are looking at the fruit of that effort).

Enjoy the beauty of pure nature in stunning Matka Canyon – The Jewel of Macedonia!

There is certainly a need for better infrastructure, but this area is one for local government to address.

Your Holiday

Enjoy and relax in the knowledge that by staying, you are helping others

Founder & CEO

Erik Petersen

Finally there is a need for more establishments to provide accommodation! The only Hotel sleeps a maximum of twenty, and our Airbnb Apartment and Homestays comfortably sleep eleven. We have rented and renovated an additional seven rooms to essentially double available accommodation! You can find the rooms at Hillside Haven

The more people who visit and stay, the more the local economy grows. New jobs are created, a better standard of living for current workers, and giving local people a hope for the future! This is the development side of Riverside Haven.