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Kriva Palanka or Krivopalanechko, in the Macedonian ethnology is determined as one of the bigger ethnological entity which is called Shopsko-Bregalnichka ethnographic entity, where as the areas inside it are divided into Eastern part, Western part and part called Durachka Reka. The inside division on the territory can be confirmed even today regarding the material and spiritual culture of the local inhabitants.
The thing that defines the inside regions in Krivopalanechko despite the local verbal dialectology is of course the material culture shown on the traditional national costumes. The representative of the Eastern part of the region is the national costume so called Zidilovska nosija, the Western part is Gradechka nosija and the representative of the region called Durachka reka is the national costume called Durachka nosija. The first costume mentioned is connected with the national costumes from the Kjustendil area and is featured by a shirt, saya or homespun (which is a long, red clothing embroidered on the sleeves and the chest) and apron or pinafore (called skutacha) waved with golden and silver string. The second so called Gradechka nosija as a representative of the Western part Slavishte is connected with the national costumes from the area called Slavishko Pole and with the national costumes from the areas called Kozjachija and Kumanovsko. It is featured by absence of the warm, winter clothing with white shirt embroidered on the down edges and the chest and a small “saya” so called “sajche” decorated on the back poles and edges. The third national costume so called Durachka nosija is featured by the upper clothing elements the waistcoat so called “enterija” or “djube” – the winter clothing especially present and noticeable in the past as well as the clothing so called “fermeleto” which is part of the national costumes and is one very popular with the elder and richer women. One characteristic which is very specific for the national costumes so called Zidilovska and Durachka nosija , originates from their earlier connection with the Kjustendil area and that is the embroidery on the shirt i.e. the absence of the direct embroidering on the shirt but instead application of the previously knitted decorations so called “ benki”.
Despite this as one reminiscence from the past in the areas called Durachka reka and Stanci are still in function the Fulling-mills and the Water-mills as a part of the local economy that took place here, and as places which even today attract many visitors.
One of the more important segments in the material culture in the area of Krivopalanechko are of course the traditional houses which in the western part or the field part are made of solid materials – stone and are covered with stone plates which are symbols of the rich houses i.e. the houses of the people who went abroad to work and brought back the modern streams of the time while in the Eastern part the houses are made of wood with wooden construction so called “bondruk” interweaved with stone, fence and bricks and usually covered with straw and ferns which are symbols of the poor life in this part of Krivopalanechko where the people were usually breeding stock or working in the agriculture.
Maybe the most interesting element of the determination of the inside of the area is the naming of the inhabitants of the upper mountain villages with the ethno name “Shopovi” and of the lower or field villages with the ethno name “Poljaci”.
The whole region of Kriva Palanka is full of wonderful ethno elements, row of houses, accompanying buildings and economic yards very interesting for visit and stay. Also in many of the villages in the region there are still village festivals which happen on the days of different village feasts (Easter, Ascension Day, Ilinden, the Assumption, the Nativity of the Virgin) by the churches or on the village holy places so called crosses.
In the villages in the area of Kriva Palanka there are still people who can be seen living in the traditional way. In their houses the traditional meals can be tasted such as pies called “banica” and “zelnik”, polentas, bread made in the old traditional way and the hosts will welcome you in the well-known and so called “palanechko” hospitality.