Traveling in North Macedonia

The Republic of North Macedonia is a beautiful landlocked country in southeast Europe. The country has been influenced by Roman, Greek, Albanian, and Ottoman cultures. It has a lot to offer tourists with many lovely places of nature.

Bitola is the second largest city in the country and an old Ottoman town once referred to as the “City of Consuls”. At that time, it was the diplomatic center for the region. Today you can see beautiful colorful houses dating from the 18th century and many Turkish mosques. The city is also a favorite among Macedonians due to its café culture and European atmosphere. Among the highlights are the 17th-century Deboj Amam Turkish Bath and the Old Bazaar.

Prilep is the tobacco capital. It became known as “the city under Marko’s towers”, from the time when it was the medieval capital for Kings Marko and Volkasin. The city is located in Western Macedonia. At the top of a hill, you’ll find the ruins of a medieval fortress.

Even though, Krusevo only has 10,000 citizens it was once its own republic. The city is nestled in the Baba Mountains. There are two monuments in the city commemorating the uprising against the Ottomans – Mechkin Kaman and Mekedonim.

National Park Mavrovo is the biggest winter resort in Macedonia. It is a great place for skiing. Within the park are forests, gorges, waterfalls, and karst fields. The country’s highest peak is here Mt Korab. Visitors enjoy hiking around Mavrovo Lake.

Pelister National Park is the oldest of the three great national parks. It is located in Western Macedonia near Bitola. Within this park is Mount Pelister and eight other peaks. It is home to the five-needle pine molica, found on only a few mountains in the Balkan Peninsula. Among wildlife here are roe deer, wolves, bears, chamois, eagles, partridges, and red-billed jackdaws.

Stobi is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. It is located along an old Roman trading route. Stobi became a hub for traders who were traveling from the Danube in Serbia to the Aegean Sea in Greece.

Gevgelija is a sunny spot known as the “Macedonian Las Vegas”. Here you’ll find casinos, five-star hotels, nightclubs, galleries, and concert venues. Visitors also enjoy Smrdliva Voda, a spa with sulphus baths.

Povaderie lies in the fertile Vardar River Valley. There are more than 24,000 hectares of vineyards in Macedonia. The wines made here are well-known all over the world. Here you’ll find three wineries – Winery Tikves, Stobi Winery, and Popova Kula. They produce more than 20 wines, offer cooking lessons, accommodation, and folklore shows.

Strumica located in Eastern Macedonia offers visitors hiking on Mt Belasica and two waterfalls Smolare and Kolesino. You can see lovely monasteries like Veljusa and Vodoca, both Byzantine.

Ohrid is the largest town on Lake Ohrid and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visitors enjoy the frescoes inside Saint Sophia Church. Tsar Samuel’s Fortress offers amazing views over the city and the lake.

Take a day trip from Ohrid to Struga the town nicknamed the “City of Poetry”. This is the town where the country’s national anthem “Denes nad Makedonija se raga” was written by Macedonian poet Vlado Maleski, born in Struga.

Monastery of St. Naum just a 30-minute drive from Ohrid, is a lovely 19th-century monastery. It sits on an outcropping overlooking a lake. Some of the best religious paintings in the Balkans can be found here. You can enjoy the rowboat tour down the Drim River.

Tikvesh Lake is the largest and oldest man-made lake in the country. It is a great place for picnics, sailing, kayaking, and canoeing.