Macedonia is a unique blend of ancient and modern, offering a rich multicultural experience. In a period of less than an hour one can enjoy medieval monasteries, churches, mosques, vineyards, bazaars and space age shopping centres. The country’s mild Mediterranean climate has reflected on people’s lifestyle, making Macedonians cheerful, easy going, hospitable and welcoming to people from all countries and all backgrounds.
Macedonia’s capital city Skopje abounds with bars and restaurants filled with fashionable people, wearing Italian sunglasses and talking on the latest mobile phones. One particularly delightful pastime in Skopje is to stroll along the quayside on a warm evening down to the famous Stone Bridge, perhaps after a day’s shopping at the nearby shopping mall.
The city’s major landmark is the medieval fortress overseeing the city centre together with the Stone Bridge over the river Vardar, both dating from the time of the Byzantium emperor Justinian Primus when Macedonia was the leading province of the Eastern Roman empire.
In summertime, roller-skating and jogging is quite popular alongside the city’s riverbanks for some, strolling in the City Park, or mount biking and hiking in the surrounding mountains for others. Although Macedonia is a landlocked country, the coast of the Aegean Sea is only 250km away from the capital city of Skopje, while the country’s tourist mecca – the UNESCO-protected Lake Ohrid, is only 170km away.
Europe’s deepest and one of the world’s oldest, Lake Ohrid is a natural tectonic lake in the south-western part of Macedonia. It is a home to several endemic species, such as the famous delicious Ohrid trout. The town of Ohrid, which rests by the waters of the lake, is the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet and the Slavic literacy. With its stunning Byzantine churches, small cobbled streets, art galleries, fine accommodation, picturesque pebbly beaches, and lively nightlife, Ohrid is a great place to visit.
In addition to its medieval churches, traditional town architecture and Roman amphitheatre, a must-see are the remains of the ancient fortress that oversees the lake. The Fortress’s origins date from the time of Alexander the Great.
In the winter time, only a short drive from Skopje are several highly developed regional ski centers.
