skopje_macedonia

WHERE TO GO
It’s so interesting to visit a country that has so much history yet at the same time is so new to the eyes of the modern world. Macedonia is such a country; it still has an air of mystery that makes this mountainous, off-the-beaten-path place such an intriguing destination and one of real discovery. The traditional culture is rural, but today more than 60 percent of the population is urban, a quarter of them living in metropolitan Skopje. The capital city is also home to the largest bazaar in the Balkans outside of that in Istanbul.

IN NUMBERS

  • 5th Best in Starting a Business rankings – World Bank’s Doing Business 2013 Report
  • Over 4,500 archaeological sites are registered in Macedonia
  • A quarter of the population lives in the capital, Skopje
  • On 26th August 1910, Mother Teresa was born in what is now Macedonia’s capital city
  • The country has 34 mountain peaks each at a height of more than 2,000 metres above sea-level
  • Catfish in Macedonian lakes can reach up to 200 kilos in weight

TOP 5

Skopje: The Macedonian capital and the place known as the “city of solidarity”. It’s a vibrant place that fuses history and the modern in an elusive way, a city that tells of the Macedonian way of life across the centuries and that will leave you itching for more.

Matka Canyon: This natural treasure of a canyon with well preserved natural and geographic characteristics is a phenomenon in which a number of rare and endemic species found their escape. It is the most visited spot within the vicinity of Skopje

Kokino: One of the most popular archaeological sites and the fourth-oldest megalithic observatory in the world as recognised by NASA, Kokino is listed alongside other ancient observatories such as Stonehenge (Great Britain), Abu Simbel (Egypt) and Angkor Wat (Cambodia).

Ohrid: known for the hot summers, this is one of the most visited destinations in the Balkans. Ohrid and the Ohrid Lake were designated Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. More than a hundred churches, numerous historical sites, fascinating architecture, crystal green water and much, much more is waiting to be discovered and explored.

Bitola: the ‘city of consuls’ is one of the oldest cities in Macedonia. Known for its unique architecture and monuments, this is definitely a highlight when it comes to visiting Macedonia. Its old bazaar in particular is most certainly something you won’t see anywhere else in the world.

THE MOST ...

  • The Millennium Cross is a 66-metre high cross, the biggest cross in the world, set at the top of the Vodno Mountain in Skopje.
  • Macedonian opium is one of the best in the world, with 14 morphine units, compared to Turkey’s 6, India’s 7, and China’s 8.
  • Macedonia was the first country in the world to have full access to wireless broadband.
  • The greatest conqueror in human history was the Macedonian Alexander The Great. He overthrew the Persian Empire, defeated the Greek city-states and carried Macedonian arms to India.
  • According to NASA, Macedonia’s Kokino is fourth on the list of the planet’s oldest observatories.

WHAT ELSE TO DO

  • Town of Kuklica: there is a legend of the ‘stone town’ of Macedonia that brings a lot of curious explorers to this rocky outpost.
  • Visit Strumica Carnival, which is one of the most famous annual events that takes place in the city of Strumica.
  • Try Tavče gravče, a traditional Macedonian dish prepared with fresh beans and that can be found in almost every restaurant in Macedonia and throughout the Macedonian diaspora.
  • Visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House, which is dedicated to the humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate and located in her hometown of Skopje.

ARE YOU KIDDIN’ ME?
Since becoming an independent nation in 1991, Macedonia has had two flags (yes, two!). Both its first flag and the current flag feature a yellow sun on a red background. The first iteration was based on a symbol found on ancient tombstones discovered in 1977 in the town of Vergina. However, Vergina is in Greek Macedonia and Greece decided to claim that they owned the copyright of the symbol, even going as far as blocking trade with the Republic of Macedonia and forcing the UN headquarters in New York to take down the Macedonian flag. As a compromise, and to restart trading with their Greek neighbours, Macedonia changed its flag to its current one from 1995.

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