Places to visit in FYR Macedonia

Although Macedonia’s capital city has little in the way of attractions to visit, Skopje is worthy of a day or two’s visit. At first sight it's a city dominated by an unfriendly Yugoslav architectural skyscape, but delve a little deeper and you’ll find that the locals more than make up for it with a warm welcome. Head for the Old Bazaar on the eastern bank of the Vardar River – one of Europe’s largest. The area is shrouded in mosques and Turkish buildings and offers a taste of the daily bustle of Macedonian life.

Sat between Bitola and Ohrid is Macedonia’s Pelister National Park, buried within rugged and mountainous terrain and overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Prespa. Take a hike through this flora- and fauna-rich park and if you’re lucky you’ll spot bears, deer and wolves. And why not spend the night in a mountain hut. Close by is another park of note – Galičica National Park – discreetly nestled between Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa. Enjoy a hike around the park, taking in some of Macedonia’s most picturesque surroundings.

Overlooking the banks of Skopje’s Vardar is Kej 13 Noemvri – a place that’s humming during the evening with a number of bars, cafés and restaurants. An inviting alternative to dining in the capital is heading to beautiful man-made Lake Matka – just 30 minutes by car from the city. Soak up the tranquil ambience as you admire views of steep cliffs cloaked in green forests, reflecting in the azure waters. There are a number of decent restaurants scattered around the lake, some of which can only be reached by boat – how romantic!

Mavrovo National Park is one of Macedonia’s most splendid natural places with crystal waterfalls and lakes set amongst birch and pine forest. Hike or camp on Macedonia’s highest peaks through much of the year, while the winter months bring sufficient snowfall for some of Europe’s cheapest skiing and snowboarding – give Zare Lazarevski ski centre a go. The aquatic-rich, mountain-fringed Lake Ohrid is Macedonia’s own little gem. It’s one of Europe’s oldest and deepest and it’s possible to go scuba diving into these clear waters.

Six kilometres out of Skopje is the village of Gorno Nerezi on Mount Vodno’s slopes. Take in great vistas of the city and visit the Sveti Pantelejmon monastery, where you’ll find some of Macedonia’s finest twelfth-century frescoes. The country’s favourite monastery is Sveti Jovan Bigorski, located near the Albanian border, and built in 1020 on the spot where Saint John the Baptist miraculously appeared. The intricate wood-carved iconostasis (altar screen) within the main church is considered one of the most elaborate of its kind.