Macedonia annually visits 750 thousand tourists. The former Yugoslav Republic attracts guests with ancient buildings, medical resorts and a lightweight visa regime. Russians do not need a visa at all. It is enough to show a passport, insurance policy and demonstrate the availability of money. What is not a reason to explore the new country? In the article we will tell you what to see during a trip to Macedonia.
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Sights of Skopier
At the entrance to the capital of Macedonia, you will be met by the cross of the millennium (on the map). It was installed in 2002 on Mount Krstovar. The height of the monument: 66 meters. Inside the cross there is an elevator that delivers tourists to the very top of the structure. In addition, at the top of the mountain there is an observation deck with which a panoramic view of Skopier opens. You can climb the site using a cable car.
During a walk around Skopier, be sure to visit the stone bridge across the Wardar – the largest river of Macedonia. The bridge connects the northern and southern parts of the capital (on the map). According to some data, the bridge was built in the XIII century under the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. Other sources claim that the crossing at this place appeared in the 1st century under the Roman emperor Justinian.
Near the bridge there is another symbol of Skopier – the fortress of Kale (on the map). Created in the X century during the rule of the Bulgarian king Samuel, it was the main fortification of the city. The fortress of Kale often passed from hand to hand, but at the same time did not lose its defensive role. At different times, it was used by Bulgarians, Serbs, Byzantines, Turks, Austro-Hungarian, Yugoslav and Macedonians. In 1963, the fortress suffered greatly during the earthquake, and it is constantly being repaired from those.
The whole story of Skopje is at the junction of civilizations. One of the consequences of this is the bizarre neighborhood of Christian temples and mosques. We advise you to look into the Orthodox Church of the Holy Savior (on the map),
The Catholic Cathedral of Clement of Ohrid (on the map) and visit the mosques of the sultans of Murat (on the map) and Mustafa Pasha (on the map).
The most visited Museum of the Macedonian capital is the house of Mother Teresa (on the map): the Nobel Prize winner was born in this city. You can inspect the museum for free. It presents documents, photographs and personal belongings of Teresa Kalkuttskaya, which on September 4, 2016, the Vatican officially ranked the saints.
Okrid Lake (on the map)
Ohrid is the second most popular city in Macedonia. Next to it is the deepest (more than 300 meters) fresh water reservoir of the Balkan Peninsula – the Ozero Lake. Sometimes it is called “European Baikal.” Here, wildlife goes well with well-developed tourist infrastructure: hotels, yacht clubs and equipped beaches.
The main attraction of the lake is the museum on the water (on the map) built on the gradiest Peninsula. The name is due to the fact that 2500-3000 years ago there was an unusual fishing village, which even the ancient historian Herodotus mentioned. All buildings in the village were built right on the water. For this, a special flooring was used.
The remains of the settlement were found in 1997 at the bottom of the lake along with dishes, animal bones and home interior items. After the find, a museum was created, which is accurately recreating the life of the village: inside the wooden houses are animal skins, there is clay utensils, the walls are covered with fishing gear. Most of the items are authentic, so the museum is listed in the UNESCO historical heritage list. You can visit the museum on the water from 9 a.m. to 20 pm. The input ticket costs 2 euros.
Photo: Nace Popov
National Park Galichitsa (on the map)
At 25 kilometers from Ohrid is the Galichitsa National Park. It is located on the mountain range between two lakes – Okrid and the nesting. The array has several peaks. The highest is the “two thousandth” of Magaro, but the park is named after another – Galicia. Its height is 1550 meters.
Entrance to the National Park is free. It is very convenient to move around it: there are pedestrian and bicycle paths. During a walk, you can see caves, karst fields, visit picturesque villages for three or four yards and chat with residents. Locals know English well. Extremes can fly to a paraglider and admire the national park from a height. Nearby, on the shore of the lake, a medieval monastery of St. Naum, built in the 10th century, which is also open to visiting, has been preserved.
Macedonian “Puppet Valley” (on the map)
In the north of the country, a natural monument of natural origin is located near the village of Kuklitz: 120 vertical stone poles were located in a small territory. In form, they resemble figures of people, thanks to which the area was called the “doll valley”.
All stone figures differ in size, shape and shades of stone. The most famous statues are “bride and groom”. Two large figures stand nearby, they are surrounded by smaller stones – “guests”.
There are different legends explaining the emergence of stone giants. According to one of them, in ancient times, an army passed through the deserted area. Due to the natural anomaly, all soldiers instantly petrified. Another legend suggests that an entrepreneurial man tried to marry two girls at once. One of the brides revealed the deception and cursed the unlucky lover. So he, along with his second wife and guests, turned into stone. These are legends; Scientists associate the occurrence of pillars with corrosion, which erases softer rocks and creates bizarre figures from stones.
Note to a tourist. In Macedonia, they produce shoes of excellent quality and sell it cheaper than in other European countries. Botins are sewn in skewers, for example, for Hugo Boss and Marc O`Polo.
Girls in Macedonia pay attention to the Ohrid beads – artificial pearls, carved from shells and mixed with mixture of chopped fish scales and powder silver. Small pearls are decorated with various products, and from large Macedonian masters make jewelry: beads, bracelets and earrings.
You can only get to Macedonia from Russia with a transplant. Most often, a stop is made in the capital of Serbia. At the same time, there are several ways to get from Belgrade to Skopier.
- The air path will take about 1.5 hours. The cost of tickets is from 80 to 110 euros.
- By train and bus, the travel time will be about 9 hours with a fare of 23 and 18 euros.
- If you rent a car, then you can get to Skopier in 5 hours.
On the trip, pay for the purchases of the OneTwotrip loyalty card, and up to 10% of the order on OneTwotrip, as well as up to 2% of any purchases paid by the card, will return to your account.
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