Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is such a fascinating city. When we decided to visit North Macedonia, I knew very little of it, of the places to see, history, and culture so when we drove there, I had no expectations for what to experience but this country turned out to be one of my favorites on our Balkan trip.
Skopje is a very walkable city where the main attraction points are within a short walking distance making exploring so accessible. The city is famous for the many statues that are placed all over it. The reason for there to be so many of them lies in a Macedonian government project “Skopje 2014” where it was decided to create a more appealing look to the city for a wider tourism reach and uniqueness. It is a quirky look to the city and is certainly eye-catching.
In Skopje, you can wander around and enjoy so much but in this blog post, I gathered the main spots that are unmissable while visiting this diverse city!
Macedonia Square
Macedonia Square, the main square of Skopje, is truly the heart of the city with many attractions located nearby, having beautiful architecture and being the place where the immense statue of Alexander the Great is located. There you can find quite a lot of options for food and drinks, walk along the Vardar River promenade, enjoy and learn the meaning of the many statues placed all over the square or just relax and soak in the beauty of the city.
Stone Bridge
Stone Bridge, located just by Macedonia Square, is a bridge across the Vardar River that holds historic importance to the city, being a symbol of Skopje. The bridge was built between 1451 and 1469 but since then the bridge was often damaged therefore it has faced many restorations. Historically the bridge was used for transportation but nowadays it is available only for pedestrians.
The Memorial House of Mother Teresa
The Memorial House of Mother Teresa opened in 2009, is dedicated to Mother Teresa, a Catholic saint and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was born in 1910 in Skopje. The memorial is in the location where Mother Teresa was baptized but the building doesn’t hold any historical resemblance to that time. In the building, there is an exhibition area with a gallery of different photographs of Skopje and the life of Mother Teresa. The basement of the museum is designed as an amphitheater but above the gallery is a small chapel. The entrance and tour guide is free of cost and the museum is open every day from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and till 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Bridge of Art
The Bridge of Art is fairly newly built, being a part of the “Skopje 2014” project by the Macedonian government to give the city a more appealing look and tourist attraction. Needless to say that the bridge is a very beautiful and artistic one. From the bridge, you can have a perfect look at the Stone Bridge as well as many statues that line up the sides of the bridge, in total 29 that present many Macedonian artists and musicians.
Old Bazaar
Old Bazaar in Skopje is considered one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans region and has been operating since at least the 12th century. It is located near the Stone Bridge and is still a very active place where marketers sell not only souvenirs to tourists but many household items and clothing for locals. In the Old Bazaar, you can wander through the streets and look for eye-catching and colorful souvenirs, be amazed by the architecture, and enjoy food and drinks. I would recommend having some cash for purchases as some shops didn’t accept credit card payments.
Kale Fortress
Kale Fortress, located in the center of Skopje, just by the Old Bazaar, is a great spot to have a look at the city. It is situated at the highest point in Skopje and offers wonderful views and a relaxing walk along the fortifications. The Kale Fortress dates back to the 6th century and has faced many historic events as well as major archeological researches that have found material evidence dated back to the Neolithic period. The entrance to the fortress is free of cost and definitely worth the visit.
Skopje City Park
Skopje City Park covers a major part of the city’s territory and is one of the best places to enjoy nature and calmness from active city life. The park was built back in 1905 but a more considerable reconstruction was made in 2009. In the park you can take a tranquil walk or a more active relaxation such as running, cycling but you can also enjoy the cafe scene, for instance in the Central Park cafe or even visiting Skopje Zoo.
Millennium Cross
Millennium Cross at the top of Mount Vodno was hands down my favorite spot while visiting Skopje. The Millennium Cross, finished building in 2009, is one of the tallest crosses in the world, allowing you to appreciate the views of the mountains and the city below. In 2011 a cable car was installed that allowed people to visit the cross at the top of the mountain more easily.
Getting to the Millennium Cross can be done by bus from the Skopje bus station and which directly takes you to the cable car, by car where the drive takes up to 15-20 minutes, or even by hiking which a lot of people choose to do as an active way of spending their day. Cable car tickets cost less than 2 Euros which includes getting both ways. At the Millennium Cross, there is a small cafe/shop where you can enjoy a drink and snacks while exploring the area or relaxing and admiring the views.
Shuto Orizari
A neighborhood in Skopje, Shuto Orizari, is considered one of the largest Roma people communities in the world where Romani is the official language. It is not particularly a tourist point but rather a place to experience a different culture. Shuto Orizari or Shutka is famous for its active street markets where you can get anything imaginable for a very cheap price. There are many stigmas around Roma people but I believe that we can’t be ignorant of the problems that they are facing and what change many of them are making to their own and other lives around.
We spent three days in Skopje but still had left so much to explore. North Macedonia is a very affordable country to travel to in all aspects – the cost of food and drinks is very low, accommodations are inexpensive, and tourist attraction points are either without any cost or the price is very low. Skopje is a budget traveler heaven not only because of the expenses but how beautiful the country is, the gorgeous nature that encircles the capital, and the people that are so kind and welcoming. Don’t think twice and book your next trip to North Macedonia, you won’t regret it!
Check out my blog posts about the 8 things to know before traveling to North Macedonia and 6 places to visit there!
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