Macedonia: Skopje and Lake Ohrid Travel Guide

Things to do and see in Skopje

There is a special vibe about Skopje which you won’t find anywhere else in Europe. Here in Skopje you see the intersection between East and West and feel the mix of the old and new. The visible presence of Orthodox churches and mosques reflects the current social makeup of Skopje and the co-existence of the Macedonian Christians and the Albanian Muslims.

– Wander in the old Turkish bazaar/Carsija, a must-visit place in Skopje. Many important mosques and churches are located in this quarter. If you have some time you might want to check out the city art gallery is hosted in a former Turkish bath.

– The Macedonians are extremely friendly and hospitable. Chatting with the locals is ok; they even welcome it. Make a random stop in front of any shop and say hi, chances are they will invite you in to have a conversation. I was taking a photography course in Prague and needed to find some inspiration for a class photo exhibition called “Happiness Now.” For weeks, I wasn’t able to come up with any concept about my photos. Then I left for my holiday visiting  Serbia, Kosovo, and Macedonia and found the source of my “Happiness Now” theme. Here in Skopje (in addition to Lake Ohrid, Kosovo, and Serbia) I took the best photos which later used for my exhibition. At the old Turkish bazaar, I met and took the pictures of the owner of a Turkish kebab restaurant and the guy who runs a barber shop.

–  Kale fortress, Skopje’s most famous symbol, is situated in the old part of the city. Kale is a Turkish word that means “fortress” It was built in the 6th century and destroyed numerous times over the years. During World War I, Kale was used as the headquarters for the Austrian army. The fortress was destroyed again during an earthquake in the 60s.

– Walk across the Kameni Most, an old stone bridge that connects the old and new parts of the city and head over to the modern part of the city.

– The modern part of Skopje lies on the south side of the bridge. Ploštad, the main square of Skopje, is the venue to fulfill most of your hedonistic desires: eat, drink, party, shopping, etc.

– Visit the Memorial House of Mother Theresa. This famed Catholic nun, forever known for her charitable work in Calcutta, India, is an Albanian born in Skopje, Macedonia, revered by both Macedonians and Albanians, Orthodox Christians and Muslims alike. The Memorial House was built on a site of a church where Mother Theresa was baptized.

– Shop for fresh vegetables and fruits at the open market next to the bazaar. I got my basket of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, lemons and bananas for free as a gift from one stall owner.

Things to do and see in Lake Ohrid

Lake Ohrid, one of the world oldest lakes, a UNESCO World Heritage site and of course a tourist magnet, became an unexpected short retreat for me. At first, I planned to stay one night and returned to Skopje to end my trip. I felt in love with the calm and romantic atmosphere of this lake town. Immediately I regretted that I didn’t bring with me my work laptop so I could work and do home office without cutting short my trip and go home. It was late April. The weather got warmer, but people didn’t swim in the lake yet because the water was still cold. It’s not yet summer, so tourists had not flooded in the city yet, leaving the beautiful place in complete tranquility.

– Check out Orthodox churches for which Lake Ohrid is known. There are over 365 churches; that means if you visit one church every day, you will need a year to see them all.

– Do a mini tour on a taxi boat around the lake.

– Take a boat trip to Sveti Naum.

– Do a day-trip to the self-proclaimed independent country/village of Vevcani. There is no direct bus from Ohrid; you need to go first to Struga, then take a bus from there.

– Do a 1-2 hour trip to Struga, Ohrid’s sister city on the other side of the lake, the home of a large Macedonian-Albanian population.

Food

Similar to Kosovo, eating well is also affordable in Skopje. Whenever I’m in the former Yugoslavia countries, I ate only burek (Balkan pies) and cevapi (Balkan kebab). These delicious Balkan pies have different variations: meat, cheese, spinach or potatoes though in Macedonia you will find mostly meat or cheese. You probably won’t find anywhere in Europe where a meal in a proper restaurant in the old Turkish bazaar serving two portions of cevapcici, a Greek salad, and soda costs only 260 dinars/€4.

Accommodation Macedonia

Visit this link to find and book cheap hotels in Skopje, Lake Ohrid or other cities in Macedonia.

Transportation

• There is no low-cost airline to Skopje. The best option is to fly to Thessaloniki, Greece (easyJet, Smartwings, Ryanair, Germanwings), Sofia, Bulgaria (Wizzair, Easyjet, Germanwings) or Pristina, Kosovo (EasyJet, Germanwings) and then take the bus to Skopje.
• There are plenty of international buses going to/from Skopje. Prices are very cheap for traveling to countries neighboring Macedonia.
• Trains are horribly slow and late in this part of Europe. My train to Belgrade took almost 10 hours, about 3 hours longer than buses. Twice I arrived more than an hour later than supposed to. On the way back to Belgrade, the late arrival caused me to miss the connecting train to Budapest. Thus I lost another 4 hours to wait for the next train.
• Skopje is not big, but it is big enough that if you don’t live near the center, you have to use public transportation.
• A taxi should not be expensive in Macedonia but do ask the locals for the prices beforehand. They might even call the cabs for you.

Sample Cost

Lake Ohrid Photos

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