Macedonia is not someplace I anticipated visiting until a dear friend of mine, Gwen, became a Peace Corps Volunteer there. She sent me pictures and told me stories, and after looking up some potential plane tickets, stumbled upon a ticket that allowed me to add 4 days in Macedonia onto my strange open-jaw from Kyrgyzstan to Germany and back for – get this – only 20 Euros.
Now, we’re going to ignore the fact that Turkish Airlines cancelled my flight twice and then left me marooned overnight without food or shelter in Munich on New Year’s Eve, and cut straight to Skopje.
Skopje is interesting. Skopje is beautiful. I arrived in the evening, and after dropping my bags off at the conveniently located Shanti Hostel, set off for a nice walk along the river through the central area of the city with the bright lights illuminating many new buildings, bridges, statues, and monuments.
Macedonia is at an interesting point in its history, now a quarter century after the fall of communism. With its spectacular new-build buildings and large collection of statues linking the modern state to the legacy of Alexander the Great (the most famous Macedonian), Macedonia is working hard to define itself and what it means to be a citizen of Macedonia. As someone who was only there for 72 hours, I can’t make any claim to understand what is going on. But it’s very interesting to see even briefly.
Skopje has a vibrant cityscape with many delicious restaurants and fun pubs. I got to try a Macedonian staple the night I arrived: french fries with white cheese (it is very similar to Turkish beyaz peynir and Greek feta cheese). It sounds strange, but it was spectacularly delicious. This cheese is used in a variety of dishes, and we also ate it fried and by itself. Macedonia definitely wins for its cheese!
At the heart of Skopje is Macedonia Square, with what must be the world’s largest statue of Alexander the Great, lovingly nicknamed “big Al” by some expats there. An ancient stone bridge faces it, a beautiful historical artifact that leads towards the Skopje castle and the old bazaar from the Ottoman era.
Ottoman history is inexorably intertwined with Macedonian history. Mosques and churches have some architectural cues taken from the Byzantine church’s style (the style originated by the Aya Sofia in Istanbul). The Church of St. Clement in downtown Skopje is a wonderfully modern take on this style, which happens to be one of my favorite architectural styles in the world.
The morning after I arrived, I hopped on a big bus from Skopje to the distant village of Berovo in the far east of the country. The landscape of hills and villages is very picturesque, and the eastern part of the country reminds me greatly of Provence. When we stepped off the bus in Berovo, I couldn’t help but think that I had landed in a Provençal village or a hill town in Tuscany; the combination of landscape, architecture, and the lively village square with its cafes and clock tower made this comparison quite apropos.
We enjoyed an excellent local beer and the Macedonian version of a Turkish Pide for lunch, relaxing on the terrace of a restaurant under a heat lamp and enjoying watching people out for their weekend strolls. We joined them shortly thereafter as the sun began to dip on the horizon.
For dinner, we got a massive sampler platter at Restaurant MRS, which I am told is one of the best restaurants in all of Macedonia. The food didn’t disappoint, either; fried cheese, chicken, stuffed mushrooms, differently fried cheese, and more. My dining buddy can attest that I was euphoric the entire time. Seriously, Macedonian food is one of my most exciting food discoveries since Turkish food.
Berovo continues its charm after dark, with a very lively chain of bars and restaurants playing host to the town’s young people, with reasonably priced beer and cocktails and big crowds, particularly given the town’s small population. There’s even a discotheque for the more dancing-inclined.
The first snow of the winter fell overnight, and left the next day a winter wonderland of sorts. This town seriously oozes charm from its every pore. But, with my time short, it was back on the bus to Skopje, which had its own snowfall in the meantime.
With several friends we headed to a local staple for lunch, where we ate even more Macedonian food and sampled the national drink, rakija, which is a cognac-like spirit which goes down with a delicious blend of flavor and fire.
For my last night in Macedonia, we once again wandered around Skopje in the beautiful snow, poking our head in and around a few other sights, including several monuments to Mother Teresa, who is originally from Skopje.
I was so lucky that I was able to visit such an unexpectedly magnificent country, and I’m sad that I only gave myself 72 hours. Next time, I’ll definitely be staying for longer.
Getting There
Macedonia is served by several major airlines, including Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air Lines (which is owned by Lufthansa), Alitalia, Croatian Airlines, and others. There are also overnight buses to and from Istanbul and neighboring countries. Skopje is connected to Kosovo, Serbia, and points north via a train to Belgrade, and south to Thessaloniki, Greece. It is also possible to cross in from Sofia, Bulgaria.
I had massive issues with Turkish Airlines repeatedly cancelling my flight due to low bookings, so I cannot in good faith recommend them for this particular route – their customer service was ABYSMAL to begin with, made much worse when a snowstorm shut down their Istanbul hub.
Getting Around
Getting from point A to B in Macedonia by public bus was pretty easy, and downtown Skopje is completely walkable. The airport is connected to the Skopje bus and train station by a reasonably priced bus called Vardar Express that operates from about 7 am until 9 pm. Otherwise, taxis can take you as well.
Where To Stay
Skopje has a Holiday Inn in the centre, but more budget minded travelers should check out the wonderful Shanti Hostel, which has comfortable beds, showers, washers, and dryers, for very reasonable prices. I felt so wonderfully welcome and at home there, and I can’t wait to stay there again. There are several spectacularly located eco-resorts that are very reasonably priced.
Language and Culture
Macedonians are wonderfully friendly and welcoming, and will appreciate a small effort to speak Macedonian. Macedonian is a Slavic language somewhat similar to Russian (many Macedonians understand Russian, and Russian speakers will be able to read most Macedonian), while still being quite different, and is available in Google Translate for those inclined to memorize a few phrases before arrival. Albanian and Turkish are also spoken in many areas, both also available in Google Translate.
It may have only been 72 hours, but I can’t wait to go back again.