Macedonia is a country of nature, the cradle of culture, home to the greatest commander in human history, Alexander the Great, and birthplace of Mother Teresa. It is a crossroads of civilizations, a unique blend of ancient and modern, offering a rich multicultural experience. The beauty of Macedonia and all it has to offer can be experienced year round.
In less than an hours drive from the capital city of Skopje, one can enjoy medieval monasteries, churches, mosques, vineyards, bazaars, hiking, and skiing.
A major landmark in Macedonia’s capital city Skopje is the medieval fortress overseeing the city center along with the Stone Bridge over the river Vardar, both dating from the time of the Byzantium emperor, Justinian Primus, when Macedonia was the leading province of the Eastern Roman empire. The Stone Bridge was built by the Turks on the site of a Roman bridge. The bridge gives access to the old part of the city where one can find the Turkish Bazaar. It is one of the best preserved examples of urban Ottoman architecture in the Balkans. Once inside the Bazaar, one can visit Daut-Pasha’s Amam (public bath, 15th century, now an art gallery), the Mustafa-Pasha’s Mosque (15th century), the Clock Tower (16th century), and Kurshumli-An (16th century).
Although Macedonia is a landlocked country, the coast of the Aegean Sea is only 250km away from the capital city of Skopje, while the country’s tourist mecca – the UNESCO-protected Lake Ohrid, is only 170km away.
Lake Ohrid is one of the world’s oldest and one of Europe’s deepest lakes. It is over 300 million years old, and has over 200 endemic species not found on any other place on the planet, including the famous delicacy, Ohrid trout. Lake Ohrid is a natural tectonic lake in the south-western part of Macedonia. The town of Ohrid, which rests by the lake, is the birthplace of the Cyrillic alphabet and Slavic literacy. Ohrid has 365 churches and monasteries – one for each day of the year. Ohrid’s gallery houses icons from the 5th and 6th centuries that have been on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. One of Ohrid’s attractions is the church St. Jovan Bigorski (St. John the Baptist) built in 1020. The iconostasis in the monastery is considered one of the most beautiful and most treasured wood-carved iconostasis in the Orthodox religion. In addition, there is also an icon dating from 1020 with supposed miraculous healing power. Lake Ohrid, with its stunning Byzantine churches, small cobblestoned streets, art galleries, fine accommodations, picturesque pebbly beaches, and lively nightlife, is a breathtaking place to visit.
In addition to its medieval churches, traditional town architecture, and Roman amphitheater, a must-see are the remains of the ancient Samuel’s Fortress that oversees the lake. The Fortress’s origins date from the time of Alexander the Great, and is one of the largest medieval fortifications to be preserved in the country.
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