A week in North Macedonia

Encrusted in the Balcan mountainous range, Macedonia is mostly a drive-by territory for many tourists, who usually focus on visiting Ohrid and Skopje as a part of roadtrips throughout the former Yugoslavian countries. However, hardly a country in Europe boasts as many architectural and ethnic diversity as this one, offering visitors Greek, Turkish and Albanian influences. One of its consequences are the numerous mosques, orthodox churches and monasteries scattered on this landlocked country.

The lively lakeshore city of Ohrid is the most obvious treat Macedonia offers, but other lesser known highlights should not be skipped. We spent a total of one week in the country, visiting the following places:

Day 0: arrival at Skopje International Airport (SKP)

Macedonia has two airports but the one in Skopje has the most connections. It’s a large hub for the European low-cost carrier Wizzair, which connects this capital with many other cities within Europe. There’s another airport in Ohrid with a few flights available, mostly seasonal, as this city is a popular summer getaway for many Northern Europeans.

We arrived at 18:00 to SKP on a Wizzair flight from Rome (Lisbon -> Rome Ciampino -> Skopje). We planned to do the trip with a rental car, as we do most of the times, and left Skopje for last. The first two nights were booked in Kumanovo, which was closer to what we wanted to visit on day 1. The chosen hotel was Harmonija, a very decent roadside hotel (cons: located in the city outskirts and unstable wifi connection in the upper floors).

• Skopje International Airport (SKP) -> Kumanovo (26km, 25min)

Day 1: Northeastern Macedonia

1.1. Stone Dolls

We woke up early to spend this day on the northeastern section of the country. The first stop was a very peculiar rock formation – “Stone Dolls” – located near Kratovo. Differences in the erodibility of the volcanic rocks in this area are the main factor behind the “dolls” creation.

• Estimated duration of visit: 30min
• Kumanovo -> Stone Dolls (48km, 52min)

1.2. Kratovo

The next stop was Kratovo itself, a very picturesque town cut in half by a small stream of water. We had something to eat here and strolled for a bit on the city centre. The city centre is charming but there’s not much to visit here, so our stop was not prolonged.

• Estimated duration of visit: 1h00
• “Stone Dolls” -> Kratovo (13km, 18min)

1.3. Lesnovo Monastery

Not far from Kratovo is the Lesnovo monastery, our next target for this day. Keep in mind that, if using Google Maps, the app suggests the shortest and quickest way, which is a dirt road. We took this road there but in reality it is very badly kept, so our advice is to take the long way there: use the route R1205 and then take the exit in Probistip to Lesnovo.

This monastery is still active nowadays, and was originally built in the 14th century. We may still find some very well preserved frescoes in its interior. Shorts and tank tops are not allowed, but at the entrance there are clothes visitors can use to cover themselves. Women should also cover their heads inside the monastery.

In the vicinity of the monastery (300m down the road), you may notice some caves along the hill. Those are natural formations that used to shelter hermits centuries ago. There’s a walkway leading there you may use to see the caves.

• Approximate duration of visit: 1h
• Kratovo -> Lesnovo monastery (30km, 41min)

1.4. Kokino Megalithic Observatory

We went for a late lunch in a small village nearby, and proceeded afterwards to our last stop of the day. The megalithic observatory of Kokino is one of the most surprising places we’ve been to in Macedonia.

This bronze-age archeological site was only discovered in 2001, and it served both as an observatory and as a sacred site where ancient rituals took place. We may observe man-made dents on the rocks that marked the position of the Sun at the winter solstice, equinox, and summer solstice. The site is really interesting and worth the visit, not only for the archeological findings but also for the magnificent views it offers.

• Expected duration of visit: 1h30
• Entrance fee: 60MKD
• Lesnovo -> Kokino megalithic observatory (91km, 1h43)

From here, we went straight to Kumanovo for dinner and our second night there.

• Kokino megalithic observatory -> Kumanovo (33km, 41min)

Day 2: from Kumanovo to Ohrid

On our second day, we crossed the country from northeast to southwest. This was the longest ride of the week, but with some stops along the way.

2.1. Prilep

The first stop was Prilep, a medium-sized city in the geographical centre of the country. It’s located about halfway to Ohrid: we arrived to the city at about 10:00 and had lunch there before leaving for the next stop.

The major draw to visit the city are the impressive ruins of a medieval fortress at the top of the nearest mountain. Marko’s Towers overlook the city and the views are worth the sweat to hike there. If visiting in the summer, do it before noon and take a bottle of water as there are almost no shadows on the way up.

After the climb, we walked for a bit on the city centre, admiring its old bazaar with the beautiful clock tower and the medieval mosque that’s still waiting for restoration.

• Expected duration of visit: 3h30 (including a quick lunch)
• Kumanovo -> Prilep (138km, 1h53)

2.2. Krusevo

After lunch we continued driving west, up the mountain range where our next stop is situated. Krusevo is a fairly isolated town on a hilltop, which kept some traditional architectural features. In Winter, you may find plenty of snow activities here, but during Summer the major highlights are the urban landscape as well as the odd-looking Makedonium.

The Makedonium is a monument who pays tribute to the Ilinden Uprising, a rebellion of Macedonians against the Turks who ruled the region at the time (1903). The building has a peculiar round shape with protruded windows. In front of the monument we may find a round cement structure with colourful mosaics. The complex also features some cement and iron sculptures called “Breaking the Chains”, symbolising the victory of freedom over repression.

• Estimated duration of visit: 3h
• Prilep -> Krusevo (32km, 38min)

The last stretch of the day was from Krusevo to Ohrid, where we spent the next two nights at Art B&B.

• Krusevo -> Ohrid (120km, 1h56)

Day 3: Bitola and around

From Ohrid, we went for a day trip to Bitola, one of the oldest Macedonian cities and the second biggest city of the country.

South of the city, we can find Heraclea Lyncestis, the ruins of a settlement from the Hellenistic period. The complex is not very big but there are some well-preserved mosaics to be seen, as well as a small museum and an amphitheatre.

• Expected visiting time: 1h30
• Admission fee: 100MKD

In the city itself, you can walk the busy Shirok Sokak, a main pedestrian street filled with cafes. Here we can spot and visit the catholic cathedral of Bitola. Heading direction north, we’ll eventually arrive to Magnolia Square, a plaza featuring a statue of Phillip II of Macedonia. Further north, there’s the iconic 30-meter high clock tower on our left hand side, and Yeni mosque opposite to it.

Across the river, the lively city’s bazaar awaits. We can get lost on this maze for some time, observing the shops and watching locals in their everyday life. The market is the last highlight of the city to be seen, so we crossed the river back to Shirok Sokak to have some coffee and ice cream. We had lunch previously in the same area but there are a lot of places to eat near the bazaar too.

• Expected duration of visit: 4-5h (including lunch)
• Ohrid -> Bitola (69km; 1h11)

Day 4: Ohrid

Our objective for this day was to visit Ohrid, one of the main tourist destinations in Macedonia. You can read a detailed description of our visit here.

The city centre is not very big, so it’s doable in one day. After visiting, we drove to our next destination: Mavrovo National Park, where we stayed for another two nights at St. Moritz, a charming hotel near lake Mavrovo which also works as a restaurant.

• Ohrid -> Mavrovo (115km, 2h11)

Day 5: Mavrovo National Park

We took this day to explore lake Mavrovo and the National Park. We left the hotel and drove a few kilometres south to reach the most recognisable monument of the park.

The construction of a nearby dam created the artificial Lake Mavrovo, and the rising levels of the water submerged some buildings in the city. One of them is a the Church of Saint Nicholas, whose roof fell apart some time later. Nowadays, this church draws tourists looking for obscure landmarks. As we visited in Summer, the church was not submerged so it was possible to see it from inside.

• Expected duration of visit: 30min

This was a quick visit, so we proceeded to our next destination: a small, typical town with some great views: Galichnik. Here you can appreciate both the architecture and the sights to Debar Lake.

• Mavrovo -> Galichnik (18km, 29min)
• Expected duration of visit: 1h

We returned to Lake Mavrovo to have lunch in one of the many restaurants standing immediately north of the dam. After lunch, we went to visit the Monastery of St. John the Baptist.

• Lake Mavrovo (dam) -> Monastery of St. John the Baptist (24km, 32min)
• Expected duration of visit: 1h

Our day was complete with a small hike to the Duf waterfall, in the nearby village of Rostushe. The trail starts at the main village road, just after the small mosque in the below picture. It’s a small trail, maybe not even a kilometre long, which makes the waterfall pretty accessible.

• Monastery of St. John the Baptist -> Rostushe (4km, 8min)
• Expected duration of visit: 1h

After this small hike, we went back to our hotel in Mavrovo. We definitely enjoyed our stay here at St. Moritz. The rooms were comfortable, had a view to the lake, and the restaurant served excellent typical dishes.

Day 6: from Mavrovo to Skopje

6.1. Tetovo

This was another roadtrip day. We started the day early with a drive to the third largest city of Macedonia, Tetovo. This is a city with a huge Albanian influence, with 70% of its residents being ethnically Albanian.

It’s not the most beautiful city in the country, and our main reason to come here was to see its magnificent painted mosque. First, we went to the city’s fortress, up the hill northwest of the town. Honestly, we do not think it’s worth the time because today it’s mostly in ruins. It has good views over the city, though.

We then continued to the city centre to visit the mosque, which is very close to the river. This painted mosque has drawings both on the outside and the inside, the inside being the most impressive in our opinion. The paintings represent the names of the Prophets, the four Caliphs and Hazrat Hasani and Hussein, as well as Mecca and the towns of Anatolia.

• Expected duration of visit: 1h
• Entrance fee: there’s no entrance fee for the castle or the mosque, but you may have to tip to see the mosque from the inside
• Mavrovo -> Tetovo (54km, 1h03)

6.2. Matka Canyon

This next stop is already located near our initial departing site and last city to visit, Skopje. Matka Canyon is a great place to visit and also to have lunch, as there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Situated west of the capital, the Matka Canyon features an artificial lake (Matka Lake) where boat rides are possible. In this area we can also find some small monasteries to visit.

We kept it simple and did the boat ride up the Matka Lake, along with a visit to a natural cave. There’s also the possibility to take a sunbath and swim in the river, if time allows it. Whatever you choose to do here, make sure you stop by because this was another place we were very surprised with. Even if just visiting Skopje for a long weekend, this may be one of the best day trips from there.

• Boat ride: 200MKD
• Tetovo -> Matka Canyon (37km, 33min)

After spending our afternoon here, we headed to our last two nights in Macedonia, this time in Skopje. We chose Old Bazaar Hotel, a relatively cheap and central place, which allowed us to have dinner in the Old Bazaar of Skopje.

• Matka Canyon -> Skopje (15km, 26min)

Day 7: Skopje

We started the day by visiting the castle of Skopje, after a failed attempt to visit the Museum of Macedonia (it was closed that day). As happens with the Ohrid fortress, its walls are well preserved but the interior is mostly ruins nowadays. We can walk along the walls and soak in the views of Skopje from this advantage point.

• Estimated duration of visit: 1h

From here, we briefly visited the Orthodox Church of St. Demetrios and then went to the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, where we got a glimpse of the country’s history and understood how it became independent, after all the occupations this territory endured.

• Estimated duration of visit: 2h
• Admission fee: 300MKD

We then crossed the Vardar River to the south on the famous Kameni Most (Stone Bridge), and had lunch at Square Macedonia. After that, we tried to visit the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, but it closes really early on weekends (2pm) so we couldn’t do it. Consider going here before having lunch if you’re visiting on a weekend.

As an alternative, we went to the Archeological Museum of Macedonia. The building is huge but the museum occupies only a segment of the structure. It’s not as impressive as the Museum of Macedonian Struggle, but it also doesn’t require as much time to be visited anyway.

• Estimated visiting time: 1h
• Admission fee: 300MKD

We spent the rest of our afternoon and evening walking the streets of the Old Bazaar, sometimes entering some shops to look for souvenirs, and eventually we had dinner here, once again. It dates back to the 12th century and has since been the centre of trade and commerce of the city. The Ottoman influence is very prominent in the bazaar, showing itself in every mosque and caravanserai hidden on these streets and alleys.

And that’s it for our time in Macedonia! After a good night of sleep we came back home on a Sunday (also on Wizzair, which has the most connections in SKP airport).

If you have any questions or corrections regarding this article, please leave us a comment below and we’ll answer as soon as possible!