7 Cool Things to do in Skopje, Don’t Miss #6!

Things to do in Skopje?  I guarantee Becky in Accounting has never heard of Skopje. 

Well, Skopje (pronounced SCOPE-yeh) is the capital of the newly named country of NORTH Macedonia 

by Worldwide Wilbur September 2019

First impressions of the city are:  friendly, charming, full of wide open pedestrian-only spaces to enjoy, with some very unusual architecture.  The center of the city, Macedonia Square, was completely rebuilt by the “Skopje 2014 Project” at a cost of up to 700 million dollars, a huge expenditure for one of the poorest countries in Europe.  Today, the city center is filled with massive columned stately government buildings, an absurd number of statues, and even a huge old-timey pirate ship, permanently moored in the river as a hotel.  Everything you see is brand new, and prosperous looking, though often incongruent and out-of-place.  

The “Macedonia Naming Dispute”

To understand why all these massive statues suddenly got built here, it’s important to understand the naming dispute.  I don’t want to embroil myself in the contentious politics of this or take a side.  Long story short: 

By the year 323 B.C. a guy named Alexander the Great had conquered most of the known world.  He came from a region of what is today mostly northern Greece called Macedonia.  Millions of Greek people today trace their lineage and ethnicity back to this ancient Kingdom of Macedonia as a pre-cursor to the ancient Greek Hellenistic civilization and the modern nation of Greece.

As you can see in this map, about 80% of the Ancient Kingdom of Macedonia was in what is today Greece, and 20% was in what is today North Macedonia.

In September of 1991 the country of Yugoslavia was falling apart with both Slovenia and Croatia declaring independence, and the so the “Republic of Macedonia” also declared independence from what remained.  The Greek government immediately objected to the name of the new country, as they claimed Macedonia was appropriating a culture and heritage that is Greek, and not Slavic or Albanian, the two ethnicities that make up most of North Macedonia today.

So, the country name was initially changed to the unwieldy “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” or “FYROM” in all official international forums.  Still, Greece effectively blocked the FYROM from any attempt to join the European Union or NATO until a national name acceptable to both parties had been decided.  In retribution, a pro-nationalist Macedonian government decided to take their claim of Macedonian history into overdrive with the massive expenditures of Skopje 2014, building a hundred statues of ancient Macedonian heroes.

Finally, after 25 years of arguing, on February 12, 2019 the nation became known as North Macedonia.  It seems everyone in both countries were equally dissatisfied, which was the most anyone could hope for.

Today, everyone here still refers to themselves as Macedonians, but the giant statue in Freedom Square is officially called “The Warrior on a Horse” even though he is obviously meant to be Alexander The Great.

7 Cool Things to do in Skopje:

#1 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Walk around the city center counting statues.

One of the best things to do in Skopje is the Free Skopje Walking Tour  They go twice a day at 10am and 5pm.  If you are here on a day trip or are looking for day tours, choose this tour.  Our guide was Vasko, and he was truly fantastic.  Full of knowledge and jokes, we learned a lot about his country in just a short time.  He explained the reasons for each statue we passed, and told us what goes on behind every giant columned new building.  He was old enough to remember the days of Yugoslav Socialism, describe the war years, and explain the controversy about the country name.  He showed us the Mother Teresa Memorial House, and explained how she grew up in Skopje.  His tour was the best part of our visit.

#2 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Shop the Old Bazaar

Among the largest Turkish bazaars in all of Europe, second to only the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, this fine example of an Ottoman marketplace has cobblestone streets, and feels like stepping back 100 years in time.  Smells of meat grilling, shopkeepers calling out to passers by, and coffee mugs clinking fill the air.  In the evenings shops close up and bars and restaurants start to fill.  Try the Hotel Arka‘s top floor cafe for a nice view at sunset.

#3 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Scramble around on the Kale Fortress

Right next to the bazaar is Skopje’s ancient fortress, called the Kale (Turkish word for Fortress)  It sits on the highest point in the city.  First built in the 6th century, it’s been rebuilt many times, and the interior today is mostly ruins.  Entry is free, and the views can’t be beat.

#4 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Hunt for Brutalist Architecture

In 1963 a terrible earthquake leveled 80% of  the city, made 200,000 homeless, and killed over a thousand people.  The entire city needed to be rebuilt and Brutalist architecture was at its peak of popularity.  Dozens of major buildings were built with raw concrete facades, unpainted, with unusual shapes and angles.

#5 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Get outside the city

After a full day in Skopje, we were ready to get out into nature, so we signed up for the Vodno Mountain and Matka Canyon Tour.  For $28 per person, we got out of town to a couple of relaxed nature views.  We started at 1pm and had a ride in a van to Mount Vodno.  We rode the cable car up to Millennium Cross on arrival, and enjoy panoramic views back across Skopje from one of the biggest Christian crosses in the world.

#6 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Scale Vodno Mountain

Erecting a massive Christian cross that lights up at night and is visible from everywhere in the city, even though 25% of your countrymen are ethnic Albanian non-Christians, is such a perfectly Balkan thing to do.  I can’t imagine why there have been so many wars in the region? 

After taking the cable car back down Vodno Mountain we continued to the mountain village of Gorno Nerezi and visited a small 12th-century Orthodox church.

#7 Cool Things to do in Skopje: Cruise the Lake in Matka Canyon

Next, we drove way out of the city Canyon Matka.  You can do a number of things in this gorgeous canyon.  For just a few dollars you can take a boat trip into the Vrelo cave.  You can walk along the canyon for a couple miles. There is a rock climbing wall, where you can rent gear and try scale the canyon wall.  Or, you can just sit and have a meal at a waterside restaurant and watch the boats go by.

Cool Things to do in Skopje- What to Know Before You Go:

Backpacker Daily Budget: 

$26 a day. It’s really cheap in Macedonia.  You can get a bed at City Hostel for just $6. Three budget meals should cost around $12. Two bus, trolley or tram rides add up to $1.50. Three big beers will set you back $6.

Cheap Beer Index:

$1.43 – For just 80 Denars, you can find a cold bottle of Skopsko (I swear that’s what the label reads.  It’s in Cyrillic).  Actually, I’m sure you can find it even cheaper than this, but that’s the best price I saw at the downtown bars.

When to visit Skopje:  

The best time to visit Skopje is in summer.  June, July, August and early September have highs in the 80s, and lows in the 50/60s.  December, January and February only get into the 40s. Rainfall is about the same year-round.

What languages are spoken in Skopje?  

Macedonian is the primary national language spoken by 65% of the population, with Albanian also having official status and spoken by 25%.  Macedonian is a South Slavic language nearly identical to Bulgarian. Younger people may speak English also, as it is now taught in schools.  I found English to be much less common than in neighboring Serbia.

Do you need a North Macedonian visa?

Visas are not required for nationals of USA, UK, Australia, and Canada.  You can stay for 90 days out of a 180 day period visa-free.

How to Get to Skopje:

Skopje International Airport (SKP) is 9 miles south east of the city.  It serves cities all over Europe as well as Dubai, UAE and Hurghada, Egypt.  It is one of the hubs for Wizz Air, which often has the best fares. Learn how to get to Skopje for free on my page How to Fly For Free

The Skopje Central Bus Station is located a 20 minute walk southeast of the center of Old Town.  You can easily catch buses to Kosovo, Serbia, Greece, Albania, and Bulgaria.

Getting around Skopje:

Taxi is pretty much your only option to and from the airport.  There is a big sign outside the airport that lists the exact set fare to all nearby locations.  Downtown Skopje was listed at 1220 Denars ($22) and that is exactly what our driver asked for at the end.  (It’s very unlikely your taxi will be a Lada or a Yugo, but there are still some on the road!)

Walking is all you need to get around most of this compact city.

Local Currency and how to get it:

North Macedonian Denar (55 MKD = $1 as of July 2019) are available at numerous ATMs.    For more info on your cash-versus-credit card options when travelling, check out my post Should I Exchange Money Before I Travel?

Mobile Phone Service in Skopje:

North Macedonia has two networks that offer pre-paid SIM cards for tourists, but only one with 4G/LTE.  The registration of the prepaid subscribers is required, so bring along your passport.  For more info on your telecom options, check out my post Get The Best International Phone Plan

• Makedonski Telekom (aka T-Mobile or Telekom) is #2 operator with 48% share.  It is the ONLY provider that offers 4G/LTE for pre-paid SIM cards.  Its SIM card is sold in their stores for 399 MKD with unlimited calls, 100 SMS and 100 MB data included. They also sell a prepaid surf card with data only for 499 MKD. It comes with 5 GB internet for one month.  Top-up vouchers are available from 100 MKD in lots of stores.
• VIP has pre-paid SIM cards for tourists that only function at 3G speeds.

If you have a European SIM,  be aware that North Macedonia is neither part of the EU, nor of the EEA, so roaming rates on European SIM cards are not capped or regulated in the country and can therefore be much higher. Better buy a local SIM card instead.

Where to stay in Skopje:  

Lodging is very cheap in Skopje.  You can get amazing deals and save money on hotel rooms and apartments.  If you consider AirBnB’s the Debar Maalo section of town is lovely.

Cheapest Good Hostel – City Hostel has dorm beds for just $6!  It’s only a ten minute walk from the city center, and has lots of comfy outdoor garden seating.

Best Cheap Hotel/Apartment – Hotel RM has single rooms with shared bathroom for just $14.  You get a TV, and A/C.

Better Cheap Hotel – Calla Bella Residence has single rooms with bathroom, TV, and AC for $22.  It’s perfectly located a stones throw from the Warrior on a Horse.

Best Hotel in Town – Skopje Marriott has fancy rooms for $130 and up.  Literally right on Macedonia Square.

Skopje Nightlife: 

I would characterize Skopje nightlife as….chill.  It’s a far cry from crazy Belgrade.  But it is a little better than in neighboring Albania or Kosovo.  There are lots of subdued bars downtown among the massive statues.

We enjoyed Kolektiv- Craft Brewery Temov, right smack in front of Alexander the Great.  Great beer, rocking 80’s pop, and decent people watching.

Later on we visited Irish Pub St Patrick, your basic “Irish pub in a box” that every city on earth seems to have.  It’s busy and on the riverfront with nice views of the bridges all lit up.

Finally, we ended the night at Havana Summer Club.  This big outdoor venue next to the Skopje Zoo hosts live music several nights a week.  They had a kick-ass rock band the Wednesday night we were there.  Great bands, cheap beers, under the stars! 

Get a guidebook:

The best guidebook, actually the ONLY guidebook that focuses on North Macedonia is the North Macedonia – Bradt Travel Guide .  Bradt guides are so well researched and extensive.  They cover the history and culture.

What to pack:

You can wear the same clothes you’d wear anywhere in Europe.  To learn how to pack light and be prepared for anything, check out my post International Travel Packing List: All In a Carry-On!

Is Skopje safe?

North Macedonia is very safe.  It has an annual murder rate of 1.5 per 100,000 people.  That puts it on par with Belgium and Canada, and much safer than the USA’s rate of 5.3.

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