Cities

Berovo


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Berovo is a small town in the eastern part of Macedonia, near the Maleshevo Mountain, on an elevation of 986m above the sea level. It is located 52km from the city of Strumica, the agricultural center of the country. Berovo has around 7000 inhabitants and the majority is Orthodox Christians.  Berovo represents the purest “air bath” with the highest concentration of oxygen in the Balkan Peninsula, with an average annual temperature of 11, 1 ◦ C. Seven kilometers from the town you can discover the breathtaking view over the artificial Berovo Lake and the beautiful pine and breech forests offering variety of different activities for the visitors, such as hiking, walking, hunting and sport fishing. The symbol of the town is the famous sheepfolds offering the famous Berovo cheese tasting. Many travellers from all over the world recently discovered and enjoy the silence and the beauty of the attractive nature of this town and if you would like to move away from the noisy city, Berovo is the right destination to do it.

Bitola


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Bitola is the second largest city in Macedonia after the capital, located in the southwestern part of the country, 14km from the Greek border, on an elevation of 576m above the sea level. It has around 80.000 inhabitants and the majority is Orthodox Christians. Bitola, known as well as Manastir meaning “monastery”, is a cultural, educational and religious center in Macedonia.  Many periods during history contributed to the importance of this city. Today, Bitola is known as the “city of consuls” due to the great significance of the city during the Ottoman Empire. The city of the piano is one of the denominations for the city as well, especially for the aristocracy that used to live in it. Its image was changing as the history was writing stories on its soil. Bitola is connected to the name of the well known Turkish reformer Mustafa Kemal Atatürk where he finished the Military Academy, and today the building is the seat of the National Museum. Bitola used to be one of the three cities in the country that can reveal the history of the Macedonian Jews with the largest Jewish community in the past. It is the city where the Francophonie has started its influence. One of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Macedonia, Heraclea Lyncestis, is one of the most visited attractions in this city. In Bitola you can experience the different historical periods, you can feel the atmosphere of the famous pedestrian and always crowded street “Shirok Sokak” and enjoy the beautiful and authentic architecture, which will leave you speechless.

Krushevo


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Krushevo is located on an altitude of 1350m and it is the highest town on the Balkan Peninsula. It has around 6.000 inhabitants and the majority of the population is Christian Orthodox. The town fascinates with its simplicity and beauty shown through the well-preserved architecture and the typical style of the houses and even the famous well-known French architect, Le Corbusier, was fascinated by its attractiveness. One of the most important events in the Macedonian history, the Ilinden Uprising in 1903 is connected to the story of this town. The “Ethno-Town Project” held in Krushevo every year on 2 of August is becoming the symbol of the Macedonian revolutionaries fighting for freedom against the Ottoman Turks. This is the event that during the history led to the foundation of the first Republic on the Balkan Peninsula, The Republic of Krushevo, which lasted no longer than 10 days, days of freedom during the 5 centuries Ottoman oppression. This is the town of origin of many notable people who are remembered in the Macedonian history and art. For the lovers of alternative tourism, there are exceptional conditions for paragliding and we must emphasize the importance of the European Paragliding Championship. If you want to taste the delicious Macedonian coffee with the sweet local specialty well known as “lokum”, Krushevo is the right place to do it.

Ohrid


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Ohrid is located in the southwest part of Macedonia, on the shores of the Ohrid Lake, one of the oldest lakes in the world, on an elevation of 695m, above the sea level. The city has around 50.000 inhabitants and the majority are Christian Orthodox. In the antiquity known as Lychnidos, or “The City of Light”, Ohrid is a never-ending story that has begun in the prehistory and lasts through many periods up to the present.  Many civilizations left their traces on the soil of this magnificent city. After the Slavic colonization, the city will get Slavic features and today, the official name of the city derives from the Slavic words “vo hrid”, meaning “on a hill”, since the old town of Ohrid stands on a hill. Ohrid is the center of spiritual culture, the city of 365 churches, it is the Jerusalem on the Balkans, the leading center of Slavic cultural and literary activity whose patron is St. Clement, the creator of the Cyrillic alphabet who founded the first Slavic University in the 9th century. Today, Ohrid is a major tourist center in the Republic of Macedonia. Due to the universal, cultural, historical and natural value and significance, the city in 1980 and the Ohrid Lake in 1979 was accepted as cultural and natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Ohrid is one of only 28 sites that are part of UNESCO’s World Heritage that are cultural as well as natural sites.

Prilep


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Prilep or the “city under the Marko’s Towers”, the last Macedonian King, is located in the northern Pelagonia plain, in southern Macedonia, on an elevation of 620m above the sea level. It has approximately 66.000 inhabitants and the majority is Christian Orthodox. On a cultural level, it is a very important city. There are several churches and monasteries where you discover the spiritual life of the population through different periods, an incredible fresco painting and the life inside the monastery today presented by the monks or the nuns who devoted their lives to God. The oldest settlement in the city is called “Varosh” and it is located in the foot of the “Marko’s Towers”, an archaeological locality that was proclaimed to be a Monument of nature in 2006. The view over the Towers located on a 120-180m high hill and the spectacular miracle of nature, the granite stones, complete the beauty of the city. Prilep is also known as the city of marble and tobacco. We must not forget the brewery offering two popular types of beer “King Marko” and “Golden Oak”, especially during the famous Beer Festival in summer. The city is proud equally of the Art Colony founded in 1957, the oldest on the Balkan Peninsula and most probably in southeastern Europe. The diversity of the city will leave you many unforgettable souvenirs if you decide to visit it.

Skopje


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Skopje is the capital and the largest city in the Republic of Macedonia located in the north of the country on an elevation of 240m above sea level. It is situated in the center of the Balkan Peninsula and halfway between Belgrade and Athens. The capital has around 500.000 inhabitants and the majority is Christian Orthodox. Skopje is the cultural, educational, political and economic center in the country. During the Roman times was named Scupi, meaning “observer” related to its position on a high place from which the whole place could be observed. Many civilizations left their traces in the city and its remarkable environment. Skopje will always stay remembered as the “city of solidarity” when many nations were donating to rebuilt the city after the devastating earthquake in 1963. Today, Skopje is known as “city of monuments”, as a result of the controversial project “Skopje 2014” that changed the entire look of the city center. Macedonia’s longest river Vardar that flows in the Aegean Sea divides the city into two parts, the oriental - inherited from the Ottoman Empire and occidental - that includes the modern features of the city. The symbol of Skopje, the famous Stone Bridge that resisted all the misfortunes of the city, is the communication between these separated worlds. Experiencing the Muslim part of the city means walking through the narrow cobbled streets, getting familiar with the cradle of the traditional crafts, visiting the monuments from the Ottoman period or simply tasting the delicious Macedonian and Turkish cuisine. Modern Skopje means the noise of the crowded pedestrian street “Macedonia”, the square “Macedonia” dominated by the highest statue of Alexander the Great, the marble plaque showing the birthplace of Saint Teresa of Calcutta and the Memorial House dedicated to her life and the numerous cafes and restaurants of all types.

The capital is the religious center in the country where the seat of the Macedonian Orthodox Church is located. The Millennium Cross, situated on the top of the Vodno Mountain and accessible by cable car, was constructed to serve as a memorial of 2000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and the world. Skopje includes all the variety of the country. It is a real mosaic of different cultures and religions and together with its environment, deserves to be visited.

Struga


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Struga or the “City of poetry” as a result of the prestigious event “Struga poetry evenings”, is located in the southwest part of Macedonia, on the shores of the Ohrid Lake and an elevation of 693m above the sea level. The city has around 16.000 inhabitants and the majority is Christian Orthodox. The most remarkable thing about this city is its environment, a real mosaic of different cultures. It is the city where the two main religions are crossing, the Christianity represented by the daily life and the customs of the Macedonians and the Islam represented by the daily life and the customs of the Albanians and the Macedonian Muslims. Despite this cultural diversity, the symbol od Struga is the river “Black Drim” that flows into the Adriatic Sea. This city, known during the antiquity as Enchalon meaning “eel”, is going to reveal you the secret about the mysterious journey of this fish from the Ohrid Lake to the Sargasso Sea. Getting familiar with the natural and cultural beauty of the city will leave great mementos during your trip.

Strumica


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Strumica is located in the southeastern part of Macedonia in the fertile valley of Strumica, and on an elevation of 230m above the sea level. It is situated on 45km from the most congested border crossing in the direction to Greece and 22kkm from the border crossing in the direction to Bulgaria. The city counts around 54.000 inhabitants and the majority is Christian Orthodox. Strumica is the agricultural center in the country, which means fresh and delicious fruit and vegetable, especially the famous Macedonian red pepper used for the preparation of the Macedonian sauce known as “ajvar”, served in every restaurant in the country. The cultural symbol of the city is the manifestation Strumica Carnival, a member of the International Association of Carnival Cities. Strumica Municipality is one of the few municipalities in Macedonia which has great potential, regarding the geothermal water. The locality of the Health Spa Bansko is the only health spa on the Balkan Peninsula that is used continuously from the Roman times up to the present. Surrounded by the attractive landscapes of the mountain Belasica where you can admire the beauty of the tallest waterfall in the country and the beautiful rural environment where two of the most important monasteries in the country are located, the Vodoca Monastery with monks and Veljusa Monastery with nuns, the surface area with arable land where you can get familiar with the life of the farmers, contribute to experience Strumica in many ways that will make you want to visit this Macedonian city again.

Tetovo


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Tetovo is located in the northwestern part of Macedonia surrounded by the beautiful Shar Mountain and the second highest peak in Macedonia, Titov Vrv on an altitude of 2 748m. The city itself is situated on an elevation of 468m above sea level. Despite the beautiful landscapes, this mountain is one of the best ski centers in the country. Tetovo has become the unofficial center of the Albanian minority in Macedonia and together with the neighboring villages of the city, the Albanians are forming the majority of the population in the Tetovo Municipality. This city has a different spirit where Islam is represented with all its features, especially since the city was the center of the armed conflict in 2001 between the Macedonian Army and the Albanian National Liberation Army that led to the signing of the Ohrid Agreement. The cultural symbol of Tetovo is the famous Decorated Mosque, originally built in 1438. The distinguishing feature of this monument of culture is the painted decorations, the geometric and floral ornamentation and the representation of the most important cities for the Islam religion, particularly the illustration of Mecca, unique in South-East Europe. The Arabati Baba Tekke and the history of the Bektashi Order in Macedonia is one more thing that makes this city different from the rest of the country.

After your day of visits, you can enjoy the delicious “tavce gravce” of Tetovo, one of the best Macedonian specialties, served in a traditional way.