Best Places to Visit in Skopje and Around It

Every city has a few spots that stand above the rest, and Skopje is no exception. After spending a good chunk of time there, I have a clear sense of the places I would return to the moment I land again, the ones that really define the city and the region around it. Some are the obvious icons, and a few are the quieter corners that travellers often miss. Here is my honest ranking of the best places to visit in and around Skopje.

The Old Bazaar

The old bazaar, the Carsi, is the soul of Skopje and the first place I would send anyone. It has been a market since the fourteenth century and it still feels like one, with working craftsmen, spice stalls and old Ottoman buildings crowding every lane. I love that it is a living neighbourhood and not a museum set, and the atmosphere spills out into little courtyard cafes where the whole scene slows down over a Turkish coffee. Give it a good few hours. Explore the National Gallery in the restored Daut Pasha Hamam, follow the noise into the workshops, and do not be shy about buying something handmade. It is atmospheric, unhurried and completely unique.

Kale Fortress

High above the bazaar sits Kale Fortress, the medieval walls that have watched over Skopje for centuries. The fortress was mostly destroyed in the 1963 earthquake and is still partly a ruin, but that makes it more atmospheric, not less. I climbed up in the late afternoon and the light on the old stone was beautiful. The reason to make the climb is the view. From the walls you look down over the bazaar, across the river and over the whole city to the ring of mountains that surrounds it. It is the best panorama in Skopje, and on a clear day it simply does not quit. Wear sturdy shoes and pack water for the uphill stretch.

The Stone Bridge and Macedonia Square

Right at the centre of it all, the Stone Bridge links the old city to the new, and on one side sits the grand, statue heavy spectacle of Macedonia Square. The square is home to the colossal fountain with its bronze rider, and around it stand the many statues of the Skopje 2014 project. I found this whole area endlessly entertaining, a confident, dramatic, slightly over the top civic stage. Come back at night when the lights come on and the fountains dance to music and the whole square turns theatrical. It is a place with real personality, and you will either love it or find it absurd, and either reaction makes it worth the visit.

Vodno Mountain and the Millennium Cross

For the best views of the whole basin, take yourself up Vodno Mountain. A cable car carries you most of the way, and from the top you can hike to the glowing Millennium Cross, the tallest such cross in the world. I went up late in the day and watched the city lights switch on below me, and it stays in my memory as one of my best moments in Skopje. It is a short trip from the centre and an easy escape into the fresh air when the valley heat gets to you. The combination of a fun ride, a decent hike and a staggering view makes this an essential stop.

Matka Canyon

The most spectacular place near Skopje, and easily within reach, is Matka Canyon. A short drive from the city lands you at a deep gorge carved by the Treska River, with turquoise water, sheer cliffs and old monasteries tucked into the rock. I took a boat ride along the canyon and it was pure magic, the cliffs towering overhead and the water impossibly clear. There are hiking trails along the rim, and you can visit the medieval churches clinging to the cliff faces. It feels a world away from the city, yet it is only about half an hour from the centre. If you do one day trip from Skopje, do not let it be anything else.

Hidden Corners of the City

Beyond the headline sights, Skopje rewards those who wander. The old railway station, left as a memorial after the earthquake, has a stopped clock that marks the moment the city changed forever, and it is quietly powerful. The rebuilt banks of the Vardar River are lined with themed bridges and statues, making a riverside walk its own kind of gallery. And the daily evening promenade along the river is where the real city lives, families and friends out for a stroll, coffee in hand. My advice is to give Skopje at least two days, one for the icons and one just to wander. The best places here are the ones that find you when you stop looking for them.