Skopje

Skopje (Скопје) is the capital of North Macedonia and the country's gateway, set on both banks of the Vardar beneath the wooded slopes of Mount Vodno. Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans all ruled here, an earthquake in 1963 destroyed much of the city, and later decades added modernist buildings and, in the centre, a dense ensemble of neoclassical facades and statues that divides opinion.

The fifteenth century Stone Bridge links the main square, Macedonia Square, with the Old Bazaar, one of the largest Ottoman bazaars in the Balkans. Its lanes are lined with mosques such as the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, caravanserais like the Kapan Han and Suli Han, the Daut Pasha Hamam, now an art gallery, and the workshops of coppersmiths and goldsmiths. Above the bazaar rises the Kale fortress, and the Church of the Holy Saviour holds a finely carved iconostasis. The Memorial House of Mother Teresa, who was born in Skopje, recalls the city's most famous daughter. Show more

A cable car climbs Mount Vodno to the Millennium Cross, with views over the city and the mountains. Matka Canyon with its lake, cliffs and medieval monasteries lies half an hour away, and the frescoed church of Saint Panteleimon at Gorno Nerezi is a masterpiece of Byzantine painting. In the bazaar's restaurants, tavče gravče, baked beans, ajvar, a roasted pepper relish, burek and grilled kebapi are served, alongside wines from the Tikveš region.

Skopje has the country's main international airport and bus connections across the Balkans. Two or three days suit the city and its surroundings, and it is the starting point for a round trip through the country. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons, while summers are hot and winters can be cold and foggy.