Stobi

Stobi (Стоби) is the largest archaeological site in North Macedonia, set where the Crna Reka joins the Vardar in the centre of the country. On the ancient road between the Danube and the Aegean, it grew from a Paeonian settlement into a Roman municipality and later the capital of the province of Macedonia Secunda, until earthquakes and invasions emptied it in late antiquity.

The excavated city spreads over a gentle slope above the rivers. A Roman theatre cut into the hillside, paved streets, baths and the remains of wealthy town houses with colourful floor mosaics can be explored on foot. The Episcopal Basilica, with a baptistery whose mosaic floor shows peacocks and deer drinking from a vessel, is one of the earliest major Christian sites in the region, and several further basilicas and a synagogue have been uncovered. Show more

Stobi lies at the edge of the Tikveš region, the country's main wine area, where vineyards cover the hills around Kavadarci and Negotino and wineries offer tastings of local varieties such as Vranec. Lake Tikveš and the Demir Kapija gorge are close, and Kavadarci celebrates the grape harvest with a wine carnival in early autumn.

Stobi is reached by the motorway between Skopje and the Greek border, about an hour from Skopje. Half a day suits the site, and it combines well with a stay in the wine region. Spring and autumn are ideal, as the site has little shade in summer.