Eight years have passed since our last visit to Skopje in 2015. Back then, we had just finished our final university exams and were beginning a three-week adventure through the Balkans.
The 2015 trip marked our first visit to what was then known as Macedonia. Our memories of Skopje from the first trip were dominated by the glistening array of new buildings that had sprung up along the Vardar River. Oh, and the inexplicable pirate ships.
We knew lots had changed in the intervening eight years – not least the country’s name. In 2019, the Republic of Macedonia officially became the Republic of North Macedonia, marking the conclusion of a long-running dispute with neighbouring Greece.
Skopje, too, has undergone plenty of change in the last decade. A large-scale transformation project known as Skopje 2014 was in full flow during our first visit, with much of the city centre resembling a building site. We were keen to see what further progress had been made, as well as the impact of the project in the intervening years.
From exploring the fortress to bagging some baklava, here are our recollections from a return visit to Skopje.
Arriving in Skopje
Our trip began with a three-hour delay on the flight from London Luton. By the time we landed in Skopje, it was 22.30 and the airport was beginning to wind down for the night.
Helpfully, the last airport bus to Skopje city centre left two hours earlier. So, we were left with no choice but to shell out for a taxi to our hotel. The fixed fee from Skopje Airport to the city centre is 25 euros.
On the way, our driver enthusiastically told us about the weekend’s events in the city. “You have picked a good night to arrive in Skopje!” he declared, raising his voice over the 80s power ballad blasting out from the tinny radio.
“There are free parties all over the city tonight,” he explained. “And tomorrow – the Skopje marathon! Do you run?”
We both answered with an emphatic “no,” drawing a chuckle from the driver as he weaved in and out of the traffic.
When we arrived outside our accommodation – a small boutique hotel in central Skopje – we could hear the thumping bass of a nearby concert. Our taxi driver parked up and bid us a warm farewell before making a beeline for the music.
After checking in and dropping our bags in the room, we decided to follow the sound of the nearby concert. It didn’t take us long to find a small stage under the Porta Macedonia arch.
A small orchestra accompanied a pair of enthusiastic vocalists. The crowd – perhaps a couple of thousand strong – occasionally joined in with popular songs. The smell of grilled sweetcorn floated through the warm evening air. Macedonian flags fluttered in the cool evening breeze. We had arrived.
A walking tour of Skopje
After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we set off to join Zoran’s excellent Free Walking Tour. For anyone new to North Macedonia, we highly recommend booking a place – it’s the perfect way to become acquainted with the city and is one of the best things to do in Skopje.
When we arrived for the 3-hour tour, we were struck by how many nationalities were represented among our group. There were 25 of us, and we came from all over the world – from Germany and Britain to Brazil and Australia.
Indeed, Skopje felt far more open to tourism than our last visit in 2015. As we followed Zoran around the city, we couldn’t help but notice several other large tour groups exploring the sights.
The tour began on Phillip II Square, just outside the Holocaust Museum, which charts the history of Judaism and anti-semitism in Macedonia and the wider region.
We began walking through the old bazaar, stopping to admire streets packed with silversmiths and grill houses preparing dozens of bowls of sizzling Tavce Gravce, affectionately described by Zoran as Macedonian baked beans.
Eventually, we took a long break in the welcome shade of a tall, leafy tree next to the small Church of the Ascension of Jesus. This remarkable Orthodox church dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century.
At the time, Skopje was ruled by the Ottomans, so the church was built into the ground to avoid competing with the height of the nearby mosque. Inside, the carved iconostasis is exceptional and certainly worth a short visit.
After strolling back through the bazaar, we eventually crossed over the historic Stone Bridge. As we crossed the Vardar River, Zoran told us how the bridge used to be a site for executions, the most infamous of which was the killing of the Macedonian rebel Karposh in 1689.
Revisiting the results of Skopje 2014
Attention then turned to modern history as we sat on the riverbank, surrounded by the spoils of the ambitious Skopje 2014 project. From opulent government offices to an archaeological museum, Skopje 2014 was the brainchild of the government of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. The vision was to put the history of Skopje and Macedonia – as the country was officially named then – back on the map.
Whilst the project evokes a mixed reception from locals thanks to its eye-watering budget and unsubtle neoclassical and baroque designs, Zoran pointed out that it does, at least, appear to be a hit among visitors. Putting aside the pirate ships – as bizarre in 2023 as they were on our first visit – we would be tempted to agree.
The constant stream of cameras and photo shoots would suggest that these buildings and monumental – as controversial as they may be – have certainly played their part in raising Skopje’s profile.
Our tour wrapped up under the shadow of the gargantuan statue of a figure on horseback which towers above Macedonia Square. The warrior is not officially recognised as Alexander the Great, but it is widely accepted to depict him.
When we first visited, the square was a work in progress – boarded up and inaccessible. Now, under the watchful gaze of the figure who may or may not be Alexander the Great, it feels like a firmly established meeting point.
Bicycles and pedestrians crisscross the square at all times of the day and night. Cafes and restaurants (and a garish Burger King) line the square’s perimeter. In the evening, people brought speakers and musical instruments for impromptu dances and concerts. When packed with locals and visitors alike, it hardly seemed to matter whether the nearby buildings were garishly neoclassical, brutalist or even crumbling to pieces. The people make the place.
Hunting for kebapi in Skopje’s old bazaar
When we started planning our latest trip to the Balkans, it didn’t take long before we started to reminisce about the food.
There were two dishes in particular that kept coming up. The first was burek, the devilishly greasy pockets of filopastry stuffed with meat or cheese. Burek flies off the shelves each morning at every bakery – the perfect breakfast or lunchtime snack.
The second dish that we were craving was ćevapi- or kebapi, as it is known in North Macedonia. You can find these slabs of grilled mince meat all over the Balkans. They are typically served in portions of five or ten and come with a side salad and a hearty portion of fresh bread.
We found a place tucked away under the concrete steps near the entrance to the bazaar. There was only one free table outside – usually a good sign. Smoke from the kitchen billowed out of the wonky metal chimney above the restaurant, filling the air with the irresistible scent of grilled kebap. We claimed the last table and waited.
The service was friendly and fast. Within a few minutes, our table was filled with kebapi, bread and a plate piled high with Shopska salad. Shopska is the classic salad of the region and consists of diced tomato and cucumber buried under a generous layer of grated white cheese. This would be the first of many Shopska salads on our journey through North Macedonia.
We wolfed it all down, watched jealously by a one-eyed black cat who prowled between the tables looking for scraps.
How to find our kebapi stop: You can find Kebapcilnica Rio 1990 here. There are tables inside and outside.
Returning to Skopje’s historic fortress
High on a hill above the old bazaar, Skopje’s Kale – or fortress – is a symbol of the city. The Kale’s story began in the 6th century and it remained an important strategic hub for the city for centuries to come.
When the devastating 1963 earthquake struck, the fortress suffered catastrophic damage. In the decades since the quake, several restoration projects have attempted to repair the fortress. It remains a work in progress today.
Skopje Fortress hadn’t changed much since our last visit. It looked like there had been some further restoration work, but much of the site still felt like a half-finished building site. When you think about the money spent on the opulent Skopje 2014 project, the oft-dilapidated state of the fortress seemed a little strange.
Regardless, the views from the ramparts are some of the best in Skopje. Across the valley, the forested slopes of Vodno mountain rose above the city. We could make out of the cable car that ferries visitors to the summit, where you can hike or enjoy a coffee with a view at the café next to the Millennium Cross.
Below the mountain, hundreds of tower blocks stretched towards the horizon. Storm clouds gathered and the wind picked up. As we gazed over the terracotta rooftops of the old town, the call to prayer began to echo around. We strolled quietly along the dusty footpaths before descending to the busy streets of the bazaar once more.
How to do it: Entrance to Skopje Fortress is free – simply walk up from the old bazaar.
An evening of lahmacun and baklava
We thought our lunchtime kebapi would take some beating. However, as the sun began to set, we started looking for a place to grab a quick dinner.
We passed a small Turkish restaurant with a handful of small wooden tables outside. There were one or two groups of diners already tucking in. Eventually, we chose to sit down and enjoyed a warm welcome from a gentleman called Mustafa. He explained that this is a family-run restaurant, and we felt instantly at home.
We ordered a lahmacun each. This Turkish flatbread is a perfect snack when you don’t want a full meal. Drizzled with ground meat and spices, it vaguely resembles a thin-crust pizza and comes packed with flavour.
I was unable to resist the allure of a pide, a dish which is significantly more substantial than lahmacun. Flatbread is shaped into a long oval and stuffed with cheese, spinach, spices and more ground meat.
From the moment the dishes arrived on our table, everything was irresistible. The post-meal Turkish tea also hit the spot, and we vowed to return to try more of the menu.
During our tour, Zoran suggested a couple of the best baklava shops in Skopje. We headed to find one of them, just a few metres from where we had eaten dinner. Inside, we picked out a couple of different varieties to try. The elderly gentleman behind the counter scooped out a box’s worth, each tiny square dripping in sweet honey. The sugar rush was instant and delicious – a perfect way to end the evening.
How to find our lahmajun spot: Click here for the location of MEDO.
How to find the baklava place: Click here for the location of Baklava Nexho.
Leaving Skopje: the ‘backcident’
Having been travelling together for over eight years, some of our habits and routines have never changed.
Chief among these habits is a love of an early morning wander – sunrise is our favourite time to see a place. Whether it’s a busy city or a pristine wilderness, there’s something special about seizing the day and watching somewhere come to life.
On our second morning in Skopje, I decided to shake off the sleep deprivation and take the camera out for an early morning wander. Lucy, on this occasion, had opted for an extra hour in bed.
After slipping on a pair of jeans and a jumper, I slung my camera bag over my shoulder and tiptoed towards the door. I closed it gently behind me.
Leaning down slightly, I went to check that the door handle was locked. As I stood back up, I suddenly found myself locked in place, unable to move. A sharp pain rushed through my back. This wasn’t good.
Somehow, I hobbled back through the door before collapsing in a heap on the bed. A bemused and groggy Lucy didn’t take long to realise that something wasn’t right.
We spent the next 90 minutes trying to prop me up in a variety of bizarre poses – whatever felt comfortable. Every slight movement in my arms or twist of the back brought stabbing pains.
A decision to make
We were due to catch the 11am bus to the beautiful town of Ohrid, a three-hour journey southwest of Skopje. At 7am, any hopes of making it to Ohrid were fading fast.
We were an hour and a half into the ordeal, which we had already christened as the ‘Backcident’. Eight years earlier, Lucy suffered her ‘Chincident’ when slipping on a bathroom floor in Ohrid and whacking her face on the sink. It seemed almost poetic that, on our return trip, I had levelled the scores of medical incidents in North Macedonia.
As we were debating whether to roll me down to the hospital, I had a breakthrough. Realising that I could find some relief from yoga stretches, I began to regain some mobility. Eventually, after half an hour of stretching at a glacial pace, we decided to try and hobble down to breakfast.
With limited movement in my left shoulder, navigating the platter of pastry, olives and cheese was an amusing ordeal. Thankfully, however, the combination of food and caffeine seemed to do the trick.
By the time we got upstairs, the back pain had subsided enough that we resolved to risk the bus. Sure, I couldn’t really move much and Lucy still needed to tie my shoelaces for me – but whatever works, right?
Read next: The best sunrise spot in Ohrid.
A river walk
Early in the morning is the best time to see Skopje’s hardy fishermen. Some sit patiently on the banks, lazily clasping their rods and watching the world go by.
Others leap into action the moment they arrive at the Vardar, donning heavy waterproof overalls before wading through the current towards the middle of the current. There they stand – possibly for hours – waiting for a catch.
Further down the riverbank, old bookstores still operate out of tiny wooden kiosks. The books are piled high towards the ceiling, waiting for a new home. Stall owners sit nearby, cigarette in hand, watching the world go by.
We saw all this, and more, on our slow wander to Skopje bus station. Still nursing a throbbing pain in my back, our leisurely pace gave us the time to appreciate all the little scenes of everyday life along the banks of the river.
Before long, our route to the buses took us onto a busy main road. We knew we were heading in the right direction as soon as we spotted the slow procession of wheeled suitcases, overloaded laundry bags and the occasional backpacker making a beeline for the large concrete complex that serves as Skopje’s train and bus station.
As we approached, a handful of taxi drivers gave half-hearted shouts of ‘Taxi?’ before returning to their conversation. We took one last glimpse back towards Skopje before walking through the doors to find our bus to Ohrid.
Read next: Our guide to the brilliant Širok Sokak street in Bitola.
How we did it
Accommodation: We stayed at the Hotel London, a mid-range hotel in the heart of Skopje. The room was very comfortable and the staff were extremely friendly. We would happily recommend it. Rooms from £56 a night, including breakfast.
Flights: Wizz Air flies from London Luton to Skopje.
Getting around: Skopje’s city centre is best navigated on foot. There is a local bus network if you want to explore beyond the city centre – you can buy tickets from the driver.
Currency: The currency in Macedonia is the Denar. You can make withdrawals from most ATMs using international cards.