Skopje Fortress – also known as Skopje Kale, after the Turkish word for fortress or castle – is one of the most popular viewpoints in Skopje.
Standing watch over the Vardar River, the fortress is just a stone’s throw from some of Skopje’s most popular spots. The Old Bazaar is just a minute’s walk away. Macedonia Square is a short stroll down the hill and across the water.
It’s little wonder that tourists and locals alike flock here in their thousands – and here’s how you can join them. Read on for your guide to visiting Skopje Fortress, the best viewpoint in the North Macedonian capital.
A brief history of Skopje Fortress
The story of the Skopje Fortress stretches back to Roman times. The general consensus is that the first fortress was constructed in the 6th century AD. It was built using materials salvaged from the nearby city of Scupi, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in the year 518.
Construction work continued at the fortress over the centuries, with the early fortress eventually succumbing to war and reconstruction. By the Medieval period, there was little evidence of the original Byzantine fortress.
By the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Skopje’s Fortress was in a state of disrepair. There was, seemingly, little interest in restoring it to any semblance of its former glory. However, the 1963 earthquake brought even more uncertainty about the Kale’s fate, with much of the city flattened. Unsurprisingly, priority was given to rebuilding homes and workplaces.
Today, there have at least been some attempts to restore sections of the fortress. Visitors can now safely walk along the outer walls, enjoying views of Skopje and the mountains beyond. However, there is still much work to be done. In fact, there is plenty of evidence of several unfinished projects standing abandoned across the fortress complex.
Despite being very much a work in progress, a trip to Skopje Fortress remains a must-do during your visit to North Macedonia’s capital.
Eating and drinking at Skopje Fortress
There isn’t anywhere to buy food and drink at the Skopje Fortress. To our surprise, we found that there were no cafes or vendors within the walls. We saw lots of people bringing their own supplies with them – from hearty picnics to bottles of beer. On a sunny afternoon, this seemed like an excellent idea.
Alternatively, there are plenty of places within a couple of minutes’ walk of the fortress. Here are three of the best:
- Engin çigköfte: A real hit among local students and backpackers. Engin çigköfte is the best place in Skopje to try çigköfte, a kofta street food from southeastern Anatolia. Other Turkish classics are available, such as lahmacun and pide. Staff speak English, Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish.
- Istanbul grillhouse: Another classic Turkish spot in Skopje’s Old Bazaar, the Istanbul grillhouse serves mouthwatering köfte in an unfussy room. An absolute favourite among local families, it’s an ideal place for an authentic, immersive meal near the fortress.
- Mon Frėre cafe: For those looking to mingle with a fashionable crowd, Mon Frėre is a popular hangout at all times of day and night. In the morning and afternoons, the dozens of outdoor tables are packed with a young crowd enjoying coffee and smoothies. In the evening, thoughts turn to cocktails, including refreshing mojitos made with various fruits.
How to get to Skopje Fortress
The best way to get to Skopje Fortress from the city centre is to walk. As an added bonus, this means that a trip to the Fortress is a great excuse to explore the Ottoman-era Old Bazaar on your way.
The quickest route from Macedonia Square is to walk directly northeast through the Old Bazaar. Here is how to do it:
- Cross the Stone Bridge, one of the ancient symbols of Skopje. On your way over the bridge, admire the views down the Vardar River. This narrow waterway is flanked by the glistening neoclassical buildings that sprung up during the 2010s. Keep an eye out for fishermen waiting patiently in the river for a catch.
- On the other side of the bridge, head past the statue of Philip II and directly up along Arhiepiskop Angelarij Street. This is one of the busiest sections of the Old Bazaar, with bars, cafes and grill houses doing a roaring trade each day. To find the entrance to Arhiepiskop Angelarij Street, look out for Engin çigköfte, which will be on the corner on your right as you walk up.
- If you can tear yourself away from the tempting food and drink, take a left at the Old Town Brewery.
- From here, a steep, narrow alley leads to a small courtyard. Weave through the haphazardly parked cars until you reach the main road on your left. By this point, you will already be able to see the walls of the fortress rising above you.
- Cross the road and follow the path into the fortress. There are a handful of signs along the way. If you are heading there during daylight, there will almost certainly be other people around – just follow the crowds, and you will eventually arrive in the fortress.
Click here for a rough map of the walking route from Macedonia Square to Skopje Fortress.
A note on parking
Coach trips will park in the small car park at the entrance to the fortress. There is usually room to park your car in the car park, but be warned. There are frequent reports of people breaking into cars that are left. Unless you have no other option but to take the car, we highly recommend that you walk, don’t drive to Skopje Fortress.
Getting into Skopje Fortress
Once you’ve arrived at the fortress, here is everything you need to know about getting in. Spoiler alert: it’s easy, and it’s free.
Skopje Fortress entry fees
There are no entry fees for Skopje Fortress. It is completely free to visit, with no ticket booth or formal entrance. You can just wander in and stroll around at leisure for as long as you like.
Skopje Fortress opening times
Skopje Fortress has no formal opening times – you can visit 24/7.
We think the best time to head to the fortress is just before sunset, when you stand the highest chance of spectacular lighting over the city and the distant mountains. However, the views are brilliant at any time of day.
Why you should visit Skopje Fortress
With plenty of brilliant things to see and do in Skopje, you would be forgiven for wondering if a trip to the fortress should be added to your packed itinerary. However, we think it’s well worth visiting the fortress during your trip to Skopje – and here’s why:
1) The views
The views of Skopje from the fortress walls are simply unbeatable, especially considering it is just a few minutes walk from the centre.
2) It’s free
Unlike other city castles and fortresses, you do not need to pay to visit Skopje Fortress. For budget travellers, this is always great news.
3) Do as the locals do
When you head to Skopje Fortress, you are just as likely to see locals relaxing in the grounds as you are to spot tourists.
People bring picnics, drinks and books. Some sit with their headphones on, enjoying the warm afternoon sun. If you have enough time, we think this would be a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours in the city on a summer’s day.
4) It’s a symbol of Skopje
Due to its storied history and iconic location, Skopje Fortress often takes pride of place on posters, souvenirs and other regalia from the city. Given its proximity to the unmissable Old Bazaar, it’s worth a short detour to see it for yourself.
Walking along the walls at Skopje Fortress
The best way to enjoy the views from Skopje’s fortress is to walk along the walls. These are easy to access and perfectly safe, providing you stick to the obvious sections.
The easiest way to access the fortress walls is via the stone steps on either side of the old towers. From here, the walls are solid, with flat sections and a few easy steps – perfect to walk along.
We think the best stretch of the walls is to the left/southeast. This section offers the best views of the Old Bazaar and central Skopje. It also gives you access to a handful of old watch towers, with wooden viewing platforms for even better views.
Note: The southeastern section of the walls does have occasional big drops to your left. There is a guardrail, but you should still take care whilst on this section. The drops also mean that once you start walking along the southeastern stretch, the only way off the walls is to return to the start.
Read next: How to catch the train from Prilep to Skopje.
8 things to see from Skopje Fortress
From distant mountains to historic bridges, here are eight things you can spot while strolling around Skopje Fortress.
1) Vodno Mountain
Towering high above Skopje, Vodno is a forested mountain that stands at 1000 metres. At its summit, the imposing Millennium Cross watches over the city. This cross is a constant figure on the horizon whenever you look north.
From the walls of Skopje Fortress, you can make out the cable car that ferries visitors to the top of Vodno. Tickets for the cable car cost 100 MKD for a return trip. The lower cable car station is a short bus journey from the city centre.
2) Macedonia Square
Macedonia Square is at the heart of the Skopje 2014 project, which saw dozens of neoclassical buildings and statues spring up across the city centre.
In the middle of the pedestrianised square, an enormous figure sits stop a powerful horse. Flanked by warriors clasping spears and lions spouting water, the statue is known as ‘Warrior on a Horse’. The unspoken, unofficial truth is widely known – this is Alexander the Great, the quintessential Macedonian hero from the 4th century BC.
3) The Mustafa Pasha Mosque
Cast your gaze away from Skopje’s modern city centre, and you will spot the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, which has stood since the 15th century. The minaret rises above the lowrise, terracotta rooftops of the Old Bazaar. When viewed against the backdrop of the distant hills, it makes for a stunning contrast to the modernist architecture to the south of the fortress.
4) The Old Bazaar
Below the minaret of the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the winding streets of Skopje’s Old Bazaar sprawl out beneath the fortress walls. Wander along the fortress walls to the southeastern edge for the best view of the rooftops sprawled beneath you.
As you look out over the streets, see if you can spot some of the area’s most iconic buildings – from the ancient caravanserai to the old hammam, which now houses the Čifte Amam art gallery.
5) Skopje’s bridges
Whilst Skopje’s two newest bridges, the ‘Art Bridge’ and the ‘Eye Bridge’, are hidden behind a row of riverside buildings, you can still spot a few of the city’s main thoroughfares over the Vardar River from the fortress.
The Stone Bridge is the most historic, with a history stretching back to the 15th century when it was constructed by the Ottomans. From the fortress walls, you can watch the steady stream of pedestrians making their way between Macedonia Square and the Old Bazaar. For the best view of the Stone Bridge, head to the southeastern corner of the walls.
Other bridges visible from the fortress include the somewhat less picturesque Goce Delchev Bridge, one of the main roads through central Skopje. The bridge is flanked by four enormous lion statues that keep watch over the passing traffic.
Read next: 13 of the best things to do in Prilep, North Macedonia’s fourth-largest city.
6) The brutalist post office
What is our favourite building in Skopje? Given the city’s vast range of architectural styles and quirky constructions, this isn’t an easy question to answer.
However, one contender for the title of Skopje’s best building is the old brutalist post office. The post office stands just a few streets northwest of Macedonia Square and is equally impressive from a distance as it is up close.
Skopje fortress offers splendid views of the entire post office complex, from the UFO-like dome, which is open to the public, to the imposing high rise that is currently home to a telecommunications company.
7) The Philip II of Macedon statue
Purported to represent Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, this gargantuan statue stands at the entrance to the Old Bazaar. Easily spotted from the walls of Skopje Fortress, the statue depicts Philip raising his fist and gazing across the Stone Bridge. Across the bridge, on the other side of the Vardar, the statue of his son, Alexander, takes pride of place in the centre of Macedonia Square.
8) The Toše Proeski Arena
Northwest of Skopje Fortress, the national stadium of North Macedonia is easy to spot from the walls. Named after famous singer Toše Proeski, who tragically died in a car crash in 2007, the stadium holds 33,000 people, with seats painted in the traditional red and gold of North Macedonia’s flag.
The stadium is a bit of a walk from the city centre, and there is little reason to visit it if you only have 1 or 2 days in Skopje. Therefore, a visit to the fortress is probably the best opportunity to catch a view of it.
Skopje Fortress: Our Final Thoughts
Whether you want to enjoy an unbeatable view of the city or are simply passing by whilst exploring the Old Bazaar, we think you should definitely add a trip to the fortress to your Skopje itinerary. Despite its less-than-perfect state, it remains one of the city’s best-loved tourist spots – and for good reason.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring the fortress, and will happily head there again during our next visit to Skopje.