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Skopje, North Macedonia
Skopje is a city of dramatic contrasts. The Old Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest in the Balkans, retains its Ottoman-era atmosphere with narrow lanes of craftsmen's workshops, mosques, and traditional restaurants serving tavce gravce (baked beans) and kebabs. The Stone Bridge connects the bazaar to the south bank, where the Skopje 2014 project added an incongruous collection of neoclassical statues, triumphal arches, and faux-Baroque buildings in a controversial attempt to create a monumental center. The Kale Fortress overlooks the city from its hilltop above the bazaar. Mother Teresa's memorial house honors Skopje's most famous daughter. The brutalist architecture from the post-earthquake reconstruction — including Kenzo Tange's remarkable train station — adds yet another layer. Skopje's layers of Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Yugoslav, and contemporary identity make it one of Europe's most thought-provoking walking cities.
explore by interest
Cross the Stone Bridge to experience both sides of Skopje — the authentic Ottoman north and the provocative neoclassical south — in a single short walk.
May through June and September through October offer pleasant walking weather, avoiding the hot continental summers and cold winters.