A first-time guide to North Macedonia
Plan your travels to North Macedonia, a small country tucked in a pocket of southeastern Europe, with this guide for first-time visitors.
You may well ask yourself why you should visit North Macedonia, a small country tucked up in a pocket of southeastern Europe, just a notch north of Greece. Pint-sized though it may be, North Macedonia packs a wealth of glorious natural scenery – think soaring mountain tops and glittering lakes – and cultural heritage that stretches back as far as ancient Rome and Greece, via Socialist Yugoslavia and the Ottoman Empire.
It is Balkan and Mediterranean at once, with a fascinating past, complicated identity, and some excellent food. The top attraction is the glorious and ancient Lake Ohrid and its historic namesake town, rich with flora and fauna, swimming, classical remains and Byzantine history. Ohrid’s plentiful offerings are followed closely by dramatic mountains with fantastic walking trails, lakes and riding opportunities. The capital city of Skopje has an Ottoman quarter full of historic mosques, churches and museums, and some wonderful kayaking just outside of town, in the nearby Canyon Matka. This beautiful country is little explored, so for those who want to get off the beaten track in Europe, North Macedonia is the place for you. Plan your visit with this guide for first-timers.
When should I go to North Macedonia?
Spring, summer and autumn are the perfect times to visit. May, June, September and most of October in particular are gorgeous for hiking and outdoor activities. July sees the Galičnik Wedding Festival in Mavrovo National Park, one of the country’s most traditional events, where you can witness a village wedding ceremony that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years. Ohrid town can get busy with local tourists in July and August, but it’s also the perfect time to take a swim and enjoy local concerts. Ohrid’s Summer Festival, in August, offers a plethora of cultural activities on the shore of the beautiful lake. Book your accommodations early if you’re visiting at this time.
How much time should I spend in North Macedonia?
If you only have a weekend, a day in Skopje will suffice for a stroll around Čaršija, taking in the Ottoman-era mosques, churches, some interesting museums and climbing up to the Ottoman castle. If you have more time, visit the nearby Canyon Matka, where you can rent a kayak and explore the canyon and its nippy waters. Then head to the country’s top historic destination, Ohrid, to see its mysterious lake and stroll the town’s cobbled streets. Explore the frescoed medieval churches at Sveti Naum Monastery, just outside Ohrid town.
However, the perfect length for a visit to North Macedonia is a week, when you can do all of the above and stay in a guesthouse on the edge of Pelister National Park, take a hike in the lush wooded mountains, and taste homemade traditional food. A great way to end a visit is at Lake Prespa, home to pelicans and ruins on Golem Grad island.
Is it easy to get in and around North Macedonia?
Skopje’s international airport is within easy reach of the city center by shuttle bus (not hugely frequent, 199MKD/US$3.45) or taxi (around 600MKD/US$10). Skopje airport is where most car rental agencies are based. Most visitors will rent a car and you’ll certainly need your own vehicle if you want to really see North Macedonia – especially the mountains and national parks – since trains are scarce and buses only go between the main towns. Both Skopje and Ohrid are best explored on foot.
The top things to do in North Macedonia
Stroll around Ohrid town’s sublime churches and swim in the spectacular lake
Ohrid town is North Macedonia’s most alluring destination and arguably one of the most beautiful spots in the whole of the Balkans. Its atmospheric old quarter is dotted with beautiful churches and topped by the bones of a medieval castle, and its streets cascade down towards the namesake lake. The Ohrid Boardwalk takes you to a beautiful outcrop of rocky beaches and a handful of small restaurants and bars, all of which get busy with bathers, drinkers and diners in the summer months, when the cool waters are translucent and inviting. Have some food, a drink, and a dip. 
Taking a walk to see Ohrid’s many gorgeous churches is a must. Don’t miss the tiny Church of Sveti Jovan, a stunning 13th-century building set on a cliff above the lake and possibly the country's most-photographed structure. The multidomed medieval Church of Sveti Kliment i Pantelejmon, which sits on top of the town, is another beauty. There are foundations of a 5th-century basilica and a garden of intricate early Christian flora-and-fauna mosaics. The tiny 14th-century churches of Sveta Bogorodica Bolnička and Sveti Nikola Bolnički, right in the center of town, have interiors heaving under elaborate icons. During plagues, visitors to the town faced 40-day quarantines inside their walled confines. The 13th-century Byzantine Church of Sveta Bogorodica Perivlepta has vivid biblical frescoes painted by masters Michael and Eutychius, and superb lake and old town views from its terrace. The Icon Gallery next door highlights the founders’ artistic achievements.
Catch live music at a historic site in Ohrid
The town’s grandest religious building, 11th-century Sveta Sofija Cathedral, is supported by columns and decorated with elaborate, if faded, Byzantine frescoes. It has superb acoustics and is often used for concerts – catch a gig here if you can. Another great place to hear some music in Ohrid Town is at the impressive Classical Amphitheatre. Built in the Hellenistic period (around 200 BCE), the Romans later removed 10 rows to accommodate gladiators and used it as a site for Christian executions. In summer, it’s brought to life as a venue for Ohrid’s Summer Festival performances.
Explore the monasteries, villages and springs on the shores of Lake Ohrid
There's a lot to do on and around Lake Ohrid, so take an unforgettable day or two to explore the area. The most important place to see outside of Ohrid town is the Sveti Naum Monastery, an imposing sight on a bluff near the Albanian border, with an 18th-century iconostasis inside the church and impressive 19th-century frescoes. Inside the monastery grounds, motorboats will whisk you off to see the Springs of Sveti Naum. The water here – considered a small lake in itself, with two small islands in the middle – comes from the nearby Lake Prespa and is astoundingly clear. There are sandy beaches on both sides of the monastery, which are some of the best places to swim around the lake.
Another reasonable place to swim is at the village of Trpejca, northeast along the lake from Sveti Naum. Cupped between a sloping hill and a tranquil bay, Trpejca is Ohrid’s last traditional fishing village, featuring clustered houses with terracotta roofs and a small white-pebble beach, which gets very crowded in mid-summer.
Make a stop at the Museum on Water - Bay of Bones, 16km (10 miles) south of Ohrid town, an elaborate reconstruction of how archaeologists think the place would have looked between 1200 and 600 BCE. In prehistoric times, Lake Ohrid was home to pile dwellers who lived literally on top of the water, on a platform supported by up to 10,000 wooden piles anchored to the lake bed. It’s quite surreal!
Heading northwest of the lake is mountainside Vevčani, a 9th-century quiet rural settlement beloved by locals for its traditional restaurants and natural springs. Vevčani Springs writhe and wriggle through a leafy forest at the top of the village. Walk down its paths and boardwalks, and take a picnic as you cool off on hot days.
Experience the best of Skopje, the charming capital city
Skopje is a relaxed city with lots of Balkan charm and some excellent traditional food, and spending at least a day here is well worth your time. The city’s most attractive area is the Ottoman-era Čaršija, bordered by the 15th-century Kameni Most (Stone Bridge) and 6th-century Tvrdina Kale Fortress, with ramparts offering great views over the city. Wander down Čaršija’s old town lanes, filled with teahouses, mosques and crafts shops. Find the Daut Paša Amam, once the largest Turkish baths outside of İstanbul, which now houses Skopje’s National Gallery. A further five-minute walk north will bring you to the partially submerged Sveti Spas Church, Skopje’s most important historical building. It sits 2m (6ft) underground and dates from the 14th century, boasting an elaborate carved iconostasis that shines out of the dark. Standing on a plateau at the very top of Čaršija, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, dating back to 1492, is where you can see locals come and go for prayers and sit down for chitchat in the lovely rose garden. The best restaurants and bars are in Debar Maalo, a lovely tree-lined neighborhood.
Kayak into the spectacular Canyon Matka
It’s testament to North Macedonia’s natural beauty that only a short ride out of Skopje sits this incredible canyon, where you can rent a kayak and row off into its tranquil waters. If the season is right, have a dip (warning: it’s chilly!). The hills of Canyon Matka housed early Christians, ascetics and revolutionaries who retreated here to escape Ottoman advances. They built the many churches one can see today: the setting is truly reverential. Matka means "womb" in Macedonian and the site has a traditional link with the Virgin Mary.
The lovely, petite Church of Sveti Andrej is the most easily accessible of Canyon Matka’s 14th-century churches, practically attached to the Canyon Matka Hotel and backed by the towering massif of the canyon walls. Make sure you see the still-working Sveta Bogorodica Monastery, framed by mountains and with a serene, peaceful atmosphere. The beautiful 14th-century chapel has frescoes from the 1500s, although a church has stood on this spot since the 6th century.
Make sure to also visit Matka’s underwater caverns – they’ve been explored to a depth of 212m (700ft) and the bottom has still not been found, making these caves among the deepest in Europe. Cave Vrelo is open to the public – you can enter the inky depths of the bat-inhabited cave by boat or hired kayak.
My favorite things to do in North Macedonia
My favorite thing to do in North Macedonia is to check out the surrealist, Socialist-era monuments across the country. The Burial Mound of the Unbeaten is the 1961 work of one of the former Yugoslavia’s most brilliant architects, Bogdan Bogdanović, who specialized in mixing up the historical with the antic and celestial. The Ilinden Uprising Monument, built in 1974 to commemorate the Ilinden Uprising of 1903 (when the Macedonians rose up against the Ottoman Empire) is a marvel of Yugoslav architecture and a fantastic example of abstract historic symbolism.
Another favorite is the 10km (6-mile) hike to reach the 13th-century Treskavec Monastery. Rising from Mt Zlato (1422m/4655ft), this bare massif is replete with imposing twisted rock formations – rock climbers love it! Getting up to this bare granite boulder mountainside, and witnessing the half-ruined monastery and its vivid frescoes (including a rare depiction of Christ as a boy) feels as close as you’ll get to the divine.
How much money do I need for North Macedonia?
North Macedonia may be one of the few corners of Europe where you can still get value for money on accommodations, food and drinks. The outdoors activities are free, unless you get a local guide to take you up a mountain. Restaurants and hotels in Skopje and Ohrid will usually accept digital, contactless payments, but don’t count on it outside of these two towns.
- Night at a Skopje or Ohrid hotel: from 3000MKD/US$52
- Dinner at a traditional restaurant: from 600MKD/US$10 per person
- Specialty coffee in Skopje: from 119MKD/US$2
- Jar of raw honey at a market: from 600MKD/US$10
- Car rental for a day: 2400MKD/US$42
- Kayak rental for an hour: 300MKD/US$5.20
- A glass of wine or a bottle of beer: from 200MKD/US$3.47
Do I need a car?
Basically, yes. Without your own wheels, it’s difficult to reach the various places of interest in the national park independently, or to do any hiking.
What should I pack?
Macedonia’s mountains are serious, and going up those tracks will require proper hiking boots. If you head over to Golem Grad island, you’ll see a variety of birds, such as cormorants and herons, Dalmatian pelicans, as well as buzzards and eagles, and it would be a shame not to be able to hone in on the details – so bring some good binoculars with you too.
