Skopje, North Macedonia – the fantasy of a crazy architect

Gosia — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 14:28:42 +0000

Skopje was on my list for a long time, mainly because I wanted to see the capital of the former empire stretching on three continents, created by one of the greatest strategies of all time – Alexander III the Great. However, what I saw on the spot completely surprised me. Skopje actually looks very bizzare. The strict center of the city resembles the realisation of the boldest fantasy of a crazy architect. This is a combination of monumentalism and kitsch. Neoclassicism mixes here with a lot of unnecessary details and disco illumination, while adjacent districts are totally ruined. Clearly, North Macedonia has some kind of complex. However, no wonder, looking at the history of the name of this country. Over the years it was known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or the Republic of Macedonia. Since 2019, this country has been known as the Republic of North Macedonia. The change of name was the result of long conflict with Greece, which used to say that the name of this country referred to an ancient Macedonia, which was part of Greek cultural heritage. Moreover, for the same reason, Macedonia changed its flag. Additionally, while being in Macedonia, I was surprised by the number of Albanian flags in the streets. Albanians represent around ¼ of the general population and are one of the most numerous ethnic minorities in Macedonia; it’s the result of a large natural growth and a conflict in Kosovo which caused a large influx of Albanian refugees. The presence of so many Albanians, the neighbourhood of Albania and Kosovo and the pursuit to establish so called ‘Great Albania’ are the biggest threat to Macedonia. No wonder the Macedonians – descendants of Alexander the Great are trying to strengthen the sense of national identity and pride of the former empire. For this reason and following the tragic earthquake in 1963, the authorities decided to rebuild Skopje as the example of the capital of the former superpower. As part of the so-called The Skopje 2014 project they built many new government buildings, the Archaeological Museum, an almost 30-meter monument of ′′ The Warrior on a horse ′′ – presenting Alexander the Great. What’s the effect? A Warrior on a horse looks dignified, while the colourful rest of this monument is the quintessence of kitsch fashion. By the way, about 300 other monuments were built in Skopje, several of them can be seen here on the Wardar River, on the facades of buildings or in the form of numerous fountains. The number of decorations and colors overwhelms, the only thing missing is cotton candy and bagels stands. No wonder the implementation of the Skopje 2014 project caused numerous protests among the residents. It’s not only about aesthetics, although there’s no accouting for taste, the residents definitely want to talk about the lack of taste. In addition, it’s also caused by the fact that the remodeling of the center consumed a huge sum of money, while the country lacks funds, even for healthcare, education, and transport infrastructure. To this day you can see signs of riot on the streets of Skopje. Fortress Tvrdina Kale rises above the city. Unfortunately, the city authorities did not take care of its restoration, however, it’s a great viewpoint on the capital of Macedonia. The best is to get there from Old Čaršija, an old marketplace, which has a typical Turkish vibe. This place has been a marketplace since the 13th century and looks like time has stopped here. The old workshops and numerous stands with atiques, books and paintings create a unique atmosphere of this place. It’s also worth a look at the bakery run by an old lady from whom you can also purchase boza – a softly fermented drink made from a millet with a very interesting taste 😉 Nevertheless, the ′”back′′ of the market, created by narrow streets, with characteristic white buildings, is also interesting. The second interesting shopping place is the Green Market, where apart from vegetables and fruit you can buy many local products. The authentic spot in Skopje is Debar Maalo – a district that has retained its unique character. It’s located right next to the strict center of the city, but it doesn’t look like as pretentious and artificial as the center. Here you can see the real lives of the residents of Skopje and how the city actually requires financial support. It’s striking when you compare the pathetic building of the strict center with Debar Maalo reality. When visiting Skopje it’s worth taking a look here, because this neighborhood is famous for a lot of restaurants and cafes. Besides, there are many interesting murals here. Don’t miss visiting the Museum of Skopje, located at the place of the former railway station. Time has literally stopped at the museum, the clock on the facade has shown the same time since the earthquake began in 1963. On the other hand, you can see here an exhibition devoted to this tragedy. Do you like this post? Check out another one!

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Ohrid Lake – weekend break in Macedonia!

Gosia — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 14:24:36 +0000

Macedonia isn’t a popular holiday destination. It’s located much farther than for example Croatia and in addition, furthermore it has no access to the sea. However, this small country has a lot to offer and prices here are really low in comparison to other holiday directions. In Macedonia there are over 50 lakes surrounded by high mountain peaks, which can reach even 2000 meters. Macedonia is recognised as one of the highest countries in Europe, right after Switzerland and Austria. What’s more, this country has a huge number of monuments, temples and old monastries. All of this in the area less than 26 000 square kilometeres. In a word, the perfect plan for long weekned 😉 Macedonians’ favorite resort is Ohrid, located on a lake of the same name. Lake Ohrid is a natural border between Macedonia and Albania and it’s one of the deepest lakes in Europe. At the deepest point, it’s reaches almost 300 meters. Moreover, it’s also one of the oldest lakes on our continent. It’s estimated that Lake Ohrid can have up to 4 million years, while most of this type of reservoirs in Europe is dating at least tens of thousands years. Thanks to specific ecosystem and crystal clear water, there are a lot of species which are typical only for this area. Lake Ohrid is powered by numerous sources, most of which are located in the southern part of the lake in the surroundings of St. Neum Monastary which is located about 30 km from Ohrid and only 2 km from the Albanian border. In 10th century St.Neum – the student of Cyril and Methodius (creators of the Cyrillic alphabet) decided to create a monastery here. Currently Naum is the main place of pilgrimage in Macedonia. Legend has it that when you put an ear to the holy crypt, you can hear his heart beating. Ohrid was once called Jerusalem of the Balkans, as there used to be 365 sacral buildings: monasteries and churches. At present there’re much less, while some of them are still important places of worship. The largest such a building in Ohrid is St. Sophie Church, located in the Old Town. During the Turkish reign, it served as a mosque. However, the symbol of Ohrid remains undeniably the Church of St. John at Kaneo. It is neither the biggest sacral building nor the greatest and most valuable. On the other hand, it gained popularity due to its location on the high cliff overlooking Lake Ohrid and nearby mountains. Ohrid city is located in a beautiful mountain setting at about 800 metres above sea level and it’s surrounded by high peaks of theGalicica National Park. The best views of the city are from Tsar Samuel’s Fortress. It was built at a time when Ohrid was the capital of the Bulgarian State, ruled by Tsar Samuel in 11th century. Now the fortress is in poor condition, while high walls and towers give an idea of its former greatness. It’s worth climbing here for an amazing view of the lake and the city. On the way back is ancient amphitheatre, which was able to accommodate 4 tousand spactators in its heyday. Outside the walls of the Old Town you can visit the port and the promenade with numerous restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. It’s the best place to taste local cuisine and excellent coffee. Don’t miss also the Bay of Bones – a unique archaeological site with amazing views of the Orhid Lake. The Museum was made available to visitors in 2010. On a wooden pier, you can find a small prehistoric village. It is worth to add that the traces of human found here are dated even for 6 thousand years BC. Inside the museum you’ll see a lot of objects of everyday use, furs and animal bones. Orhid is also an ideal place for hiking. National Park Galicica separates Lake Ohrid from Lake Prespa. You can cross the park driving on serpentine with numerous view points and hiking trails. It is a little farther away from Ohrid and can only be reached by car. Admission to the park costs 200 MKD for a car, which is approximately 3€. Personally, I think it was the best spent 3€ during the whole trip. The entire route through the park is less than 30 km. Initially on the way, you can admire the amazing views of Lake Ohrid and Albania, then serpentine runs through the valley surrounded by high mountain peaks. The last part of the road is a beautiful panorama of Lake Prespa. Macedonia isn’t an expensive country and it hasn’t been “discovered” by mass tourism yet. There are no large hotels, ubiquitous stalls with “Chinese” souvenirs, and you can meet here mostly Macedonian tourists. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Skopje, North Macedonia – the fantasy of a crazy architect

Ohrid Lake – weekend break in Macedonia!