Skopje - the Oriental

Just 3 1/2 hours by car from Sofia, on the way to Greece, North Macedonia and its capital Skopje lure you into a rather unknown territory. Reason enough to take this detour and it was worth it.

On the drive southwest, you first pass the Vitosha Mountain, which also shapes the cityscape of Sofia and is a popular ski resort in higher elevations. Then it quickly becomes rural and the backdrop reminds a little of the southern Piedmont. The border is reached at the summit of a small pass. The formalities were quickly done considering the modest traffic. The route now leads through a wild valley, along the Kriva River, through sleepy villages and cozy forests. Looking at the beautiful natural stone houses, one almost feels like being in Ticino. But concentration is required and we already get a taste of Macedonian driving style with overtaking maneuvers at the most impossible places...

The one hour time difference from Bulgaria means that it is already getting dark when we arrive in Skopje around 6:00 pm. And as soon as the highway ends in a suburb, it is as if we have been transported from one moment to the next to Istanbul or Amman. Minarets rise into the evening sky, veiled women cross the street, shops line the street with all sorts of possible and impossible things, chaotic and lively.

After some effort, we reach our hotel and realize that the historic part of the city is right on our doorstep. The old bazaar is a labyrinth of narrow streets, shops, cafes, restaurants, and mosques. Especially at dusk, this area exudes a wonderful, mysterious atmosphere. From the city fortress, which towers above the old town, there is a magnificent view over the city center and the other side of the river.

And now we come to the rather bizarre part: there used to be an old town on the other side of the Vardar River as well. However, this was practically flattened for bypass roads and office buildings. The historic stone bridge over the river still remains. Due to a lack of impressive buildings, they simply started to build historical grand buildings - built in 2014 - and added a record-breaking number of bronze statues as well as a few oversized monuments. The result is an ensemble that, especially at night and with appropriate atmospheric lighting, reminds more of a hotel complex in Las Vegas than a historical city center. At Macedonia Square, there is even a slight suspicion that London's famous Picadilly Circus served as a model for the design. The circulating 'original' London double-decker buses - made in China - reinforce this theory even more.

But it is precisely these contrasts that make Skopje one of the most unique cities we have visited so far. The food is excellent and the people are very hospitable everywhere.