Shrimp56 goes there often. I'll ask her to post.

My husband has been there several times and will be going again soon. When he wakes up, I'll ask him to read this post. He has been to Ohrid and Skopie.

Macedonia is a beautiful country with a warm population and a welcomeing tradition as well as a number of fascinating buildings and sites, but it is much less developed than Slovenia, for example.

There are plenty of cafes and in Skopje, along the Vardar River and in Ohrid it is very pleasant, butin between it i very uneven. The history is primarily Ottoman so the major sites in Skopje are related to the 500 year occupation. Standards of tourist facilities are variable.

Having said that, I left my heart there many years ago. [and have visited about 9 times] Bitola has a few monuments and a nice wide walking street as well as some nie Roman ruins [Heraclea] on its outskirts. Ohrid is a UNESCO World Heritage site withplenty to see and due, but again the tourist facilities afre not up to Western standards.

Rather than repeat myself let me point you to my VT pages.

Macedonia http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/21927/25d/
Skopje http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/21927/6e596/
Ohrid http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/21927/6e6c1/
Bitola http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/21927/6ea3c/
Stobi http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/21927/6e545/

Macedonia is also the current destination of the month at another travel forum. You will find many useful links gathered there: http://tinyurl.com/n5o22

Places that have caught my eye include Bitola, Struga, Krushevo and the Galicnik village. If you have been to any of these places, please tell me whether-based on my interests (sightseeing, architecture, beautiful and historic buildings all around, café culture, ambiance, etc.)-you would recommend I go.

Of those I'd recommend only Bitola -- why Struga when you would be so close to Ohrid -- Krushevo is beautiful, but other than an historical imnportance there is nothing there. Galicnik is a sleepy mountain village except for the wedding that takes place once a year in July.

Please contact me at shrimp56@hotmail.com for more information

The New York times reviews a film that takes place there.
"Mirage: A Boy's Hope in a land of Broken Dreams."

I'm confused Greekness2004. Are you referring to the Greek province of Macedonia? Or the former Yugoslav Republic? If you wish to see great scenery beautiful villages and magnificent historical places Eg Vergina and Pella [ the birthplace of Phillip and Alexander the Great ] then visit the northern Greek province of Macedonia .

odesseus,

I am referring to the former Yugoslav Republic. Thanks, though

If your destination is Skopje you must visit:
1. Matka- canyon on the river Treska, not so far from the city (Skopje), actually there is a bus going there… Only few minutes from the canyon there are few (5-6 I’m not sure) beautiful old churches.
2. The Stone Bridge- in the centar, on the river Vardar
3. The Fortress Kale (near the Centar)
4. St. Bogorodica and St. Kliment Ohridski (there are many beautiful churches, but don’t miss these two)
5. The Old Bazaar- with many small shops from the time of the Turks, Turkish baths, Kursumli An, Amams - Cifte Amam, Daut Pasa Amam e.t.c)
6. For shoping there are many malls, but the best ones are: GTC (Gradski trgovski - or something like that and Ramstore mall). You must check some of the coffee bars placed on the bench of the river Vardar (they’re actually in GTC)
7. If you’re young, and like going out, there are many clubs, Colosseum, Process and Trend are my kids favourites.
8. Visit the first trainstation on the Balkans. It's in the centar of Skopje and it was partly ruined in the 1963 earthquake.
DID YOU KNOW THAT MOTHER TERSA WAS BORN IN SKOPJE? You can see the place where her house used to be (it’s near the city square)
Out of Skopje, here are my favourites:
Mavrovo - There is a lake and a ski centar, but I like it mostly in autumn.
And finaly Ohrid, my favourite city in Macedonia. There are enormous many old churches (check Plaoshnik - more that 15 centuries old, St. Jovan Kaneo, St. Naum - you must take a bus or taxi to get there, but it’s worth it, thust me, The Samoil Fortress and one of the oldest, cleanest lakes with very rare flora and fauna, protected by UNESCO e.t.c)
That’s all for now. You can ask me anything.

Travellover,

Can I email you?