Visit Skopje in Macedonia: what to see
Macedonia is a country about which we knew nothing, and we remembered it owing to is bright sunny flag and red British buses, and to architectural chaos in the capital. If you have already been in Albania or in Bosnia and Herzegovina, you won’t be surprised by local culture and life, as we were not. This country is not similar to popular European countries. However, each country is unique on its own. So scroll down and get acquainted with Skopje in Macedonia.
Here are the two of the brightest symbols of Macedonia and Skopje. The state flag and public transport. Just peer into the bus’s snouty 🙂
And now about the architecture in Skopje. None of ancient buildings preserved in Skopje, since everything was destroyed by earthquakes that were so often here till the 1960th. After that Soviet housing development of the city began, while Macedonia was a part of Yugoslavia. So, almost all buildings are of Soviet-era. After becoming independent in 1992, there emerged several “modern” glass buildings. And a few years ago the capital authorities began to actively develop the city center in neoclassical style.
The design of the Paris Bridge was copied. The city has its own Arc de Triomphe. As well as a bunch of pseudo-Greek columns (the correct proportions are not sustained).
Skopje is as well famous for the enormous number of monuments located at every step. We liked this one, on the river, the most 🙂
Stone bridge over the Vardar River flowing in the center of Skopje.
Macedonia Square is the heart of the capital. Monument to Alexander Macedonian. This square was fenced around during our stay; it seems that all the tiles were to be completely replaced and now you can go on an impressively white marble.
Count, how many monuments is there in the photo below 🙂
We haven’t been to the UK, so we were enthusiastic to catch footage of this bus. They are so cute and it seems that only modern busses already go in London having more stringent look.
Macedonian dinars with icons.
And next – advertising. It was impossible not to take a photo of. Almost all advertisements in Skopje are of this style. Advertisements of anything. The water is typical 🙂
And now back to night scenery. Vardar River is dirty and green. But there are several fountains and even giant pots with trees in the middle.
Here are all main Skopje highlights that are newly built. And after them others are still being built. At first glance is seems impressive, with the backlight – as if the scenery for a film.
Many monuments, fountains, and sculptures. Eyes don’t know where to look. But enthusiasm vanishes within a few minutes – no history and soul is there.
Various construction works are on the go around. No infrastructure as such. No furnished tracks, benches, etc near the river banks.
There is something like a boardwalk opposite the newly built luxury, which is dotted with restaurants and terraces. Having visited one of them … – in a word, we don’t recommend eating in that street at all 🙂 The menu with hundreds of dishes and huge number of seats – you can imagine what is the result …
All attractions are a meter apart. Several hours will be enough to look everything around.
And here people like fountains – giant fountains. We enjoyed the fog effect, like a cloud holding a sculpture above.
Opposite Alexander Macedonian there is his father Philip. (Have you seen the movie “Alexander Macedonian” with Angelina Jolie)
Outside is the newly built beauty there is Muslim district – Old Bazaar. You can feel yourself in Istanbul. Here you can buy everything, including gold. And sellers calling to their shops or cafés.
Fortunately, we went here in the evening, when everything was already closed.
The scope of everything, which is newly built, is impressive.
Monuments to mothers, horses, Mother Teresa, and others.
And as always, we are delighted with the size of the state flag. We saw such giant ones in Albania.
Fountain dedicated to Macedonian mothers. We only wish that all the sculptures were not covered with spots of oxidation and bird’s droppings.
There is still a lot of work. So, we encourage you to come here in a few years when all the scaffolding and fences will be removed, and the infrastructure will be completed. And even more monuments will appear 🙂
By the way it’s exclusively state funding. Local dwellers don’t like that so much money is spent on the millions of sculptures and the like.
You can find maps in the city with all the landmarks of Skopje. Sights under construction have a mark showing repairs.
This square will be soon opened.
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There are such sculptures, apart from the historical ones.
Macedonia Gate.
It’s hard to make interesting shots, because everywhere – behind, by, and on the background – there are Soviet and post-Soviet ugly neighbors.
The pedestrian street leading to the main Macedonian Square. A museum dedicated to Mother Teresa is located in this street. Macedonians are proud of her, because Mother Teresa was born in Macedonia (though she concealed this fact for a long time). So, walking along the city, you will repeatedly meet a monument, or an inscription with a quote of that woman. These strange mounds are probably fountains that adorn the museum entrance.
And the museum itself. Honestly, it’s a pity to see such architecture.
A small room inside, like the one, where Mother Teresa lived in. We came too late, so didn’t enter.
EUR 2 mln were spent for constructing the memorial house 🙂
Several more Skopje buildings.
And a cute bus at the end. We wanted to ride it, but there was 30 degrees’ heat and a lot of people at the bus stop. So, we felt sorry for ourselves and didn’t sit in.
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