Museum of Skopje

The history of Skopje began with the settlements of the Thracians and establishing the fortress of Scupi. Since then, the town has changed its sovereign numerous times, being part of the Roman, Byzanatine, Bulgarian and the Serbian countries for short time.  The Ottomans conquered the city in 1392 and changed the name to Uskub, which became home for numerous Ottomans, Bulgarians and Albanians.  In 1912, the city was liberated from the Ottomans during the First Balkan war, and eventually became a part of the Serbian country. During the two world wars, it was eventually given to Bulgaria, before becoming capital of the Macedonian Federation in the Yugoslavian socialistic republic. The city then started growing rapidly industrially and economically.  Unfortunately a huge earthquake in 1963 destroyed a huge part of the town, leaving more than 100,000 people without homes. Skopje managed to recover quickly from it, just in time to become a capital of the independent country of Macedonia. Your Day in Skopje (North Macedonia) The departure is early, somewhere around 8.00 AM depending on your hotel pick-up time, because the driving time is 4 hours each way, and the border cross may take a while. On the way to Macedonia, you will use the picturesque road via the Osogovo mountains, one of the most beautiful mountain ranges both in Bulgaria and Macedonia. Somewhere around 11.30 AM (10:30 AM local time), you will arrive in Skopje. The walking tour will start with the Museum of History of Skopje, dedicated to the city, housed in the old railway station. From there, you will continue towards the Memorial House of Mother Teresa and learn about the life of the amazing Macedonian women with Albanian origin.  At this moment, your hunger for knowledge will be replaced with some good food, as youl head towards the main square, to see the huge statue of Alexander the Great and find a lovely restaurant on the south bank of Vardar river.  After lunch, you will continue your walking tour on the other side of Vardar, crossing it via the Stone bridge - the oldest and the most famous bridge in Skopje, today marked as the symbol of the city. You will then head towards the Old Fortress, for some remarkable pictures of the city from the top. Then you will end with a visit to the old quarter and its famous church - St Saviour. After a little free time to buy some souvenirs, you'll head towards the car, without forgetting to pass by the huge buildings of Skopje 2014's project.  Around 3:30- 4:00 PM, you will depart from Skopje and arrive back in Sofia at around 7:30-8:00 PM.

Your driver will pick you up from your hotel or any location in Skopje, with a comfortable A/C car/minivan and take you to the plateau where the Museum of Contemporary Art located. This offers a wonderful view of the central part of Skopje and here the story about the city begins. Afterwards, the Fortress Kale is visited. What follows is a visit to the Mustapha Pasha Mosque, and then the Church of the Holy Saviour. Another visit is the one to the Museum of Macedonia which consists of three parts: an icon gallery, an ethnological and historical departments. Then you continue you stroll through the Old Bazaar where two more caravansaries can be seen Turkish Baths – Chifte Hammam and Daut Pasha Hammam, dating back to the 15th century. The tour continues towards the modern part of the city on the right bank of the River Vardar. Before you cross the Stone Bridge, which is one of the oldest landmarks of Skopje, you can see the Holocaust Memorial Centre and the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence, IMRO and the Victims of Communism. On the other bank of the river is the main square Macedonia, with a lot of new statues and monuments. You will walk along the main street Macedonia which connects the square to the Old Railway Station. You can stay for a short visit at the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, with the tour ending in front of the Museum of the City of Skopje situated in the building of the Old Railway Station, which was partially destroyed by the earthquake in 1963. From Mount Vodno, you continue by cable-car system to the Millennium Cross and back to middle Vodno. Once back at middle Vodno you continue by the car/minivan to the village Gorno Nerezi, to see the church St. Pantelejmon. The tour continues with a visit to the canyon Matka, about 17 km from Skopje, continue to walk along the bank of the River Treska, which is famous for the competitions in kayaking that take place on it. You will follow the path that goes by the dam and the man-made lake Matka and reach the Monastery of St. Andrew.   After this, you will go on a boat ride along the canyon Matka (8km long) and enjoy the magnificent surroundings, as well as a visit to the cave Vrelo.

Skopje is one of the most practical towns on the Balkans to explore with a bicycle. Not only it is flat, but all the surroundings, the Old Town Bit Bazaar, the New Town with the Statues, the Vodno Cross, the Matka Canyon, the villages, the Monasteries, the Shutka Commune - the Capitol Of the Roma are all very reachable with a bicycle. Take your self on an adventure and explore the town. Places you can visit: 1. The Old Town of Skopje and the Bit Bazaar 2. The Center with the Statues 3. The communist Architecture 4. Vodno Mountain and/or the Vodno Cross 5. The Matka Canyon 6. SHUTKA - The Gypsies Capitol of the World 7. SCUPI - the Antique Findings 8. Aqueduct of Skopje and much more.

This 4-hour walking tour of Skopje usually starts on the plateau where the Museum of Contemporary Art is located. This offers a wonderful view of the central part of Skopje and here the story about the city begins. Afterwards, you will visit the Fortress Kale before visiting the Mustapha Pasha Mosque, the Church of the Holy Savior, and the small museum of Goce Delchev. Another optional visit is to the Museum of Macedonia which consists of 3 parts: an icon gallery, an ethnological department, and a historical department. Then you will continue your stroll through the Old Bazaar, where 2 more caravanserais can be seen as well as 2 Turkish baths: Chifte Hammam and Daut Pasha Hammam. The tour continues towards the modern part of the city. Before you cross the Stone Bridge, one of the oldest landmarks of Skopje, you can see the Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia and the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Independence, IMRO and the Victims of Communism. On the other bank of the river is the main square, Macedonia Square, with a lot of new statues and monuments. You will walk along the main street, Macedonia Street, which connects the square to the old railway station. You will stay for a short visit to the Memorial House of Mother Teresa and end the tour in front of the Museum of the City of Skopje, situated in the building of the old railway station.