Their Kingdom of Macedonia (or Macedon) was the precursor of Hellenistic Greece, (and thus, geographically south of modern Macedonia.) After being absorbed by the Roman Empire it's name fell out of use for centuries until the nationalism movements of the 19c. The fact that historical Macedon was actually Greece is why the distinguisher North🔍 was eventually included in the modern countries name.
A blend of ancient Byzantine history, scenic mountains and warm hospitality all at an affordable cost and far less crowded than most of Europe, North Macedonia is a true hidden gem for cultural and outdoor adventures.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Macedonian
-
Macdn Denar
Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink in tourist areas, (may have an off taste.) Go Bottled when Remote.
Most Locals can speak English.
Currency:
MKD
Local Transport
There is a bus network in large cities but it's a but slow. Smaller towns will require a car.
Being less touristy than even other Balkan nations has upsides, but public transport is rare outside of major cities & driving is a challenge - google often includes undrivable walking trails in it's directions - so plan lots of extra time for back tracking when exploring.
Hot Tip:
Ironically modern Macedonia roughly corresponds with the ancient 🔎Kingdom of Paeonia; home to Paeonians not Macedonians (who lived further south🔍 in present day Greece.) But in the late 6c BC, the Persians, under Darius the Great, conquered the Paeonians, and when the Persians later retreated, the region was mostly absorbed by the Macedonian Kingdom, and the remainder was conquered later by the most famous of Macedonians, Alexander the Great.
a bit of background...
........................ Recica, (Rechica or Rechitsa, meaning river) is a village with only one official resident and no stores, where people come to wash large rugs in wooden basins using a vortex in the river (agitating the water like a washing machine) then hung; a field of laundry drying in the sun.
FUN FACT:
In the 2c BC the region was again conquered by the Romans and it remained part of the Byzantine Empire after Rome split. It was frequently raided by Slavic tribes, in the 6c, settling in the neighboring Balkans, resulting in centuries of contention with the Serbian Empire until it eventually became part of the Ottoman Empire from the mid-14 - early 20c.
Following the Balkan Wars (1912-13,) what would become North Macedonia was ping-ponged between nations: it first fell to Serbia, then briefly Bulgaria in WWI before returning to Serbia as part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. (the first name for Yugoslavia.) During WWII it was returned to Bulgaria, and then became the Socialist Republic🔍 of Macedonia, again a constituent state🔍 of Yugoslavia.
A nationalism movement in the late 20c fanned the Yugoslav Wars and Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia all declared independence - Macedonia was third to secede, mostly peacefully† in 1991, becoming the Republic of Macedonia. As a result of a UN dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia, the country renamed itself Republic of North Macedonia in 2019.††
† This was due to a lack of ethnic conflicts, with no Serbs in the region, unlike the volatile Serbia, Croatia & Kosovo regions with bloodier secessions - and 'mostly peaceful' should be taken at face value here, not as it is currently being used by MSM
†† The UN issue wasn't the first time it's name was subject to controversy. Between the 1st & 2nd WW's the use of the name Macedonia was actually prohibited in Yugoslavia by the Serbs state enforced Serbianisation.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Tavce Gravce† - boiled beans & red pepper w/ sausages or ribs ∞ Turlitava - mixed meat & veg. in a clay pot††
Feferonki - fermented green hot peppers served on Pastrmajlija - diced meat w/ egg on a Macedonian 'Pizza' 🔍
Sarma - fermented cabbage rolls stuffed w/ meat ∞ Creamy pepper & eggplant spreads like Ajvar & Pindjur
Musaka - beef, potato & onions layers w/ egg crust ∞ Polneti Piperki - stuffed peppers w/ ground meat & rice
Zelnik - filo pastry pie, filled w/ fried leeks, chopped meat, spinach, cabbage or cheese
➿➰➿
† Traditionally eaten for Friday Lunch †† Turli = mixed + tava = a traditional pottery dish
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Macedonia
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Skopje - with it's Old Bazaar, Fortress, Stone Bridge, the Warrior on a Horse statue and an
old Pirate Ship turned cafe in the Vardar
🔸 Lake Ohrid (oldest lake in Europe + one of the oldest, deepest in the world) with clifftop
St. John at Kaneo Church🔍 in the region, 14c St. Archangel Mihail cave church, the
Monastery of St. Naum, Radožda village and the Bay of Bones overwater museum /
reproduction of 1c BC pile-dwelling settlement & ancient Roman military fortress
♦️ Natural sites like Mavrovo National Park with Mount Korab & poular Zare Lazareski
ski resort. Matka Canyon for caves, spelunkers, kayaking, hiking & monasteries and
Mount Vodno w/ the Millennium Cross - one of the tallest in the world at 217 feet
🔸 Archeological Sites like Stobi, capital of the ancient Roman Provence, Heraclea Lynkestis, Secunda with it's
famous theater, baptismal font, & detailed mosaics. Or four thousand year old Kokino Observatory, ancient
Bronze Age astronomical site with four massive stone thrones and markers carved in rocks
♦️ Kratovo, in the crater of an extinct volcano, with underground tunnels, six stone towers & medieval Rada’s
Bridge, and nearby Kuklika Stone Dolls, natural pillars, (legend says each is a member of a wedding party cursed
by a scorned bride)
🔸 Snake Island (aka Golem Grad) in Lake Prespa - overflowing with both venomous and non-venomous snakes.
♦️ Tetovo with painted Sarena Mosque, a bathhouse turned Art Gallery and 14c Monastery of Leshok.
👀 NOTABLE MACEDONIANS:
⚔️ Alexander the Great 👑 Justinian (I) the Great | Byzantine Emperor 🏰 Theodahad | King of the Ostrogoths
🐫 Ptolemy (I) Soter | General & Founder of Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt
👣
🌀 Krusevo Ethno Festival (July 15–August 15) & Republic Day (August 2) - commemorating the 1903 Ilinden
uprising, parades dressed in Ottoman & revolutionary costume reenacting the fight for freedom
🌀 Beloved festivals / Galičnik Wedding Festival (over July 12, St. Peter’s Day) - one couple is selected to marry
following traditional Macedonian customs in the mountain village of Galičnik with filigree costumes,
folk songs, men's dances like the Teškoto - now celebrated as part of Galičko Leto
🌀 Carnivals like: Strumica (Lent) - dating to the 1670s, with folklore parade of elaborate masks and costumes
made from wool, fur, and beads tied to warding off evil spirits &
Vevčani - New Year procession, possibly 1,400 years old, with handmade masks & satirical performances
🌀 Tikveš Wine 🍷 Festival (September, ) - Celebrating wine region at Tikveš Winery, Kavadarci
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
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Worth the Effort/ $
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