Photo tour North Macedonia

Arrival at Skopje airport and transfer to the hotel in the center of town. 
After lunch take a walk in the city where we photograph the center of the city on the banks of the river Vardar, which was completely destroyed during the great earthquake of 1961 and has now been restored to its former glory.

We visit the largest cross in Europe (66 meters high) by cable car, on a mountain top with beautiful views over the city and surroundings. Afterwards, visit a village where all the characteristic architectural styles of the country are brought together. In the afternoon take a walk through the old bazaar ‘Stara Tsarshia’ with its many shops, the large mosque fraternally next to the oldest Orthodox church, the Kale Fort and the bustling covered market with its colorful stalls. Everyone captures the crowds and atmosphere in their own way. At the end of the day we discuss the results.


In Tetovo, a lively town with a mainly Albanian population, we visit the Painted Mosque, which was financed by 2 sisters during the Ottoman period, on the condition that it would be decorated in beautiful colors. On the way we visit Vrutok, the source of the largest river in Macedonia, the Wardar. Our trip leads through the mountains, via Kitsevo to the southern town of Ohrid on the lake with the same name. Ohrid was an important center of religion and science in the Byzantine period. We visit ‘Plaosnik’, the excavations of the university from this era. After that we visit the fortress of King Samuel.

We take a boat trip on the lake, one of the largest freshwater basins in Europe. On the way we stop at an open-air museum with a replica of a prehistoric village built on poles in the water. There you can see how people lived and worked in the Bronze Age. Then we visit the Orthodox monastery Sveti Naum which has many peacocks in the garden. We have lunch at Cerni Drie, the source of the lake where crystal clear water bubbles up from the bottom. This water comes from the slightly higher Prespa Lake, and seeps through underground passages to this source in 21 days. Back in Ohrid we walk through the picturesque old town and there is the opportunity for a cooling dip in the lake.

After breakfast we drive along Lake Ohrid in the direction of Lake Prespa. We cross the mountain of Galichitsa, which is also a nature reserve. From the highest point of this mountain pass, the two lakes and three countries can be seen. We have lunch at Lake Prespa and continue our journey to Bitola, the former capital, also known as the city of the consuls. The 19th century architecture has been preserved here. We visit the Ajdar Kadi mosque and one of the most beautiful bazaars in Macedonia.

We visit the archeological site of Stobi and via Shtip we then drive on to Kratovo, one of the oldest cities in the country. Built in the crater of a dead volcano, it is known for its typical stone bridges. It has a rich past, due to its location on the Ignatius trade route that connected Constantinople or Istanbul to Rome. We stroll through this town and visit, among other things, a special church.

This day visit Kuklici or ‘the petrified wedding’. The rock formations created by erosion resemble human figures and with a little imagination you can recognise a company taking part in a wedding. At the end of the afternoon we drive via Kumanovo back to our hotel in Skopje. Here we view our pictures for the last time and evaluate the trip.