Macedonia Hotels

The Balkan country of Macedonia has an ancient history and a troubled recent past. Independent only since 1991, it saw a civil war in 2001. Today visitors flock to the country, attracted by its warm summers, friendliness and beauty. The capital city Skopje, has been inhabited since ancient times, and although much of it was destroyed in an earthquake in 1963, the 6th-century Skopje Fortress remains, along with mosques, markets and medieval inns. It has a buzzing nightlife, with plenty of bars, restaurants and casinos, and is a cultural centre which hosts a jazz festival in October, and opera evenings in May.

Although landlocked, Macedonia has three stunning lakes. Lake Ohrid and the town of the same name have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is one of the oldest in the world, and offers watersports, boating and fishing.

It has numerous churches on its shores, and to the east the national park of Galichica. The town is one of the must-sees of Macedonia, with ancient ruins and a summer festival of classical music and drama. Macedonia’s mountainous areas include the Mavrovo National Park which provides great skiing as well as trekking and climbing.

The country is also renowned for its spas (‘banja’), where visitors have been coming for treatments for hundreds of years. Local food and drink would be a highlight of any visit to Macedonia, with a variety of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Eastern European influences, including the specialities Šopska salad and Tav?e Grav?e. Mastika, a liqueur made of grapes, figs or plums is the national drink, and Macedonian wine is produced in large quantities for both home use and export.