Little Vegas - Skopje

Skopje was once described as the best place to party in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Today the city is called Little Vegas, because at night it is illuminated by hundreds of lights and casino neon lights. How does the Macedonian capital surprise during the day?

What's too much, the piglet will not eat it. Too direct? Even a cat can be petted to death. Too gently? So maybe classic - too much is unhealthy. If we say that there are many monuments in the center of Skopje, every Macedonian will burst out laughing. There are so many monuments, sculptures and statues-fountains there that you don't know which one to look at. The accumulation of sculptures in the not-so-large space makes tourists often feel overwhelmed by them, and their eyes - oversaturated or even weary. Why are there so many of them? Due to a project initiated five years ago by which some call Skopje a great amusement park.

Project "Skopje 2014"

In 2010, thanks to the idea of the Macedonian Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, the Skopje center was filled with monuments more or less related to the country. Several hundred million euros have been invested in the "Skopje 2014" project, and as a result, tourists visiting the heart of the capital can see various figures in literally every place. Among them there are, among others Macedonian mothers, a woman talking on a cell phone, a shoe shoe, dervishes, female galleries, a beggar, a bull, a lion and women walking their dogs for walks.

The most important monument is the huge figure of a rider on a horse, towering over the viewers. It is an open secret that it is a monument to Alexander III of Macedon - in order not to irritate the Greeks claiming the rights to the legendary leader, he is not officially referred to as this, calling the 25-meter statue simply "Warrior on horse".

Sculptures, however, are not all the attractions that can be found in the city center. After the earthquake that hit the city in 1963, it was decided to rebuild it from the rubble. And it was done - with great panache. According to many, it is exaggerated, bordering on megalomania, and certainly with a merciless confusion (confusion) of architectural styles. We have 20 monumental buildings here, including the opulent Archaeological Museum, the Triumphal Arch (Porta Makedonia) , and dozens of bridges and footbridges. The embankment of the Wardar River, with large colorful barges swaying, has also changed its appearance.

Two faces of Skopje

Wardar divides the capital into two parts. The left one is more representative, with Macedonia Square with the already mentioned Warrior on a Horse, fountains that play and flash with colored lights at night, and the Arc de Triomphe. Next to the main square of Skopje, there is Macedonia Street with Mother Teresa's House. There is also a railway station building, ruined by an earthquake. The clock on his wall still shows the time of the first shock.

There is a stone bridge along Macedonia Square, which takes you to Czarszija - the right-hand part of the city, inhabited by the Albanian (Muslim) minority. It has retained the old style with Turkish baths and stalls, a bazaar and clubs scattered here and there. There are also rakija bars, pubs and pubs. In the Old Bazaar (Stara Carsija) you can buy great baklava and other sweets as well as all types of fruit and vegetables.

Where to stay in Skopje?

Tourists interested in staying at a campsite will certainly not be pleased that there is only one such facility in the vicinity of Skopje, and in addition it is expensive (approx. 30 euro for a stay of 2 people). This is Auto Camp Bellevue Skopje , located at the Hotel Bellevue, by the highway, approx. 8 km from the center of the capital.

Skopje is a city where we can come across something that will amaze us at every turn. It is definitely worth visiting, if only to compare the atmosphere in both parts of the Macedonian capital. Before hitting the road it is good to know the current traffic regulations in North Macedonia.