Destination 》Europe 》Central and Eastern Europe 》North Macedonia 》North Macedonia
Year Visited: 2018 – September
After a week in Kosovo, my Son and I continued our backpacking through the Balkans journey towards south to Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia.
North Macedonia, a Balkan nation and one of the Republics of former Yugoslavia, is a landlocked country in the Central Europe. Until Feb 2019 the country was known as a Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, FYRM or FYR Macedonia,
North Macedonia is dotted with beautiful Orthodox churches, monasteries, and Ottoman mosques. The territory of the North Macedonia has a long history, rules by the Achaemenid Persians in 6th century BC, Greeks, Romans, Slavic tribes, Bulgarian Empire, Ottoman Turks for 500 years. North Macedonia has been part of many countries and empires, but until its incorporation into Yugoslavia by Tito in 1945 it was never acknowledged as an administrative ‘State’.
International recognition of North Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 was delayed by Greece’s objection to the new state’s use of what Greece considered a “Hellenic name and symbols.” Greece finally lifted its trade blockade in 1995, and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, despite continued disagreement over the use of “Macedonia” in the name. On 25 January 2019 the ratification process was completed and the country officially changed its name to North Macedonia.
Below are two cities we made base and explored near by towns during our a week-long travel around North Macedonia. Click on any City to view my travel photos and stories.
After a week in North Macedonia, we continued our backpacking through the Balkans journey towards south to Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece.
Window on the World 