A wine-drenched taste of European cuisine, wild mountains and monasteries. Macedonia is medieval monasteries, vineyards, orchards, timeworn Turkish bazaars, Orthodox churches and space-age shopping centres. It is also the drone of the local bagpipes, Turkish-style grilled mincemeat and some of the cheapest wine on the planet. The country is unbelievably green; its people are hospitable and welcoming.
Capital: Skopje
President: Branko Crvenkovski
Prime Minister: Nikola Gruevski
Government: parliamentary democracy
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 25333
Population: 2045262
Languages:
A South Slavic language, closely related to Bulgarian.
Orthodox (67%), Muslim (30%)
Currency: Denar (MKD)
Country Dialing Code: 389
With the demise of JAT Yugoslav Airlines, a number of local carriers have emerged offering direct flights from Skopje to cities in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. There is also an international airport at Ohrid. The airport departure tax may not be included in your ticket. The international bus station in Skopje has buses to Sofia, Tirana, Istanbul and Belgrade daily and to Munich twice weekly. To and from Albania, you can travel between Tetovo and Tirana by bus or walk across the border at Sveti Naum near Ohrid. Express trains run five times a day between Skopje and Belgrade, via a town called Ni š . Trains run twice a day between Skopje and Thessaloniki. If you're interested in travelling further into Greece, it's best to buy a ticket only to Thessaloniki and then get another on to Athens from there. There's no direct rail link between Macedonia and Bulgaria, and the train's not recommended for travel between Sofia and Skopje as you're forced to change trains in Serbia.
Bus travel is well developed in Macedonia with frequent services from Skopje to Ohrid, Bitola, Tetovo and major regional towns. In the summer holidays it pays to book buses to/from Ohrid a day or two in advance. Macedonia's trains are quaint, cheap and wind through some marvellous scenery. The train from Skopje to Bitola, takes four hours to cover 230km (140mi).
Macedonia's summers are hot and dry though cool nights take the edge off. Warm Aegean winds blowing up the Vardar Valley moderate the continental conditions prevailing farther north. The temperatures can vary widely: summer temperatures can reach 40° C (104° F), while in winter it can drop as low as -30° C (-22° F). Snow falls on all the mountainous areas from November to April.
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