…be a driver. Or better yet, a passenger princess like my friend who I drove around highways, narrow alleys, uphill serpentines and lawless town streets for five days. Because hidden gems of Macedonia are sometimes random stops along the road between set destinations. 

Coming to Macedonia, excluding Skopje, your first and possibly only stop is Ohrid. Shiny lake, charming old centre with traditional architecture, a different church for every day and incredible views, topped by delicious Macedonian food. Ohrid was one of the main stops on my trip around Macedonia. I knew I wanted to visit after hearing only praises about how endearing it is. After arriving there I was stunned, but not just in a good way. Following a road through less-known spots, Ohrid didn’t even feel like Macedonia to me. It felt like a tourist trap.

Don’t get me wrong, Ohrid is truly beautiful. Walking through narrow streets between asymmetrical houses to get on a wooden path on water leading to an old church surrounded by cherry blossoms in full bloom with a breathtaking view of Ohrid lake and mountains with snowy tips in the background was an unforgettable experience. Strolling a promenade in the morning to get to the old bazaar took me back to my childhood and family vacations in Croatia’s beach towns. The sunburn my friend ended up with on that day only strengthened the experience. On the other hand, if you wanted to go for a relaxing vacation to a picturesque beachside town, you might share the experience with thousands of tourists even in early spring.

“So, where else can I go then?”. Well, I’m glad you asked. While Ohrid or Skopje are a must-see for many, exploring some lesser-known gems might make up for interesting stories you will be telling your grandchildren years later. And thanks to the size of Macedonia, you can explore a lot even in just a day or two.

Wanna walk through historical streets with nice architecture? A stroll through Shirok Sokak in Bitola feels like you are in Prague or Paris. Veles built on the edge of hills lures you in with a maze of narrow alleys, and houses old and new just outside of centre. Krushevo on the mountain top wins you over with red roof tops one after another sticking out like mushrooms. You might even enjoy some brutalist moderna in Prilep right next to Old bazaar. 

“But what about the churches?”. No worries, dear traveler, with thousands of churches and monasteries around Macedonia, you will be over-churched for the rest of your days. To give you an idea, just outside of Veles is the monastery of St. Demetrius with a church full of old frescos that appear to emit light. The Church of Holy Metamorphosis in Prilep looks almost like a castle and the monastery of St. Archangel Michael welcomes you with a peaceful silence right outside of the town. St. Parasekva in Bitola surprises you with non-traditional modernist design even though you can’t get in. If you truly want to be swept off your feet, monasteries near the small villages of Rostushe and Rajcica are out of this world. Intricate architecture, golden chandeliers with ostrich eggs, elaborate wood carvings on iconostas and so much more with barely any visitors and chance to buy bee’s products produced by monks. Just make sure you don’t accidentally end up attending someone’s funeral when entering a church next to a cemetery. If I had a denar for each time it happened I would have two denars, which is not much but still weird that it happened twice. 

“Okay, but what about the promenade and the lake?”. Shh, I’m not done yet. If you want to take a nice walk on a promenade, Struga gots you covered. The town is basically cut in half by a promenade on Black Drin River or you can walk along the beach of Ohrid Lake as well. For the lake views there are so many options you could make a holiday just out of that. You can see Ohrid from Gorno Konjsko or the mountain passageway through Galicica. Or you can go to a church above Podmochani and enjoy a view of the equally stunning lake Prespa from a place where it will be just you, the view and a giant cross over your head. And if you have time, you might even go for some urbex in Hotel Evropa on the other side of Prespa. 

When you get hungry on your trip, just enter any kafana where you see a group of men above the age of 50 drinking beer and smoking. That’s where you can eat your fill of kebapi, pastrmalija, shopska salad and even gjomleze.

As for souvenirs, you can get the basic ones everywhere, even in monasteries, but if you find a small store out of site with weird opening hours like in Veles, or seemingly unattended stall with colourful ceramic souvenirs just a bit outside of the main square of Resen, you are in the right place for something authentic. 

There is so much more to Macedonia that didn’t fit in here. I could go on about random monuments scattered around the country or how there are cats and dogs at the most unexpected places, or the breathtaking views from mountain routes. Macedonia is a beautiful place on Earth and not even 5 days on the road were enough to see all of it, so if you get a chance to be here, try thinking bigger and open yourself up to more niche destinations. 

Dáša Holecová