Ten things you didn't know about Skopje

If you are looking for an unusual city break destination, then the capital city of North Macedonia will intrigue you as much as delight you. Here are ten things mostly unknow about Skopje to entice you to visit the city on your next city break:

#1

It had a different name

Skopje (pronounced sco-piye) is at least 7,000 years old and was originally called Scupi which came from the Ancient Greek word.

#2

It is geographically unique

Skopje sits in the centre of the Balkans. It is the capital city of North Macedonia and reaches as far as Kosovo with which it shares a border. The city is also close to the Vodno mountain which stands at 1,061 meters high and the Matka gorges.

#3

It was mostly occupied by foreign forces for most of its existence

Successively part of the Byzantine, Bulgarian and Serbian empires, it was also under Ottoman occupation for 500 years. Skopje is a curious mix of cultures and religions as proven by the Old Bazaar in the city centre, countless mosques and Greek Orthodox churches coexisting harmoniously.

#4

It was 80% destroyed in an earthquake

In 1963, Skopje was mostly destroyed by an earthquake. Then part of Yugoslavia, it was rebuilt from the ground up. Following this tragic event, it gained the nickname of Phoenix city.

#5

The buses there are identical to London's double-deckers

Today, a quarter of Macedonians live in the capital. Since 2011, most of them commute into the city on red double-decker buses. Inspired by London’s retro AEC Routemasters, the old buses were purchased by the Yugoslavian government in the 1950s and repurposed for service in Skopje until 1963.

#6

The North Macedonian government built almost 300 statues city wide to boost tourism

In 2010, project “Skopje 2014” was launched to boost tourism. The remodelling task involved the construction of museums, fountains, bridges and no less than 284 new statues. There are no fewer than 29 of them on the Art Bridge crossing the Vardar River, which is only one short of the 30 statues ornamenting the Charles Bridge in Prague. Skopje, therefore, earned the name of “city of statues”.

#7

Alexander the Great holds a special place in the city centre

The largest statue stands at a whooping 22 meters. Made of bronze, it represents the emperor as a warrior king. The statue itself is so large that it dwarves its surroundings and has sparked some controversy between North Macedonia and its southern neighbour, Greece.

#8

Your purse is going to like it

The currency of North Macedonia is the Macedonian Denar (MKD), its current exchange rate is £0.014 for MKD 1. To give you an idea, a pint of local beer is about MDK 140 (£1.88), a cappuccino will set you back about MKD 100 (£1.35) and a meal for two at a local restaurant will cost you about MKD 600 (£8).

#9

It birthed a Nobel Prize Winner

Skopje is where Mother Teresa was born in 1912. At the time, the city was under Ottoman occupation. This makes the city the birthplace of the only Nobel Prize winner born in North Macedonia.

#10

It is one of the least visited cities in Europe.

Skopje is mostly unknown. I first went in 2017 ad they were very few tourists. It seems that Skopje still suffers from unpopularity to the benefit of other cities such as Athens or Dubrovnik. If you wish to avoid the crowds and stay off the beaten path, Skopje is where you should go. The North Macedonian hospitality has nothing to envy to any other country. It is one the countries I have visited where I have experienced the best welcome as a solo traveling women. It is also very safe.

Skopje’s blend of history, culture, and modern transformations cements its status as a unique and evolving Balkan capital.