We arrived in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, on a searing hot 85F day. This is the very-French Arch over the Old Town.
The Peter the Great statue in the center of Old Town, which rises 75 feet high. It's crazy.
The French-style architecture and statues were very impressive until we discovered that everything was built in 2014, for the "Skopje 2014" festival.
The Stone Bridge is the only real artifact, built in the 13th century.
My official Skopje photo :)
I LOVED this sculpture under the Stone Bridge- a red-swimsuit-clad swimmer and her puppy!
More impressive (but new) statues in Old Town.
The new Town Hall/Art Museum spanning the Vardar River.
The insanely ornate (AND NEW) statues on the (NEW) bridge. This place felt like Vegas Meets Versailles.
There are essentially 2 Old Towns in Skopje; the Christian side, with all the new statues, and the Turkish side, which is much more authentic.
On the Turkish side is Skopje Fortress, a castle overlooking the city. It's just ruins and ramparts, but pretty (and free).
A Macedonia specialty: Yellow Rakja, or "Turpentine."
Cheers for Rakja!
Peter the Great at sunset.
At night, we returned to Old Town; I will admit it has some pretty cool lighting.
Peter the Great at night!
The Stone Bridge at night.
I conquer the Stone Bridge :)
The Skopje Fortress by night.
The next day we took a bus 3 hours southwest to Lake Ohrid, the "Jewel in Macedonia's Crown." Our guesthouse was right on the lake, up a steep hill, built into a rock hillside.
Macedonia