MACADONIA

Macedonia officially the Republic of Macedonia is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991. Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in art, architecture, poetry, and music. It has many ancient, protected religious sites. Poetry, cinema, and music festivals are held annually. Macedonian music styles developed under the strong influence of Byzantine church music. Macedonia has a significant number of preserved Byzantine fresco paintings, mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are several thousands square meters of fresco painting preserved, the major part of which is in very good condition and represent masterworks of the Macedonian School of ecclesiastical painting. Tourism is an important part of the economy of the Republic of Macedonia. The country’s large abundance of natural and cultural attractions make it an attractive destination of visitors. It receives about 700,000 tourists annually. Capital: Skopje Best Time of Visit: 1.Temperatures vary widely: summer temperatures can reach 40°C, while in winter it can drop as low as minus 30°C. 2.The average annual temperatures are above 10°C almost everywhere. Summers are hot and dry, while in winter the snow falls in the mountains from November to April. 3.The best time to enjoy Macedonia is between May and September, and the peak tourist season is from mid-July to mid-August, when locals take their holidays. Min Days Required: 6 days Places of Interest: 1.Skopje – Stone bridge, Millennium Cross, Skopje Aqueduct 2.Ohrid– Lake Ohrid, St. Jovan Kaneo, Plaoshnik, SvetiNaum Monastery, National Park Galicica 3.Krusevo – St Nikola Church, St Jovan Church, Museum of Ilinden Uprising 4.Bitola – Old Bazaar, DebojAmam, Jeni Mosque, Bezisten, Clock Tower 5.Tetovo – Popovasapka, Pena, Arabati Baba Teḱe Climate: 1.Macedonia has four seasons weather, but the lengths of the seasons vary based on geography. The spring is often very short. 2.Summers are subtropical so it is not uncommon to see temperatures of above 40 °C (104 °F) during this season, especially in the plains along the valley of the Vardar river. 3.Winters, although moderate, can sometimes be quite cold. Snowfalls during winter are common and sometimes heavy. 4.The average annual temperature of the air is 11.5 °C (53 °F), but the plains experience higher temperatures, 15 °C (59 °F). 5.The warmest month is July, which has an average temperature of 22.2 °C (72 °F) and the coldest is January, with a temperature of 0.3 °C (33 °F). 6.The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in Macedonia to date are 44.5 °C (112 °F) and −31.5 °C (−25 °F), respectively. 7.The rainfall is abundant in the western and eastern parts of the country, but the temperature decreases significantly in the Vardar region. This region sees warmer winters through the Vardarec wind. This wind comes up from the mouth of the Vardar river and brings warm air. 8.Skopje, considered a low-lying city, has an average of 64 rainy days per year. 9.The month of October is the wettest with 61 mm; the driest is August with 28 mm. Rains are most common in the spring and fall Currency: Macedonian Denar Things to carry: 1.If you’re visiting during the spring or autumn you should pack literally all your clothes as the weather can be very unpredictable, from 30 °C to a chilly 10 °C. Especially make sure you bring your jackets, some long sleeved pants and shirts and an umbrella since it is quite possible to have some rain. 2.Summertime is quite hot and dry so make sure you bring lots of light colored clothes to fend off the sunrays as well as your swimsuit for the aqua parks and pools, and lakes. Your eyeglasses is a must which, besides making you look cool at the beach bars on the coast of Lake Ohrid, they protect your eyes from the high UV exposure. 3.Winters can be quite harsh in Macedonia, so make sure you pack enough thick and woolen clothes to protect you from the crisp air. If you’re a skier or a snowboarder then there’s no need to tell you what to pack, but in case you forget something, don’t worry as prices here are lower than other ski resorts, both for buying and renting. 4.Mosquito repellent is a must when visiting during the summer period. 5.Sun cream and protection is also very important during the summer, as UV exposure can get quite high. 6.Visiting monasteries, churches or mosques require some dressing rules; long pants with not too revealing tops, t-shirts, and shirts are advised for women and men alike. 7.Comfortable shoes for hiking and walking around the cities. 8.We would advise to bring your own prescription medicine as obtaining the doctors note to buy them here can take you valuable time off your sightseeing. Other over the counter medicine is abound and there is plenty of choice and the pharmacists also speak English, but hopefully you won’t need them. How to get there: Air: 1.Republic of Macedonia has two international airports, the main airport in the capital Skopje “Alexander the Great Airport” (SKP) and another in Ohrid “St.Paul the Apostle Airport” (OHD). 2.Another option to travel into Republic of Macedonia is to fly to Thessaloniki (SKG) or to Sofia (SOF) and get a taxi or bus from there.