About

About ULTIMATE Skopje City Guide

ULTIMATE Skopje City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Skopje, North Macedonia. We publish 15 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, nightlife, hotels, sights, arts & culture, cinema, parks & nature, walks, shopping, fitness + spa, medical, car hire and getting around. Together they cover the Old Bazaar and Kale, Macedonia Square and the centre, Debar Maalo, Karpoš and City Park, Mount Vodno, and the country beyond: Lake Ohrid and St Naum, Matka Canyon, Mavrovo, Bitola and Heraclea, and the Tikveš wine region and Stobi.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Our lists draw on local knowledge, official sources and recent reviews, and every place is checked against maps and its own website or recent reports. We look for quality, character and a genuine sense of North Macedonia, from kebapi grills and Debar Maalo kafanas to wine bars and lakeside monasteries.

Before you go

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change often, especially in the mountains and at the lake. Please check directly with each venue before you visit. North Macedonia uses the denar (MKD); our price guides run from € (budget) to €€€€ (special occasion), shown in euro-equivalent bands.

For venues

Run a venue in Skopje and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The cable car to the Millennium Cross, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Macedonian ajvar, by Sentimentalna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Matka and St Andrew’s Monastery in the canyon, by Македонец, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arches of the Skopje Aqueduct, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Archaeological Museum of North Macedonia on the Vardar, by Pudelek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The auditorium of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Art Bridge over the Vardar, by Melilac, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens, by Nikos Kitsakis, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls and a tower of Kale fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kujundžiska street in the Old Bazaar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of low shops in the Old Bazaar, by miketnorton, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kujundžiska street in the Old Bazaar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade, by Zcvetkovic, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A paved lane in Skopje’s Old Bazaar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bigorski Monastery, by Pudelek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Širok Sokak in Bitola, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clock tower in Bitola, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The reconstructed pile dwellings at the Bay of Bones, by ZLatko Menkinoski, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burek with cheese, by Тиверополник, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Skopje city bus, by Robot8A, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cable car to the Millennium Cross, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kujundžiska street in the Old Bazaar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road to Mavrovo through autumn woods, with snowy peaks ahead, by Bogoevski, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje City Mall, home of the Cineplexx multiplex, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• City Park in Skopje, by Makedonski biseri, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The clock tower and the Sultan Murat Mosque, by Darko Nikolovski, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Cross on Mount Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Daut Pasha Hamam, by aiva., licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of low shops in the Old Bazaar, by miketnorton, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St Demetrius, by Soghomon Matevosyan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Demir Kapija gorge, by This illustration was made by Rašo. , licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Duf waterfall at Rostuše, by This illustration was made by Rašo. , licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Ohrid from Galičica National Park, by Nik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The valley at Galičnik, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje and the Vardar below Mount Vodno from the fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The curved glass façade of the Boris Trajkovski sports arena in Skopje, by Yemc, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The theatre of Heraclea Lyncestis, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A mosaic floor in the Great Basilica at Heraclea, by Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ottoman Stone Bridge over the Vardar in Skopje, by Robot8A, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Macedonia Square below Mount Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls and a tower of Kale fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje and the Vardar seen from Kale fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, by Cacar60, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The galleried courtyard of Kapan An in the Old Bazaar, by Darko Nikolovski, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kebapi, Skopje’s grilled sausages, by Gordana Adzieva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kratovo’s houses and an arched stone bridge in a green valley, by Rašo, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The arcaded courtyard of Kuršumli An, by Antidiskriminator, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A boat on the lake in Matka Canyon, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Treska river in Matka Canyon, by Kerem Sezen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside Vrelo Cave at Matka, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Mavrovo, by Miomir Magdevski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The submerged church of St Nicholas in Lake Mavrovo, by Alex Iva, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A city hospital building in central Skopje, by Photographer: Mosbatho, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Museum of Contemporary Art on Kale hill, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Murat Pasha Mosque, by Christian1311, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Museum of the City of Skopje in the old railway station, by Suicasmo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Mustafa Pasha Mosque above Skopje and the mountains, by Cacar60, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The churches of St Naum Monastery above Lake Ohrid, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The springs at St Naum, by Brams, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St Panteleimon at Gorno Nerezi, by Dominik.Tefert at German Wikipedia, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje and the Vardar below Mount Vodno from the fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ohrid’s old town, by Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ohrid’s lakeside houses below the Church of St John at Kaneo, by Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ancient theatre of Ohrid, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The auditorium of the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Cross on Mount Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A glacial lake in Pelister National Park, by Ptahhotep, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of the Holy Mother of God Perivlepta in Ohrid, by Explorer1940, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Macedonian Philharmonic hall, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Plaošnik, the site of St Clement’s monastery, by Alex Iva, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tasting room at Popova Kula winery, by Cibrev, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Porta Macedonia, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pristina at dusk, by Yoann.gonthier, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Grilled ćevapi with fries and kajmak, by young shanahan, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Café tables and the Sebilj fountain on Baščaršija, Sarajevo, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kotor’s old town and the bay from the fortress walls, Montenegro, by Jaakko Luttinen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tavče gravče with a glass of red wine, by Alextrajcheski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje and the Vardar below Mount Vodno from the fortress, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Samuel’s Fortress in Ohrid, by Miha Peče, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of the Holy Saviour, by Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of Roman Scupi, by Протогер, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane of low shops in the Old Bazaar, by miketnorton, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Ski lifts above Lake Mavrovo, by Charlie Marchant from UK, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St Sophia in Ohrid, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Macedonia Square below Mount Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge and the Archaeological Museum on the Vardar, by Julian Nyča, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ruins of Stobi, by Prince Roy, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mosaics at Stobi, by Pudelek (Marcin Szala), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ottoman Stone Bridge over the Vardar in Skopje, by Robot8A, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge and the Archaeological Museum on the Vardar, by Julian Nyča, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Black Drim flowing out of Lake Ohrid at Struga, by Делфина, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Suli An, by Nikolina Hristovska, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tavče gravče with a glass of red wine, by Alextrajcheski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Memorial House of Mother Teresa, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Painted Mosque in Tetovo, its walls covered in painted panels, below its minaret, by Vaurien, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Macedonian National Theatre, by Kiril Simeonovski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The White Tower of Thessaloniki, by Jaba1977, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Tikveš, by Sentimentalna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The cable car to the Millennium Cross, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vineyards in the Tikveš region, by Kiril Simeonovski, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje at sunset from the slopes of Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain on Macedonia Square, by Pudelek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walkway to the Tikveš wine cellars, by Güldem Üstün from Istanbul, TURKEY, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wines from Tikveš, by Македонец, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Snow on Mount Vodno, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skopje Zoo, by Dandarmkd, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.