Neighbourhood guide · Skopje, North Macedonia
Macedonia Square & the centre
South of the river, Macedonia Square is the city’s living room, with the Warrior on a Horse fountain, the Mother Teresa Memorial House on Makedonija street and cafés along the Vardar.
About Macedonia Square & the centre
From the square, pedestrian Makedonija street runs south past the Memorial House of Mother Teresa to the old railway station, now the Museum of the City. The GTC shopping centre is beside the square, and the Kej 13 Noemvri promenade follows the river.
The centre mixes the 2010s buildings along the Vardar with the concrete landmarks of the post-earthquake city.
Where Macedonia Square & the centre is
Our 106 places in Macedonia Square & the centre
Restaurants in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Recipes handed down
Amanet Gastro Point
A warm, modern restaurant for traditional Macedonian cooking, open from breakfast to midnight.
Jordan Mijalkov 62Explore View on map
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Something different
Amigos Mexican Cantina
A Mexican cantina on Makedonija street, the pedestrian street south of the square.
Makedonija 11Explore View on map
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On the river
Bella Vista
An international restaurant on the Kej 13 Noemvri riverside promenade.
Kej 13 Noemvri 2/4Explore View on map
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A long-running favourite
Čardak
A traditional restaurant known for grills on wooden boards, pies and regular live music.
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At the Marriott
Distrikt
The restaurant of the Skopje Marriott, on Macedonia Square.
Maksim Gorki 7Explore View on map
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Modern and central
Dropstop
A modern European and Mediterranean restaurant on Maksim Gorki street, near Macedonia Square.
Maksim Gorki 31AExplore View on map
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Bohemian since 1965
Gostilnica Jole
A downtown kafana on Maksim Gorki that has been a meeting place for Skopje’s bohemians since 1965, with live music at weekends.
Maksim Gorki 18Explore View on map
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Grilled over charcoal
Gostilnica Ka
A central gostilnica with meat grilled over charcoal and a wood-burning fireplace in winter.
Mitropolit Teodosij Gologanov 32bExplore View on map
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Italian in the GTC
Kaj Gino
An Italian restaurant in the GTC shopping centre beside Macedonia Square.
GTC 205Explore View on map
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More than a decade
Kantina Urban Bistro
A relaxed urban bistro with Mediterranean dishes, Asian-inspired plates and handmade burgers.
Radnjanska 4/1Explore View on map
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In a five-star hotel
Limak Restaurant
The elegant restaurant of the five-star Limak Skopje hotel, mixing international, Turkish, Italian and local cooking.
Železnička 31Explore View on map
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Wine and modern cooking
Pastel Wine & Dine
A modern restaurant and wine bar on Kliment Ohridski boulevard.
Bulevar Kliment Ohridski 66Explore View on map
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On the main square
Pelister
A restaurant and café on Macedonia Square, blending Macedonian and Mediterranean dishes.
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A family business since 2005
Plaza de Toros
A rustic, cosy ‘grand café’ by the Vardar, serving meze, desserts and full meals from breakfast to dinner.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
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A Greek head chef
Plaza Fish
A modern Mediterranean fish restaurant in the TCC Grand Plaza hotel, with a Greek head chef.
Bulevar 8mi Septemvri 2/2Explore View on map
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A soup for every taste
Restoran Nacional
A homely restaurant with what may be the city’s biggest choice of soups.
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Moored on the Vardar
Senigallia
A hotel, bar and restaurant on a boat moored on the Vardar in the city centre, with a terrace on deck.
Kej 13 Noemvri 5Explore View on map
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On the river quay
Soul Kitchen
Macedonian and Balkan cooking with a modern touch, on the Vardar quay beside the GTC and at East Gate Mall.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
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The old house
Stara Kuќa
A restaurant in an old house on Pajko Maalo, with traditional Macedonian cooking.
Pajko Maalo 14Explore View on map
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On the square since 2002
Trend
A lounge restaurant and café on Macedonia Square, open since 2002, with international food and cocktails.
Macedonia SquareExplore View on map
Cafés in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Brunch near the square
Blueberry & Basil
A brunch and coffee café on Maksim Gorki, a short walk from Macedonia Square, with everything made from scratch.
Maksim Gorki 20Explore View on map
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Books and coffee
Bukva Café-Bookstore
A café-bar and bookshop on Makedonija, the main pedestrian street, with a terrace and literary events.
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Industrial style
Coffee Factory
A modern, industrial-style coffee bar with trained baristas and beans to take home.
Leninova 33Explore View on map
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Coffee and pretzels
FORTY3 Specialty Coffee & Pretzels
A small specialty coffee bar on Kairska with filter coffee, cold brew and freshly baked pretzels, open early.
Kairska 43Explore View on map
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Breakfast on Makedonija street
Joy Café & Bakery
A café and bakery on pedestrian Makedonija street, for breakfast, sandwiches and coffee.
MakedonijaExplore View on map
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Coffee by day, music by night
Kafe Li
A café-bar that turns into a music venue in the evening, with live music and DJs.
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Mosaics and lamps
Kashmir Art Caffe
An arty café with mosaic walls, low-hanging lamps and a stone fountain, with teas as well as coffee.
Nikola Trimpare 8Explore View on map
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Peanut shells on the floor
Piazza Liberta
A family-run café and bar where guests throw their peanut shells on the floor, from breakfast to evening beers.
Dimitrija Čupovski 24Explore View on map
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Two flavours, endless toppings
Radost
A tiny ice-cream counter on Maksim Gorki that sells only chocolate and vanilla, with dozens of toppings.
Bars in Macedonia Square & the centre
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An oasis of plants
Brown Sugar Café & Bar
A plant-filled café-bar that is as good for coffee as for cocktails, with DJs at weekends and a welcome for dogs.
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House beer on the square
Kolektiv
Part craft-beer pub, part restaurant on Macedonia Square, from the family behind the Old Bazaar’s pioneering microbrewery.
Macedonia SquareExplore View on map
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Cocktails by the river
Owl Mixology Bar
A cocktail bar on the Kej 13 Noemvri promenade by the Vardar.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
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On the riverfront
St. Patrick Irish Pub
An Irish pub on the riverside promenade, with a terrace over the Vardar.
Kej 13 NoemvriExplore View on map
Nightlife in Macedonia Square & the centre
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DJs most weekends
BKW Hybrid Bar
A bar that turns into a club, with regular DJ nights from Skopje’s house and disco crews and visiting guests.
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Electronic music
Club Epicentar
An electronic-music club near the St Clement of Ohrid cathedral, with an open-air venue in summer.
Bulevar Kliment Ohridski 60aExplore View on map
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Summer nights by the Vardar
The Kej by night
The riverside promenade along the Vardar, with bars and terraces that stay busy late in summer.
Hotels in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Steps from the square
Alexandar Square Boutique Hotel
A boutique hotel on Nikola Vapcarov street, a minute from Macedonia Square.
Nikola Vapcarov 13AExplore View on map
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A friendly hostel
Hi Skopje Hostel
A hostel in a house with a garden, south of the centre.
Rilski Kongres 26Explore View on map
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Steps from the square
Holiday Inn Express Skopje City Centre
An IHG hotel on Vasil Iljoski, a few minutes from Macedonia Square, the Stone Bridge and the Old Bazaar, with breakfast included.
Vasil Iljoski 5Explore View on map
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By the river
Holiday Inn Skopje
A long-established international hotel on the south bank of the Vardar, near the square.
Moša Pijade 2Explore View on map
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A certified green hotel
Hotel Centar
A central hotel that describes itself as the city’s certified ‘green’ hotel, with guest access to a fitness centre and an Olympic pool.
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Opened in 2023
Hotel Macedonia Square
A newer hotel on 11 Oktomvri street, near the square, opened in 2023.
11 Oktomvri 5Explore View on map
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Rooms above the square
Hotel Pelister
A small hotel above the Pelister restaurant on Macedonia Square.
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Family-owned
Hotel Vlaho
A family-owned 3-star boutique hotel on a quiet street in central Skopje.
9-ti Maj 3Explore View on map
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Large and lavish
Limak Skopje Luxury Hotel
A large luxury hotel a few minutes south of the centre, with a spa and a casino.
Železnička 31Explore View on map
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Near the Opera
Opera House Hotel
A hotel east of the centre, near the Opera and Ballet and the river.
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Sleep on the Vardar
Senigallia Hotel
A hotel on a boat moored on the Vardar in the city centre, with a bar and restaurant on board.
Kej 13 Noemvri 5Explore View on map
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Near the bus station
Shanti Hostel
A small hostel five minutes’ walk from the bus station and ten from the centre, with bike hire and airport transfers.
Rade Jovčevski Korčagin 11Explore View on map
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On Macedonia Square
Skopje Marriott Hotel
An international luxury hotel right on Macedonia Square, with a spa and an indoor pool.
Maksim Gorki 7Explore View on map
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Boutique by the square
Solun Hotel & Spa
A boutique hotel and spa on Nikola Vapcarov street, just off Macedonia Square.
Nikola Vapcarov 10Explore View on map
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Friendly and central
Urban Hostel
A friendly hostel in the centre, with rooms and dorms and help planning trips to Matka and Vodno.
Goran Stefanovski 22Explore View on map
Sights in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Brutalist icon
Central Post Office
Janko Konstantinov’s post office and telecommunications centre on the Vardar, one of the great buildings of post-1963 Skopje.
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A brutalist mall of 1973
City Trade Center (GTC)
A long 1970s shopping centre beside Macedonia Square, part of the post-earthquake city.
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An Ottoman-era tower
Feudal Tower
A stone tower house from the Ottoman period in the centre, one of the few of its kind left in the city.
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The heart of the city
Macedonia Square & the Warrior on a Horse
The main square of Skopje, with the Warrior on a Horse fountain, monuments and cafés.
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Where Mother Teresa was born
Memorial House of Mother Teresa
A memorial house and chapel on Makedonija street, near the site of the church where Mother Teresa was baptised.
Makedonija 9Explore View on map
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The back story
Mother Teresa’s Skopje: the back story
The girl born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje in 1910 became Mother Teresa of Calcutta. A memorial house stands on the street where she grew up.
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A 2010s triumphal arch
Porta Macedonia
A triumphal arch at the southern side of Macedonia Square, decorated with reliefs.
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The symbol of Skopje
Stone Bridge
The 15th-century stone bridge over the Vardar, linking Macedonia Square with the Old Bazaar.
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The back story
The 2010s city on the Vardar: the back story
Columns, domes, fountains, bronze figures, a triumphal arch and galleons on the river: the 2010s transformed the centre of Skopje into an open-air gallery of classical styles.
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Statues over the river
The bridges of the Vardar
The Art Bridge and the Bridge of Civilisations, pedestrian bridges lined with statues.
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Kenzo Tange’s Skopje
Transport Centre & the City Wall
The railway station on concrete stilts and the long housing blocks of the City Wall, built to Kenzo Tange’s post-earthquake plan.
Arts & Culture in Macedonia Square & the centre
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English-language books
Akademska Kniga
A large bookshop with shelves of English-language books, from novels to art books and technical titles.
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A 1974 theatre, renewed
Albanian Theatre
The national Albanian-language theatre, in a building opened in 1974 as the Theatre of Nationalities, with a 350-seat main hall.
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The Macedonian ruby
Deko: Macedonian Ruby
A tiny shop of crystals, minerals and fossils that cuts and sets the rare Macedonian ruby in gold, silver and filigree.
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Concerts, poetry and exhibitions
House of Culture Kočo Racin
A city cultural centre named after the poet Kočo Racin, with concerts, exhibitions, literary evenings and a multilingual programme.
Dimitrie Čupovski 20AExplore View on map
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Literary publisher
Ili-Ili
The bookshop of the literary publisher Ili-Ili, for Macedonian and translated literature, essays and poetry.
Vasil Glavinov 3Explore View on map
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505 seats in the GTC
Kino Milenium
The Youth Cultural Center’s big screen in the GTC, with 505 seats, European films, Macedonian premieres and blockbusters.
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Books on Makedonija street
Literatura.mk
A bookshop on the pedestrian Makedonija street, with books in Macedonian and English.
Makedonija 21Explore View on map
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A brutalist stage
Macedonian Opera and Ballet
The national opera and ballet, in a striking concrete building of 1979 on the Vardar.
Bulevar Goce Delčev 4Explore View on map
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The orchestra’s new hall
Macedonian Philharmonic
The national orchestra, in its modern concert hall on the Vardar.
Bulevar Goce Delčev 2Explore View on map
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In a 1924 railway building
Mala Stanica – National Gallery
The National Gallery’s multimedia centre for contemporary art, in a small 1924 railway station building.
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Where Mother Teresa was born
Memorial House of Mother Teresa
A memorial house and chapel on Makedonija street, near the site of the church where Mother Teresa was baptised.
Makedonija 9Explore View on map
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In the old railway station
Museum of the City of Skopje
The city museum in the ruined old railway station, its clock stopped at 5:17 on 26 July 1963.
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Founded in 1944
National and University Library “St Kliment Ohridski”
The country’s national library, founded in 1944, in a purpose-built 1972 building on Bulevar Goce Delčev.
Bulevar Goce Delčev 6Explore View on map
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The symbol of Skopje
Stone Bridge
The 15th-century stone bridge over the Vardar, linking Macedonia Square with the Old Bazaar.
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Comedy on stage
Teatar Komedija (Comedy Theatre)
Skopje’s theatre dedicated to comedy, on Bulevar Kliment Ohridski.
Bulevar Kliment Ohridski 27Explore View on map
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For young audiences
Theatre for Children and Youth
Skopje’s theatre for children and young people, with plays for every age from little ones to teenagers.
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Kenzo Tange’s Skopje
Transport Centre & the City Wall
The railway station on concrete stilts and the long housing blocks of the City Wall, built to Kenzo Tange’s post-earthquake plan.
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Concerts and festivals
Youth Cultural Centre (MKC)
A cultural centre by the river for concerts, film and festivals, home to the Skopje Jazz Festival’s organisers.
Kej Dimitar Vlahov 13Explore View on map
Cinema in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Summer evenings
Cinematheque open-air cinema
The Cinematheque of North Macedonia’s outdoor screen, which reopens each year around the end of May for summer screenings.
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505 seats in the GTC
Kino Milenium
The Youth Cultural Center’s big screen in the GTC, with 505 seats, European films, Macedonian premieres and blockbusters.
Parks & nature in Macedonia Square & the centre
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A green square
Park Žena Borec
A small park in the centre, near the Parliament and the Holocaust Memorial Center’s neighbours.
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Walk along the river
The Vardar quays
Riverside promenades along both banks of the Vardar, from City Park to the centre and beyond.
Walks in Macedonia Square & the centre
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The city rebuilt after 1963
Modernist Skopje
A walk through the concrete landmarks of the city rebuilt after the 1963 earthquake, from the old station to the post office.
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Walk along the river
The Vardar quays
Riverside promenades along both banks of the Vardar, from City Park to the centre and beyond.
Shopping in Macedonia Square & the centre
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English-language books
Akademska Kniga
A large bookshop with shelves of English-language books, from novels to art books and technical titles.
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Everyday Skopje
Bunjakovec
An older shopping centre in the centre, with small shops, cafés and a busy green market beside it.
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Shopping by the square
City Trade Center (GTC) shops
The central 1970s shopping centre beside Macedonia Square.
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The Macedonian ruby
Deko: Macedonian Ruby
A tiny shop of crystals, minerals and fossils that cuts and sets the rare Macedonian ruby in gold, silver and filigree.
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Gourmet Avenue
Diamond Mall
A modern mall in the centre with a ‘Gourmet Avenue’ of restaurants, a children’s edutainment zone and shops for every need.
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Flowers for every occasion
Flower market
A small cluster of flower kiosks east of the old railway station, selling flowers and plants from morning to late evening.
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Literary publisher
Ili-Ili
The bookshop of the literary publisher Ili-Ili, for Macedonian and translated literature, essays and poetry.
Vasil Glavinov 3Explore View on map
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Estate wines in town
Kamnik Wine Shop
The city-centre wine shop of Chateau Kamnik, the boutique winery on the edge of Skopje.
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Swiss chocolate
Lindt Chocolate Shop
A Lindt boutique on Maksim Gorki for Swiss chocolates, pralines and gift boxes.
Maksim Gorki 3AExplore View on map
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Books on Makedonija street
Literatura.mk
A bookshop on the pedestrian Makedonija street, with books in Macedonian and English.
Makedonija 21Explore View on map
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The first modern mall, 2005
Ramstore Mall
The centre’s original shopping mall, opened in 2005, with more than 70 shops, restaurants and services on three levels.
Sv. Kiril i Metodij 13Explore View on map
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The country’s best-known winery
Tikveš Wine Shop
The Skopje shop of Tikveš, the country’s largest and best-known winery, for its everyday, heritage and estate wines.
Fitness + Spa in Macedonia Square & the centre
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A Turkish hammam
Limak Spa & Hammam
The spa of the five-star Limak Skopje hotel, with a Turkish hammam and six treatment rooms, including rooms for couples.
Železnička 31Explore View on map
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Indoor pool off the square
Wellness at Solun Hotel & Spa
The wellness centre of the Solun Hotel & Spa, steps from Macedonia Square, with an indoor pool and massages.
Nikola Vapcarov 10Explore View on map
Medical in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Emergency centre
University Clinic for Surgical Diseases “St Naum Ohridski”
The public surgical hospital known as the City Surgery, with an emergency centre, traumatology and a burns centre, staffed 24 hours.
11 Oktomvri 53Explore View on map
Getting around in Macedonia Square & the centre
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Trains and long-distance buses
Transport Centre (trains & intercity buses)
The main railway station and the intercity bus station, in Kenzo Tange’s Transport Centre east of the centre.
See the full list: Getting Around Skopje: Airport, Buses, Taxis & Onward Travel