Neighbourhood guide · Skopje, North Macedonia
The Old Bazaar & Kale
Across the Stone Bridge, the čaršija climbs towards the fortress: lanes of low shops and workshops, Ottoman inns and hammams, mosques and churches, and the smell of the grill.
About The Old Bazaar & Kale
The Old Bazaar grew on the north bank of the Vardar from the Middle Ages and flourished under the Ottomans. Kapan An, Suli An and Kuršumli An, the Daut Pasha and Čifte hammams, the Bezisten, the clock tower and the Mustafa Pasha Mosque are all within a few minutes of each other.
Above it rises Kale, with the Museum of Contemporary Art on its slope. Mornings are for the craftsmen and the market at Bit Pazar; evenings, for kebapi and a drink.
Where The Old Bazaar & Kale is
Our 56 places in The Old Bazaar & Kale
Restaurants in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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An Old Bazaar grill
Kaj Serdarot
A small, plain grill in the lanes of the Old Bazaar, where locals come for kebapi, bread and a salad.
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Kebapi since generations
Kebapčilnica Destan
The Old Bazaar’s best-known kebapi grill, with simple tables and a short menu.
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A bazaar classic
Kebapčilnica Turist
One of the long-standing kebapi grills of the Old Bazaar, with tables out on the lane.
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In a 15th-century inn
Pivnica An
A restaurant in the courtyard of Kapan An, one of the Old Bazaar’s Ottoman inns, with Macedonian classics under the arcades.
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Four decades in the bazaar
Teteks
A small, much-loved Old Bazaar grill known for its kebapi and its burgers, with a few tables inside and out.
Cafés in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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American bakes in the bazaar
K8
An American-style bakery café in the middle of the Old Bazaar, known for cheesecake and muffins.
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Low tables, old charm
Lachi Tea Room
An old-fashioned tea room in the Old Bazaar with low tables and benches, for tea and Turkish coffee.
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Sweets in the bazaar
Rigara
A sweet shop in the Old Bazaar, for something to go with your Turkish coffee.
Bars in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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Two floors in the bazaar
Austrian Palace
A big, lively bar-restaurant on two floors in the Old Bazaar, with a large terrace at the back in summer.
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Views over the bazaar
Panoramic Bar, Hotel Arka
The seventh-floor bar and roof terrace of the Hotel Arka, with views over the Old Bazaar and the mountains.
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Below the fortress
Pivnica Star Grad
A pub and restaurant at the foot of the fortress, on the edge of the Old Bazaar.
Gradište 1Explore View on map
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Taste the brandies
Rakija Bar
A small bar in the Old Bazaar for tasting rakija, the local fruit brandy.
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Beneath the old brewery
Temov Wine Bar
A small wine bar in a restored wooden building near the Church of the Holy Saviour, linked to the Old Town Brewery.
Hotels in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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Spa by the bazaar
Bushi Resort & Spa
A luxury hotel and spa beside the Old Bazaar, with a Turkish bath, sauna and salt room.
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At the bazaar’s edge
Hotel Arka
A hotel on Bitpazarska street at the edge of the Old Bazaar.
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By the Stone Bridge
Hotel Stone Bridge
A five-star hotel on the north bank of the Vardar, between the Stone Bridge and the Old Bazaar.
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Below the fortress
Old Stone Hotel
A hotel on Lazar Tanev street, between the fortress and the Old Bazaar.
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Sights in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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At the bazaar’s edge
Church of St Demetrius
An Orthodox church at the southern edge of the Old Bazaar, near the river.
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A treasure of woodcarving
Church of the Holy Saviour
A small church half below street level, with a magnificent carved wooden iconostasis.
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The oldest mosque in Skopje
Clock Tower & Sultan Murat Mosque
The 16th-century clock tower and the 15th-century Sultan Murat Mosque on the upper edge of the bazaar.
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Built in 1475–76
Isa Bey Mosque
A 15th-century mosque on the hill above the Old Bazaar, once the heart of a complex with a school, soup kitchen and library.
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The best view of the city
Kale Fortress
The medieval fortress on the hill above the Old Bazaar, with restored walls and wide views.
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A courtyard for dinner
Kapan An
A 15th-century han in the Old Bazaar whose courtyard now holds restaurants.
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The lead-roofed inn
Kuršumli An
A 16th-century caravanserai with an arcaded courtyard, now a lapidarium of the Archaeological Museum.
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Built in 1492
Mustafa Pasha Mosque
A beautifully proportioned 15th-century mosque on the hill between the bazaar and the fortress.
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One of the largest in the Balkans
Old Bazaar (Čaršija)
A maze of lanes, workshops, mosques, hans and hammams on the north bank of the Vardar.
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An inn turned art school
Suli An
A 15th-century caravanserai near Bit Pazar, now home to an art faculty.
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The back story
The Old Bazaar: the back story
Five centuries of trade on the north bank of the Vardar: caravanserais, hammams, mosques, churches, goldsmiths and kebapi grills in one of the largest old bazaars in the Balkans.
Arts & Culture in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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Treasures of antiquity
Archaeological Museum of North Macedonia
The national archaeological collection, from prehistory to the Middle Ages, on the north bank of the Vardar.
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Silver filigree
Argjira
A filigree jewellery workshop and shop in the Old Bazaar.
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A treasure of woodcarving
Church of the Holy Saviour
A small church half below street level, with a magnificent carved wooden iconostasis.
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The oldest mosque in Skopje
Clock Tower & Sultan Murat Mosque
The 16th-century clock tower and the 15th-century Sultan Murat Mosque on the upper edge of the bazaar.
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Remembering 1943
Holocaust Memorial Center for the Jews of Macedonia
A memorial museum to the Jewish communities of Macedonia, nearly all of whom were deported and killed in 1943.
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The best view of the city
Kale Fortress
The medieval fortress on the hill above the Old Bazaar, with restored walls and wide views.
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Gold and silver
Kujundžiska street
The goldsmiths’ street of the Old Bazaar, lined with jewellery shops.
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The national stage
Macedonian National Theatre
The national theatre on the north bank of the Vardar, rebuilt in its pre-earthquake style.
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A gift from Poland
Museum of Contemporary Art
A modernist museum on Kale hill, founded after the 1963 earthquake with works donated by artists from around the world.
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History and folk costume
Museum of Macedonia
The national museum in the Old Bazaar, with archaeological, historical and ethnological collections.
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History in wax and paint
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle
A history museum on the north bank of the Vardar, with paintings, documents and wax figures from the late Ottoman period onwards.
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Built in 1492
Mustafa Pasha Mosque
A beautifully proportioned 15th-century mosque on the hill between the bazaar and the fortress.
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The double bath
National Gallery – Čifte Hamam
A 15th-century double hammam in the Old Bazaar, now a gallery.
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Art under the domes
National Gallery – Daut Pasha Hamam
A 15th-century Turkish bath with many domes, now a gallery of the National Gallery of North Macedonia.
Walks in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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The best view of the city
Kale Fortress
The medieval fortress on the hill above the Old Bazaar, with restored walls and wide views.
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One of the largest in the Balkans
Old Bazaar (Čaršija)
A maze of lanes, workshops, mosques, hans and hammams on the north bank of the Vardar.
Shopping in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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Silver filigree
Argjira
A filigree jewellery workshop and shop in the Old Bazaar.
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Souvenirs in the bazaar
Balkan Corner
A gift shop in the Old Bazaar for Macedonian and Balkan souvenirs, crafts and keepsakes.
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The busy market
Bit Pazar
The big open-air market at the top of the Old Bazaar, for fruit, vegetables, spices and everything else.
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Skopje’s chocolate maker
Evropa confectionery shops
The shops of Evropa, Skopje’s long-established chocolate and sweets maker.
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The back story
Filigree, copper and the crafts of the Čaršija: the back story
Silver filigree spun like lace, copper coffee pots, Ohrid pearls, hand-embroidered textiles and jars of ajvar: what to take home from North Macedonia.
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Gold and silver
Kujundžiska street
The goldsmiths’ street of the Old Bazaar, lined with jewellery shops.
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Traditional sweets
Slatkarnica Ohrid
A traditional Old Bazaar sweet shop for baklava and other syrupy Ottoman-era sweets.
Fitness + Spa in The Old Bazaar & Kale
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Pool by the bazaar
Bushi Spa & Wellness
The wellness centre of Bushi Resort & Spa, 50 m from the Old Bazaar, with a lit indoor pool, saunas and a steam bath.
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