Complete guide to Macedonia

North Macedonia fits into a pocket handkerchief, 25,700 km² squeezed between Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Bulgaria, yet this compactness conceals a diversity that few travelers suspect. From our agency in Skopje, we see itineraries that combine in ten days the Lake Ohrid inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, the granite summits of Mavrovo National Park, the wine plains of Tikveš around Kavadarci, and the Ottoman alleyways of Bitola.

The country reads in four geographic chapters. In the west, Ohrid and its lake over three million years old, its 365 churches and the Saint-John of Kaneo basilica perched on the cliff. In the northwest, the Šar Planina massif peaks at 2,747 m and offers altitude hiking until October. In the center, Skopje blends the Ottoman heritage of the old Stara Čaršija bazaar and the spectacular urbanism of the Skopje 2014 project. In the southeast, the Vardar valley produces vakaranov and kratošija, local grape varieties to be tasted in cellars in Negotino.

The cuisine, heir to Ottoman, Balkan and Mediterranean cuisines, revolves around ajvar, tavče gravče (baked beans) and kajmak. To fully enjoy the country, allow 8 to 12 days by combining two regions and a one-day trek, rather than a quick loop tour.