Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a small country in Southeast Europe, situated in the heart, in the center of the Balkan Peninsula as a natural bridge between East and West, North and South.
“THE CROSSROAD OF MANY CIVILIZATIONS” as mentioned in several articles, N. Macedonia is a unique patchwork of cultures, religions and nations that has coexisted for thousands of years. A chest filled with unique cultural treasures found at more than 4.500 archeological sites in the country. Those interested in history can travel to the Macedonian past and hear the stories and legends about Alexander the Great; the “Apostles of all Slavs” and “Patrons of Europe” Ss. Cyril and Methodius and their disciples St. Clement and St. Naum Ohridski. For those attracted by the charm of the Orient can explore the heritage of many sacral and profane buildings that rich Ottoman feudalists left as a bequest.
Approximately 80% of the country consists of hills and mountains that abound in natural beauties and rarities. Many have named it “THE PEARL OF THE BALKANS“. There are three National Parks Mavrovo, Pelister and Galicica, and about fifty lakes in the country, of which the three tectonic ones – Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran are the most significant. The magnificent lakes and high mountains, ski slopes, natural wonders and curiosities make it an ideal destination for the nature and adventure lovers all year round.
The sun is the symbol of the country, no wonder with about 280 sunny days per year. The mild climate allows for fruit and vegetables to be one of the major exports from our country but also helps in establishing N. Macedonia as a foody destination. Yet Macedonian dishes are even tastier with a glass of wine. Our main export product, our pride and joy, is the production of wine in the Povardarie or Tikvesh region. With its 80 private wineries it is among the 30 biggest wine exporters in the world.
As one can conclude, the potential and infrastructure for different types of tourism is great yet it is understandable why the greatest interest is for the cultural, religious, active and rural tourism, followed by the gastronomy. In the past ten years tourism has been on a significant rise and seen an increase of 15% year by year. It established the country as an emerging destination in the Balkans and aroused interest for guests from various European and World destinations. In numbers:
- 2 Mil Tourists visited N. Macedonia, in 2019 and made 3.3 Mil overnights in
- 230 hotels or 17.235 rooms and
- Dined in some of the 4.383 restaurants
The tourist capital of N. Macedonia, Ohrid, has been listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Together with Skopje they are the two most visited cities in the country.
