Macedonia is the least known Balkan country. However, that’s mainly because of its territory. It covers an area of about 25,700 km square which makes it smaller than plenty of metropolis and regions worldwide. Even though it is a less known country for the majority of the population throughout the world, Macedonia is the pearl of the Balkans.
The mixture and diversity of cultures, religions, nations and languages make it such a cozy and pleasant place to stay. The majority of its inhabitants are Macedonians. However, there live Albanians, Serbians, Romani, Turks and Bosniaks. To begin with, this already makes it such an interesting place to visit.
If you, by chance, have already visited it, you must agree that there are plenty of places and thing to see there. But on the other hand, if you are looking for an unusual yet beautiful destination worth visiting, take a look at the following tips.
Food and drinks
If there is something Macedonia is famous for, this is definitely its kitchen. The traditional Macedonian food has a lots of origins from the Turkish one. They too use a lots of spices, meat and vegetables. The only difference might be that the Macedonian food includes pork meat which is actually something that’s included in almost all the typical meals. The Macedonian white cheese is the best in the region. The traditional recipe says it is made of sheep’s milk. However, it can be made of goat and cow’s milk as well, which would be less fatty.
Macedonia is famous for its wines as well. It even exports plenty of wine, mostly in Europe. Moreover, the traditional liquor is called “rakia”. It is a spirit drink, quite strong though. It can have as much as 65 degrees of alcohol. Yet another beverage consumed quite a lot is the beer. It’s something that can not be omitted. “Skopsko” is still the most famous beer in the country. Well, if there is something that you will definitely love about this country, that would be the typical food and drinks.
Nature
The fact that a lot of people compare it to Switzerland already speaks volumes about it. Especially the green regions and the mountains are the trademark of Macedonia. This former Yugoslav republic used to be the lungs of the country at that time. The three natural lakes, Ohrid lake, Prespa and Dorian lake are the most touristic places in the country. Lately it turned into the favorite Dutch people destination for the summer. The main reason is that they love combining mountain tourism and beach. Hiking is one of the main activities for the tourists. Moreover, there are many national parks worth visiting.
History
Macedonia didn’t make huge changes since its separation from Yugoslavia. It’s something that can be seen on its structure, architecture, development and improvement. A sad but a true fact is that this separation affected the economy and the overall development of the country. However, its history is huge. You must have heard about Alexander The Great, whose a Macedonian son. That’s something all the Macedonians are proud of. The country had a lot of influence from the Ottoman invasion throughout the years. It took them as much as 500 years of active battles and wars before they pronounced independence and liberation from the Turkish empire.
That’s only a brief highlight about the beauties you might see if visiting Macedonia. The truth is, such less known places hide so much more that the world really knows about.
