Tours in Skopje

Start at the Vardar and look at the statues. Skopje is a city that puts figures on plinths, on bridges and along the riverbank, and after a few minutes you stop counting them and start noticing the mood instead. Macedonia Square is the centre of it, wide and white and theatrical, with the warrior on his horse in the middle of the fountain. Some people love it, some find it a lot. Either way, you will have an opinion by the time you cross to the other side.

That crossing is the point. The Stone Bridge takes you from the new Skopje of columns and facades to the older one, and the change is quick. The noise drops, the streets narrow, and you are in the Old Bazaar. Coffee is served in small cups, shopfronts open onto the lane, and the smell of grilled meat drifts out of the kebab places. Take your time here. Walk it once in a straight line, then go back and turn into the side streets, where the craft shops and old stone courtyards are.

Above the bazaar, Kale Fortress sits on its hill and looks over the river and the rooftops. It is a good place to understand how the city is laid out, and why anyone bothered to defend this spot. Further along, the Church of the Holy Saviour is worth finding for its quiet and its carved interior, a different pace from the square below.

Skopje also has Mother Teresa's memorial house, the Kameni Most area at dusk, and the Matka canyon a short trip out of town. We do not have tours for those yet, but a local guide can take a request. Walking is the best way in. The walk below covers the centre and the bazaar, with someone who can tell you what you are looking at, and what to eat afterwards.