Macedonia is medieval monasteries, vineyards, orchards, timeworn Turkish bazaars, Orthodox churches and space-age shopping centres. It is also the drone of the local bagpipes, Turkish-style grilled mincemeat and some of the cheapest wine on the planet. The country is unbelievably green; its people are hospitable and welcoming.

The Republic of Macedonia occupies the western half of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. The part of the southern Balkan Peninsula traditionally known as Macedonia is bounded to the south by the Aegean Sea and the Aliakmon River; to the west by Lakes Prespa and Ohrid, the watershed west of the Crni Drim River, and the Shar Mountains; and to the north by the mountains of the Skopska Crna Gora and the watershed between the Morava and Vardar basins.

The Pirin Mountains mark its eastern edge. Since 1913 this geographic and historical region has been divided between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, and only some 40 percent of its area is occupied by the independent state, MACEDONIA.

Geography

Roughly rectangular in shape, and on the strategic Vardar Valley north–south communications route, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic) is landlocked, bordering Serbia & Montenegro to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south and Bulgaria to the east.

Official Language: Macedonian

Demonyn: Macedonian

Currency: Macedonian Denar (MKD)

Time Zone: CET (UTC +1)

Summer (DST): CET (UTC +1)

Internet TLD: .mk

Calling Code: +389

Visa formalities for Macedonia:

• Visas shall be issued only at the Embassies or Consulates of the Republic of Macedonia abroad;

• The validity of the passport or other travel document of the applicant has to be minimum 3 (three) months;

• The applicant is to contact an Embassy or the Consulate of the Republic of Macedonia for additional information about the conditions and procedure for visa issuance;

• The Application may be submitted to the Embassy/Consulate of the Republic of Macedonia by post mail or by fax, in which case the applicant must collect the visa in person;

• Using the List of diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Macedonia abroad (which can be found at the MFA’s website www.mfa.gov.mk), visa applicants can choose the most convenient Embassy/Consulate to submit the Application.

Attractions in SUMMER Macedonia:

LAKE OHRID

Lake Ohrid is a beautiful picturesque fresh-water lake of about 350 square kilometers, located near the South-western border with Albania. It is surrounded by mountains rising to peaks of almost 2000 meters and is well renowned for its crystal clear water, which is visible down to 22 meters, of a total maximum depth of 286 meters. The city of Ohrid, which is located right next to the lake, was the cradle to Slavic Christianity and education in the 10th Century A.D. Modern day Ohrid, now plays host to its many visitors wanting to enjoy the fabulous features of this fine Macedonian tourist destination.
Lake Ohrid is a breath-taking sight for first timers, who start to wonder whether the sea of blue water even ends, as the lake disappears in the haze.

Evenings in Ohrid are very much similar to other tourist destinations in Europe, where people congregate together around the city "Corzo" (meeting place). Lit up and buzzing at a relaxing pace, the corzo provides a romantic carnival type atmosphere, where excitement just in the air for all the young at heart. You can go to a disco, or take part in traditional Macedonian open-air dancing.

Ohrid and its lake stand unique in the balance achieved between its medieval past, arts and architecture, and how they have been translated to provide modern-day pleasures. The Macedonian people should be congratulated for achieving this traditional and every person who gets the opportunity to enjoy its features will appreciate it for sure.

LAKE PRESPA

Lake Prespa is the second largest lake in the Republic of Macedonia. It covers an area of 294 km sq., with a maximum depth of 54 meters. Lake Prespa is encircled by mountains and it offers wonderful views. The water temperature in summer ranges from 18 to 24° C. Lake Prespa attracts lot of tourists from all around the world. Some of the more popular summer resorts are:

Otesevo
This summer resort is located on the western side of the lake, 18 km from Resen. A number of four star hotels have been built providing tourists with excellent accommodation. The camping site "Otesevo" on Mt. Galicica offers camping enthusiasts great scenery. Different types of entertainment are organized during day and night time. There are a number of night clubs and cafes for the young at heart or you can just go for a romantic walk on the beach.

Carina
Ranges second in size of all summer resorts at lake Prespa, 20 km from Resen. Beside good accommodation in new buildings, the summer resort provides places for sport leisure and recreation. A newly built modern equipped auto-camp is located between Carina and Otesevo.

Lake Dojran

Lake Dojran is the third lake in size in Macedonia, covering and area of 42,7 km2, with a depth of 10m. The greatest attraction here is fishing with the help of birds an old way of fishing. This lake is the richest lake in fish in the whole of Europe. The mild climate, hot water and sandy beaches have contributed to Stari Dojran (Old Dojran) developing into a well known summer resort. The water temperature during summer goes up to 28° C and the lake itself is of the hot lake character.

Attractions in WINTERS Macedonia:

POPOVA SAPKA

Popova Sapka is one of the most attractive winter sports centres in Macedonia, and indeed in the Balkan Peninsula. It attracts devotees of winter sports from all over Europe with its altitude of 1870m above sea level and favorable snow. Besides the winter tourism here, summer tourism is also developed. Popova Sapka with its places in the surroundings - Jelak, Lesnica and Ceripasina is an attractive tourist complex. There is a mountain guest house on Jelak, fishing lodge and a restaurant in Lesnica. The first ski competition the "Sarplaninski" Cup was held at Popova Sapka in 1947. This traditional event is held every year in February with the participation of the best skiers from Macedonia and abroad. It must be noted that mount Sara is not only a winter recreational centre but a rich hunting area for game and a well-stocked fishing region.
The Sara massive is 80 km long and 12 km wide, covered with snow from November to March and April. There are several glacial lakes (some filled with water) that have become very interesting mountain lakes. These include Livadicko Black Lake and White lake.

MAVROVO

Mavrovo is an interesting tourist’s attraction with unique natural beauties. This tourist centre is believed to be one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Macedonia. It is a place of many natural beauties, magnificient paysages, a crystal clear lake, high mountain hills from where you can see panoramas of Bistra and it’s near by village suburbs. Marvovo attracts tourists during all seasons, but it is more attractive in winter when it is all covered with deep snow. The Mavrovo region hosts ski tournaments and other sport recreations. This region is very active throughout the year. The northern peaks of Rusino Brdo, Sultanica and Sandaktas, have good condition for winter sport activities.

KRUSEVO

Krusevo is at an altitude of 1250m above sea level, and is located on mount Busava. It is a well-known tourist place with mild and favorable climate which enables tourists to have a pleasant stay, both during winter and summer season. The beech woods offer good recreation during summer as well as good and ideal skiing grounds during winter. Besides the churches and monastery's, once attention is allured by the Town Museum with the sarcophagus of Nikola Karev, the first President of the Krusevo Republic.
The old town architecture is also of particular interest.

PELISTER

Mount Pelister is close to Bitola. Its value is enormous because it has very rare flora on its slopes, due to which it has been proclaimed a National Park. The greatest area is covered by the woods of "milika" - native autochthonous five needle-shaped leaves of a special kind of pine tree, which is the special decoration and value of that mountain. Rare game of such as roe deer, chamois, deers, bears, wild boars, black grouse, parties and lynx are among the wealth of the mountain. Due to its extraordinary beauties, Pelister is a favorable place for winter and summer holidays. It has excellent slopes for skiing, special chalets and vacation houses.

Climate

Macedonia Climate: May-October is an excellent time to visit, as it's the warmest and driest part of the year. Average temperature in the summer is 73 F/23 C, but a sweater may be needed in the evenings. The winters are very cold (average temperature is 35 F/2 C), often drizzly, snowy and windy, especially in the interior and the north. It snows a lot in the winter, which can cause travel delays.