North Macedonia - Kuzey Makedonya

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North Macedonia; Europesoutheast of Balkansis a country. It was changed to North Macedonia with the agreement made after the name debate with Greece.

understand

Macedonia, the southernmost of the former Yugoslav states, gained independence in 1991 and is clockwise from the west. Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece surrounded by

Macedonia, which is generally a mountainous country with plenty of greenery, draws attention with its colorful culture today as it was a border region where peoples met in the past. Mostly Muslim Albanians live in the northwest and west of the country, while Orthodox Christian Macedonians are in the majority in the rest. Turks, whose ancestry is based on the Ottoman raids and the Cumans who settled in this region before the Ottoman Empire (1200s), are a minority, but they can be found almost everywhere in the country.

(Just a little note: To see if a village you pass by is an Albanian or a Turkish village, look at the top of the mosque minarets: the Turkish village looks fat, as if it's shaped like a pointed cone, which is also familiar from Turkey. The Taj MahalIf it's like the hills of , it's an Albanian village.)

Macedonia, with its relatively inexpensive, helpful people and similarity to Turkey in many respects, is a country that travelers with no previous experience abroad can easily overcome, especially on a large Balkan tour or to travel with other countries around it with pleasure.

Regions

Cities

• Skopje ("Skopje") — the capital of the country in the north; On the coast of Vardar, Ottoman, Yugoslav and modern structures can be seen together.
• Tetovo ("Tetovo") — While this small city to the west of Skopje may not promise much at first glance, it's worth the drive just for the Alaca Mosque
• Monastery ("Bitola") — The city of Mustafa Kemal's military academy, colorful architecture of the early 1900s, and many Ottoman traces
• Ohrid ("Ohrid") — Macedonian resort on the shore of Lake Ohrid; Historical quarters reminiscent of Safranbolu, many churches with Byzantine architecture, and stony and sandy beaches all in one
• Struga — Another historical town on the shore of Lake Ohrid; Smaller, quieter and cheaper than Ohrid

Other places to go

Transport

Macedonia does not apply visas to Turkish and European Union passports. However, if you are traveling with a new Turkish passport that has never been used before, keep in mind that at the airport the Macedonian police may question you about how long you will stay in the country, where to go and whether you have a return ticket. It is a good idea to have the printout of your hotel reservations and flight ticket with you, just in case.

By plane

The main gateway to the country is Skopje Alexander the Great ("Skopje Alexander the Great/Aleksandar Veliki") Airport, where Turkish Airlines has frequent flights from Istanbul.

by train

The country has rail links only with its neighbors to the south (Greece) and north (Kosovo, Serbia), of which today (2014) only Serbia (Belgrade-Skopje) there are mutual train services.

With car

By bus

There are direct buses from Istanbul to Skopje (about €50 one way), but since these buses pass through Greece, those traveling with a Turkish passport must obtain a Schengen visa (except for the green passport).

In addition, buses depart from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Bulgaria to various parts of the country. Oddly, there are no direct bus services to Greece.

by ship

Macedonia does not have a coastline and there are no international cruises on Lake Ohrid, which is shared with Albania.

tour

Roads: mountain roads, often narrow (2 lanes), winding, full of potholes, rusted barriers. It's best not to leave long-distance trips overnight. In the wide plain in the north, there is a network of motorways connecting Skopje to its immediate surroundings, but despite the given speed limit of 120 km, the motorway is almost as pitted as the mountain roads. The tolls on the highways are in cash and all traffic stops at the exit and entrance of each city on the route. (For example, on the road from Skopje to Ohrid GostivarOn the way to , you stop at the toll booths 4 times on the highway: once at the Skopje exit, once at the Tetovo entrance, once at the Tetovo exit, once at the Gostivar entrance... and yes, even if you don't intend to enter or exit the highway!) 20-30 dinars are paid.

Obey the speed limits, police flips are available, although not very common.

Buses: Old buses that can't be considered junk, but have not been seen on Turkish roads in the last 20 years. Sometimes without air-conditioning, but even if it is air-conditioned ("my air conditioner"), what they call air conditioning consists of air conditioners that blow the hot air outside with all their might throughout the journey (free hair dryer service that lasts for hours!). In almost all centers, tickets are purchased from the single ticket office in the bus station building before the trip (marked as "blagayna" or "tiletitsa" in Cyrillic letters; do not waste time searching for the office of the company of the expedition), even in Skopje you cannot go to the platforms without a ticket. If you know the route, it is possible to get on the road and pay the driver in cash, but remember that your risk of standing is high. Even though the tickets have a seat number (in Cyrillic letters "in the stigma"), this is not respected on some lines and everyone sits in the seat they want.

Tongue

The mother tongues in the country are the Slavic languages, Macedonian, which is very closely related to Bulgarian and written in Cyrillic letters, and Albanian, which is the mother tongue of about ¼ of the population. However, it is possible to meet native Turkish speakers from all over the country, and Albanians, especially the middle-aged and older generation, can understand simple Turkish sentences and words.

In Macedonian's unique Turkish dialect, there are some word and accent differences compared to Istanbul Turkish, as well as in the middle of the sentence like Indo-European languages, and the present tense is used instead of the present tense. For example, at a bus station, someone says "would you run away?if he asks, he means "Are you going?"Stop.

English is widely spoken in Skopje, Ohrid and Manastır, especially by those working in the tourism sector.

buy

The currency in the country is the Macedonian dinar (Macedonian: "denar", often abbreviated as "den"). The Euro and the US Dollar are the easiest currencies to exchange and, predictably, the Euro is more useful. You will need dinars for your other expenses in the country where you can usually pay for accommodation in Euros. Although it varies from city to city and from office to office, 1 € = around 60-61 dinars. Exchange offices, easily recognizable by their "Exchange Office" signage, are quite common in city centers (but exchange as little currency as possible at the airport, as in the rest of the world, due to the low exchange rate). It is possible to exchange currency in banks, but due to bureaucratic procedures (registration of your passport, etc.), a simple money change can take 15 minutes and even bank employees do not hesitate to describe the location of the exchange offices.

Expenses

Average expenses:

• Meal for two (meal salad drink/beer): 300 - 600 den.
• Double/triple boarding room (per night): 20 €
• One bottle (500 ml) of water/soft drink: 30 - 40 den.
• A pack of medium cigarettes: 60 - 90 den.

Eat

Response ("kebab") is an unseasoned, less fatty, but very salty version of Tekirdag meatballs. Portions are big.

Pizzeria is also common.

Burek is the Macedonian name for large, satisfying, cheap, but strangely flavorless pastries made from puff pastry, which can be found in kiosks.

It is possible to taste the hopska salat (shepherd's salad with or without onions, grated feta cheese), a salad unique to the Balkans, in Macedonia.

If you have reservations about pork, choose Turkish or Albanian restaurants. An easy way to guess the ethnicity of the restaurant's owners is to look at its sign: Turkish or Albanian if the restaurant name is written in Latin letters, Macedonian restaurant if it is written in Cyrillic letters. Going to any pizzeria and ordering a vegetarian pizza can also be a solution.

Tipping is not common among Macedonians, but the waiters are very pleased when left.

Keep in mind that in Skopje and especially Ohrid, it is very difficult to find a vacant place in restaurants after a certain hour in the evening, and your order will not always arrive at your table before 30-45 minutes in all parts of the country.

To drink

Skopsko ("Skopje"), the most common local beer. Easy to drink and slightly bitter (and the only liquid that can put out the fire left in your throat by the salty responder).

Local buttermilk is unsalted and has a thick consistency (think slightly diluted yoghurt).

The most widely consumed hot beverage is makiyato, which is served in cups similar in size to Turkish coffee cups: espresso with plenty of foam and a drop of chocolate. In addition, flavored (hazelnut/vanilla/cream) cold coffees in large glass glasses are also popular drinks in summer.

Tea is not common and Macedonians only understand tea with black or green bags. Stop by the Turkish coffee houses in Skopje-Old Bazaar or Ohrid for brewed tea, but in summer mornings, it may not be possible to find a place because of the Turkish tourist density.

After 21:00, alcoholic beverages are not sold in markets and shops, but alcoholic beverages are available in all cafes and restaurants that are open until late at night.

Cafes that do not serve food do not have a menu concept. You have to have the waiter order the drinks one by one.

Street fountains are common in the country and the waters flowing from these fountains are both delicious and do not cause health problems.

Accomodation

Finding a place to stay in the country is not a problem, it is enough to make a reservation a day or two in advance. But the general comfort in the local culture is reflected in the hostels: don't expect squeaky clean bathrooms, if not too grubby. Breakfasts are either not offered at all or just some cheese, eggs, butter, lots of sweets (honey, various jams) and coffee or teabags.

Education

It is possible to enroll in some Macedonian universities through ÖSYM.

study

be safe

Macedonia in general is a safe country with honest people. However, if you went by car, you may need to pay attention to where you park in some areas. Also, be careful on the roads as mentioned above.

stay healthy

Contact points and contacts

The country's phone code is 389. Turkcell has roaming agreements with local operators and you can easily make calls with phones that are open to international calls.