Monuments of Skopje

Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, is quite a unique city: the small city center is littered with monuments you might recognize… The country has an obsession with monuments, and dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to adding them to every street corner. All of this in order to attract tourists, which seems to be working.

Our walking tour started in Skopje’s main street: Macedonia Street. This street has historically always been the most important street in the city, and went through a variety of names over the years, each time named after its then current emperor. These days, it is simply named after the country, and as any main street it is lined with bars and restaurants.

At the southern end of Macedonia Street you can find the Old Railway Station. Its clock is stuck at 5:17, which is when the devastating 1963 earthquake shook the city. The railway station was one of the few buildings left standing after the disaster, and subsequently became the Museum of the City. A new railway station, in service today, was built a few kilometers outside of the city center.

Skopje is also the birthplace of Mother Teresa, a nun and missionary known for her charity work. The Memorial House of Mother Teresa is located right on Macedonia Street, and is free to enter. Inside, you will find exhibitions showcasing her life and work, as well as a small chapel for prayer.

Behind the Memorial House, away from the main street, you can find the Feudal Tower. This small tower dates back to the 17th or 18th century, and was built by the Ottoman empire for mostly defensive purposes. It is the oldest structure in Skopje.

You can’t help but notice the sheer amount of monuments around the city center. After asking for an explanation, we were told the local government is obsessed with statues, and thinks it’s the perfect way to attract more tourists to the city. Many of the monuments look familiar, like “The Bull”, a replica of the one located on Wall Street in New York City.

Moving on to Macedonia Square, on the northern end of Macedonia Street, you will spot more statues. Its most prominent one is Warrior On a Horse, dedicated to Alexander the Great, the great emperor who once was king of Macedonia. The statue was built as part of the 2014 incentive to add more monuments to the city. Given its exorbitant costs (7.5 million euros) it has received a lot of criticism from the local population, who’d rather have invested the money elsewhere.

While on the main square, look around, and something familiar will likely catch your eye. It looks like the French Arc de Triomphe, doesn’t it? It’s Porta Macedonia, a replica of the monument in Paris. Costs: 4.4 million euros. You can’t help but start to understand why the local population criticizes the monuments so much.

We walked towards the other side of the Vardar River, home to Skopje’s Old Bazaar and Fortress. At the waterfront, we spotted Hotel Senigallia, another monument-like structure, inspired by the Dutch. This hotel is located inside an old ship, and if one wasn’t enough, constructions for a second boat are under way.

We crossed the river by using the Bridge of Civilizations, strongly resembling the Charles Bridge in Prague. On the other side of the bridge, you can find the Archeology Museum, built using pillars and glass.

Apart from Istanbul, the Old Bazaar in Skopje is the oldest bazaar in the world. It is known for its cheap prices and decent quality. If you look further then the tourist restaurants, you can find some very good and cheap bites to eat.

Our last stop was the Skopje Fortress, the highest point of the city. The views from behind the three remaining walls over Skopje are quite worth the walk up. Afterwards, we decided to take the bus back to our accommodation. Interestingly, Skopje uses London-style double-deckers, as they were donated by the City of London after the 1963 earthquake. Like the monuments, it is just another example of how Skopje reminds you of other countries.

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