We were looking through cheap flights and God did we hit the lottery with Skopje. We managed to get a very good price for flights and accommodation to stay from Thursday to Sunday, giving us two full days in North Macedonia.

The bus from the airport dropped us off near the city centre just by the river Vardar. Everything was within walking distance. This was when we first realised how small the city is. As we were trying to find our accommodation we walked by at least 5 of the main tourist sights.

We started our first full day at the Main Square, which houses the statue of Alexander the Great. The impressive figure dominates the square, but he is not alone by any means. Skopje is full of statues. Before we went I read that Skopje has more sculptures than people and I don’t think that’s wrong. As we ate a breakfast of pastrmajlija, a traditional Macedonian pastry, we looked around and could only count about a dozen people. Skopje has a population of only 640, 000 people, which makes the city really spacious and calm.

Next we went to the designated meet-up spot for a free guided walking tour. Not only were we accompanied by an amazing tour guide, but also a group of at least 5 dogs at all times. Stray dogs are so abundant in Skopje that they number into over 10, 000. I really like the way the authorities dealt with this problem. The government takes the responsibility to collect all the dogs, castrate them and give them the needed vaccinations. They are then cleaned of parasites and set back on the streets, now with a tag in their ear to verify their good health. The people and the dogs live in perfect harmony. Tourists and locals both regularly feed them bits of food, which makes them not only friendly, but chubby at the same time.

The city of Skopje consists of a pleasantly weird mixture of architecture. There are remnants of the Roman-era, such as the foundation of the Stone Bridge which crosses the Vardar river. Then there is the Old Bazaar from the Ottoman period, the largest in the Balkans outside of Turkey. It is abundant with impressive mosques and even a hamam, a traditional Turkish bath, which now serves as the National Gallery of Macedonia. There are also many brutalist-style buildings from the Yugoslavia period, all chiselled with tiny windows, sharp edges and chimney like towers.

But Skopje wasn’t always like this. A huge turn came in the face of the city’s architecture in 1963. At 4 a.m. on the 26th of July, an earthquake almost completely wiped the town from the Earth. Countries from all over the world joined forces to rebuild Skopje from the ground up. Russian and American troops worked side-by-side, meeting peacefully for the first time since 1945 at the Elbe during the close of the Second World War. The rebuilding mostly followed the design plans of Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, constructing buildings in a new, modernist style.

But this was still not the end of Macedonia’s architectural journey. In the 2010s the government came up with the infamous plan called ‘Skopje 2014’, planning to give Skopje a more elegant image by building in the neo-classical style, erecting statues related to Macedonian history. This was met by public aversion because the locals believed it would take away the character of Skopje. The government went through with its plans anyway, putting many new buildings in the city centre, like the Museum of Archaeology and the National Theatre. Hundreds of bronze statues also found their homes, many of placed on the new Art Bridge and Eye Bridges, each featuring numerous sculptures of famous Macedonians.

After our guided tour came to an end, we walked up to the Fortress Kale that sits on the tallest point of the city. One side looks down upon the bazaar, while from the other you can see the river and the city centre. The fortress was built during the Byzantine times, using the stones from the Roman ruins of the city of Scupi. Later the Ottomans raised more walls around the fortress and used it as a military barrack. Today it is free to visit, offering the best views of the city. It’s also the perfect spot to admire the snowcapped mountains surrounding Skopje from all sides, presenting a gorgeous backdrop.

Our second day in North Macedonia was dedicated to a day-trip to Matka Canyon. Easily accessible by a local bus from the city centre, it only took 40 minutes to reach the edge of the canyon. Walking from the bus stop up to the top of the dam, we were met with a beautiful view of Lake Matka. Hugged by tall mountains on both sides, it is a heaven for kayakers, hikers and rock-climbers. We went on an hour-long boat ride on the lake, which included a tour of Cave Vrelo. After getting into the small craft, we wrapped ourselves in blankets as we flew on the dark, turquoise water. The whole time we had our eyes peeled for wildlife. The canyon is home to endangered species such as vipers, lynx and many kinds of birds of prey. And we were told that if you come in summer or spring, you can meet the most colourful habitants… butterflies. The canyon is home to 77 species of them. Once we arrived at Cave Vrelo, an English speaking guide was waiting for us at the entrance. As we entered we were told that this was home to the second largest underwater cave-system in Europe, with scuba-divers swimming down every summer to explore the furthest points of the cave.

Overall, Skopje amazed us. While being one of the cheapest places we had ever been to it provided enough wonders to never bore. The city is full of statues, beautiful buildings and modern museums providing a good programme for all age groups. We visited during the weekend, and, even though you may not see many people during the day, they sure knew how to party at night. We came home incredibly satisfied, craving even more of North Macedonia.