Sightseeing in FYR of Macedonia

Macedonia has rich cultural heritage and there are many places which you can visit for sightseeing in FYR of Macedonia. There are lakes, mountains, waterfalls, forest, old monasteries, frescos etc which you can visit. Given below is a brief overview of sightseeing in FYR of Macedonia.

• Skopje

Visiting the capital city of Skopje is a must when you are sightseeing in FYR of Macedonia. The capital city of Macedonia has a number of heritage sites and buildings. There are various places of interest that you can visit during your visit to the city.

The stone bridge that is there in the city is a 15th century structure that is being used both for festive purpose and for various other spectacles. You can also drop in at the Museum of Macedonia which houses various traditional items like costumes, jewelries, different variety of Macedonian craft, reconstructed houses, the interiors of which are well maintained.

Apart from visiting various heritage buildings and monuments, you can also enjoy various kinds of outdoor activities and if you want you can simply hike and explore the adjoining areas.

• Church of Holy Saviour

The Church of Holy Saviour was built in the beginning of 17th -18th century, in the place where there was an old church previously. In fact some of the paintings those are there in the frescos origins from 16th century. Some of it was there in the old church and is used now.

Even if the exteriors are not so impressive, but the interiors are still very well decorated. You can see various 19th century motifs of the church of the Holy Saviour, which is carved in walnut and is a combination of plant and animal motifs, along with figures of saints clad in local costumes. The walls of the church have various painting of different kinds and you can also find traditional wood carvings in the interiors. The place itself has an old world charm and a pace of its own.

• St. Pantelejmon Monastery

Even though it is named as St. Pantelejmon Monastery, it is actually an ancient church which you can drop in for sightseeing in FYR of Macedonia. This church was erected by Alexis Comenus in 1164. It was built when it had Byzantine rule, under the Comenus dynasty. The original fresco dates back to the time when it was constructed, apart from various other frescos that of 15th, 16th and 19th century.

The church was reconstructed in 1932, as most of it was damaged. You can also see some of the most striking monuments in the church, apart fro the frescos. The paintings, architectures and the interior decorations reflects the typical Byzantine art and also Renaissance art.

• National Museum

National Museum is located below the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, which has various well defined sections, where items of different kinds are on display. It has an ethnographic section, woman's bridal section and a lot more.

In the ethnographic museum you can see beautiful collection of traditional dresses and instruments, which were used by the people of that era. All the costumes are well arranged according to their origin and usage. The woman's bridal section on the other hand houses various costumes which were worn by women of that time during marriages and similar occasions.

On the other hand, on the coin and archaeological section you can see different kinds of coins that are on display of various countries, some of which belonged to ancient royal families. The coins reflect the purpose for which it was used. The archaeological section houses different kinds of pottery, jewelry, traditional handicrafts etc. There is a museum shop from where you can buy souvenirs and other traditional items.