Albania

Albania (Северна Македонија in Macedonian, Maqedonia e Veriut in Albanian) is 2 million people country in the southeastern part of Europe, part of the Western Balkans. It's an official candidate for European Union (EU) accession and it's surrounded by Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Greece and Bulgaria. Aproximately 66% population come from a mostly Orthodox Christian tradition while more of the 30% of the population is Muslim; the official languages are Macedonian and Albanian (with Turkish, Serbian, Romani and Aromanian as official languages where they have inhabitants who speak it) and the official currency is the Macedonian denar (MKD). Till 2018 with the signature of Prespa agreement with Greece, the country was recognised as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The main city, and the capital city, of North Macedonia is Skopje, with other important cities like Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep or Tetovo.



What can I visit in Albania?

Here you have a list of places North Macedonia that are worth to be seen. Check them out and find out the ones you want to visit:

History

In Prehistory Starčevo culture and Vinča culture were active in the region, with Kosovo been inhabited for nearly 10,000 years. During the Neolithic age, Kosovo lay within the area of the Vinča-Turdaş culture. During Antiquity nowadays Kosovo was inhabited by various tribal ethnic groups (difficult to locate any of them with precision). The Dardani (linked to Thracian or Illyrian cultures) were a prominent group in the region during the late Hellenistic and early Roman eras. Modern Kosovo was then conquered by Rome in the 160s BC and incorporated into the Roman province of Illyricum in 59 BC. Subsequently, it became part of Moesia Superior in AD 87. One of the most important cities of are Roman province of Dardania was Ulpiana, situated close to Pristina. From the 4th century AD onwards there were a large number of barbarian' raids that ended up with the Slavic migrations of the 6th and 7th centuries. Slavs got fused with the local population and till the 13th century the political and demographic history of Kosovo is uncertain.The region was absorbed into the Bulgarian Empire in the 850s and was re-taken by the Byzantines after 1018, part of the newly established Theme of Bulgaria. The region often switched between Serbian and Bulgarian rule on one hand and Byzantine on the other, until Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja secured it by the end of the 12th century. Kosovo was part of the Serbian Empire when it was formed (1346) and during the 13th and 14th centuries, Kosovo became a political, cultural and religious centre of the Serbian Kingdom. In those years the seat of the Serbian Archbishopric was moved to Peć and rulers centred themselves between Prizren and Skopje. In those times thousands of Christian monasteries (some of the most important are combined as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo), forts and castles were erected, with Stefan Dušan using Prizren Fortress as the capital of the Empire. When the Serbian Empire fragmented into principalities in 1371, Kosovo became the hereditary land of the House of Branković. In the late 14th and the 15th centuries the easternmost area (near Pristina) were part of the Principality of Dukagjini and later was incorporated into an anti-Ottoman federation of all Albanian principalities, the League of Lezhë.

In 1389 took place one of the most important battles in Kosovo's history, the battle of Kosovo, in which Ottoman forces defeated a coalition led by Lazar Hrebeljanović and by 1459, Ottomans conquered the new Serbian capital of Smederevo. Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1455 to 1912, at first as part of the eyalet of Rumelia, and from 1864 as a separate vilayet (consisting of Kosovo, Sandžak region and parts of Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia including Skopje, its capital). During this time, Islam was introduced to the population. It is believed that Serbs likely formed a majority of Kosovo from the 8th to the mid-19th century but at least the western and central parts of Kosovo had an Albanian majority. Austrian forces occupied Kosovo during the Great War of 1683–99 but the Ottomans re-established their rule of the region. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III led thousands people from Kosovo to the Christian north, in what came to be known as the Great Serb Migration. In 1766, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate of Peć and fully imposed the jizya on its non-Muslim population. Albanian chiefs ultimately came to accept the Ottomans as sovereigns and there were mass conversion of Albanians to Islam, elevated the status of Albanian chiefs and expanded into a depopulated Kosovo as well as northwestern Macedonia. In the 19th century there was an awakening of ethnic nationalism throughout the Balkans with ethnic tensions between Christian Serbs and Muslim Albanians. The ethnic Albanian nationalism movement was centred in Kosovo and the League of Prizren (1878), that wanted autonomy and greater cultural rights under Ottoman Empire. Albanian ambitions competed with those of the Serbs. The Kingdom of Serbia wished to incorporate this land that had formerly been within its empire. The modern Albanian-Serbian conflict has its roots in the expulsion of the Albanians (between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims) in 1877–1878 from areas that became incorporated into the Principality of Serbia (mainly in the Sanjak of Niš).

In 1912 Sultan Abdul Hamid II was deposed and Young Turks took control of the government, supporting a centralised form of government, causing an Albanian uprising in 1912 in Kosovo and Novi Pazar, which led to an invasion by the Kingdom of Montenegro. A joint Balkan force (with Serbian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian and Greek forces) drove the Ottomans out of most of their European possessions and after the Ottomans' defeat in the First Balkan War, in the Treaty of London (1913), Western Kosovo (Metohija) ceded to the Kingdom of Montenegro and Eastern Kosovo ceded to the Kingdom of Serbia causing an exodus of local Albanians there were Serb settlements in Kosovo (as well as assimilation of Albanians). During World War 1 Kosovo was occupied by Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary and in 1918, the Allied Powers retook Kosovo. After it, the Kingdom of Serbia was transformed into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. Between 1912 and 1941 a large-scale Serbian re-colonisation of Kosovo was undertaken by the Belgrade government and in 1935 and 1938 two agreements between the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Turkey were signed on the expatriation of 240,000 Albanians to Turkey (not completed because of the outbreak of WW2). After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, most of Kosovo was assigned to Italian-controlled Albania, with the rest being controlled by Germany and Bulgaria, surging a conflict involving inter-ethnic, ideological, and international affiliations (although not at as high as during Kosovo War). 

When World War 2 was finished Yugoslavia recovered Kosovo, taking the current shape in 1945 as the Autonomous Kosovo-Metohian Area. There were also tensions between ethnic Albanians and the Yugoslav government (not only due to ethnic tensions but also regarding relations with the Stalinist regime of neighbouring Albania). After the passing of 1974 constitution Albanian nationalism in Kosovo rose (with the 100th anniversary of the League of Prizren) and in 1981 were the first protests by Albanians in Kosovo and Kosovar Albanian students of the University of Pristina organised protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia, brutally suppressed by the police and army. During the 1980s ethnic tensions continued to escalate (increasing theemigration of Kosovo Serbs and other ethnic groups) and in 1989, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević drastically reduced Kosovo's special autonomous status within Serbia and started cultural oppression of the ethnic Albanian population. 

In 1990 the Kosovo Albanians proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Kosova (officially only recognised by Albania) and Ibrahim Rugova was elected its president. By 1996 the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) prevailed over the Rugova's non-violent resistance movement and launched attacks against the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police in Kosovo, resulting in the Kosovo War, that escalated even more when Yugoslav and Serbian forces committed numerous massacres against Kosovo Albanians. By 1998 international pressure compelled Yugoslavia to sign a ceasefire and partially withdraw its security forces but as it was refused, NATO intervened by bombing Yugoslavia (aiming to force Milošević to withdraw his forces from Kosovo). War resulted in around 10,317 civilians killed (8,676 Albanians, 1,196 Serbs and 445 Roma) and Kosovo was placed under transitional UN administration (UNMIK) and authorised Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led peacekeeping force, having autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2004 the prolonged negotiations over Kosovo's future status, sociopolitical problems and nationalist sentiments resulted in the Kosovo unrest, that led to the destruction of many places linked to Serbia.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on 2008, becoming a member of the international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank though not of the United Nations because Serbia never recognised Kosovo's independence. The Serb minority of Kosovo, which largely opposes the declaration of independence, has formed the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija in response. Some rapprochement between Serbia and Kosovo took place on 2013 with the Brussels Agreement, an agreement brokered by the EU that would allow the Serb minority in Kosovo to have its own police force and court of appeals (yet to be ratified by either parliament).

Unforgettable experiences 

This places and experiences are a must if you want to discover and understand North Macedonia and all its situation. This is my top 7:
Ohrid
  1. Ohrid: this city by lake Ohrid is the most touristic one in all the country and, despite noth being among the largest, it has its own airport. Ohrid has an awesome group of churches, specially St. Jovan Kaneo Church and St. Sofija Cathedral, built during the times where Clement of Ohrid established here one of the major cultural centers of the First Bulgarian Empire and that make this city the only place in North Macedonia that was placed in UNESCO World Heritage list. It's also very interesting getting lost in town to discover its traditional Ottoman houses, small churches and walking on the promenade by the lake.
    Skopje
  2. Skopje: the largest city in North Macedonia and its capital city is an interesting place to begin your journey in North Macedonia With plenty of museums explaining Macedonia's history and cultural legacy, interesting churches and the largest bazaar in the Balkans, Čaršija, it's worth to spend at least a day here. It can also be seen the impact that plan Skopje 2013, a controversial plan that consisted in building nationalist statues and modify building with a Neoclassical outlook.
  3. Galičica National Park: largest national park in the country, located sandwiched between lakes Ohrid and Prespa, close to the border with Albania and south from Ohrid.
    Galičica National Park
    Its location make it unique this park and the views are particulary beautiful when going up any of its peaks, being able to see both lakes. But moreover this place has many traditional mountanous and fishing villages by lake Ohrid, like     Elšani, and interesting places such as Bay of Bones Museum, St. Zaum Monastery, St. Naum Monastery, Golem Grad or many nice beaches.
  4. Pelister National Park: oldest and 2nd largest national park in North Macedonia, located between Bitola and lake Prespa, around Pellister peak (2,601 m). This site is perfect to get in touch with Macedonian nature, particulary to see the Macedonian pine or molika, and discover some traditional mountanous villages with nice trails, churches or natural sights such as Brajčino, Dihovo or Magarevo. Close to it can be found the nice town of Resen.
    Heraklea Lynkestis
  5. Bitola: the 2nd largest city in North Macedonia, not far from the border with Greece and close to Pelister National Park, used to be known as the City of Consuls because under the Ottoman Empire it was home of consulships of many countries. Nowadays the city is interesting enough to be worth a visit and discover its mosques and churches, its bazaar, parks and cementeries from WW1. But the main sightseeing point here is visiting Heraklea Lynkestis, one of the best archaeological sites in North Macedonia that owns nice mosaics and remains of old buildings.
  6. Mavrovo National Park: national park located around Mount Korab (2,764 m), highest mountain in North Macedonia, close to the borders with Kosovo and Albania. The park has very nice landscapes and is home of two ethnographic groups part of Macedonians, Mijaks and Muslim Macedonians or torbeš. Visiting Mijak traditional villages such as Galičnik or Lazaropole and Rostuša and its monastery can make the visitor enjoy a lot this trip.
    Prilep

  7. Prilep: the 4th largest city in North Macedonia isn't the place in the country with the most sightseeing points but it's still interesting to visit it. Its main sightseeing place are Marko's Towers (10th-14th centuries towers) and the Mound of the Unbeaten, a monument to Yugoslav partisans that died during WW2 to free Prilep from Bulgarian forces. Its strategical location make it perfect to visit Bitola, Kruševo, Veles or Kavadarci.  
 

Planning your holidays

These are some possible routes you may do in North Macedonia to visit parts of it or discover it all. Here are some possible tours:

    a) 5 days tour

This short journey in North Macedonia would begin on its capial city, Skopje. The visitor can enjoy there the largest Ottoman bazaar in the Balkans, Čaršija, as well as visiting the museums that make Skopje a perfect introduction to understand North Macedonia and all its history. Discovering its different historical and religious buildings in a walk is an excellent idea. After a day in Skopje you can go south, close to the border with Greece, to visit North Macedonia's 2nd largest city, Bitola, the "City of Consuls" and with a long history (Heraklea Lynkestis should be visited). On the 3rd day you may go on a day trip to discover lake Prespa and Pelister National Park, a mountainous park with the unique molika (Macedonian pine). The last stop, for the 4th day, should be the most important sightseeing place in North Macedonia, Ohrid (Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1979 and 1980). Its traditional architecture and its very important old churches by lake Ohrid will impress and make the visitor love this laid-back city. For the 5th and last day, a day trip to Galičica National Park can be organised. Located on the border with Albania and between lakes Prespa and Ohrid, this park has many nice beaches, routes to trail, cute villages to discover or churches and museum to visit.

   b) 7 days tour

This journey in North Macedonia would begin on its capial city, Skopje. The visitor can enjoy there the largest Ottoman bazaar in the Balkans, Čaršija, as well as visiting the museums that make Skopje a perfect introduction to understand North Macedonia and all its history. After a day in Skopje you can go to enjoy the morning at Mavrovo National Park, a very nice park with an interesting mixture of nature and culture, visiting the cultural capital of Albanians in North Macedonia, Tetovo, in the afternoon and evening. The 3rd day could consist in going south, stopping in the beautiful Kruševo to discover the Vlachs (and their architecture) and then visiting the nice city of Prilep (in the center of the country) known for Marko's Towers. On the 4th day, close to the border with Greece, you can visit North Macedonia's 2nd largest city, Bitola, the "City of Consuls" and with a long history (Heraklea Lynkestis should be visited). On the 5rd day you may go on a day trip to discover lake Prespa and Pelister National Park, a mountainous park with the unique molika (Macedonian pine). The last stop, for the 6th day, should be the most important sightseeing place in North Macedonia, Ohrid (Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1979 and 1980). Its traditional architecture and its very important old churches by lake Ohrid will impress and make the visitor love this laid-back city. For the 7th and last day, a day trip to Galičica National Park can be organised. Located on the border with Albania and between lakes Prespa and Ohrid, this park has many nice beaches, routes to trail, cute villages to discover or churches and museum to visit.

   c) 10 days tour

This journey in North Macedonia would begin on its capial city, Skopje. The visitor can enjoy there the largest Ottoman bazaar in the Balkans, Čaršija, as well as visiting the museums that make Skopje a perfect introduction to understand North Macedonia and all its history. After a day in Skopje Kumanovo can be a nice place for a day trip, visiting the city and its surrounding area, including the cute town of Kratovo and Kokino megalithic observatory. Those who want to experience out of the beaten path tourism can go on the 3rd day to the largest city in eastern North Macedonia, Štip, and the smaller Strumica, not far from the border with Bulgaria. Starting the 4th day in Veles, a nice town with one of the best preserved traditional architectures in all the country, exploring Stobi archaeological site and any winery in Tikveš area. Going west from Skopje on the 5th day you can enjoy the morning at Mavrovo National Park, a very nice park with an interesting mixture of nature and culture, visiting the cultural capital of Albanians in North Macedonia, Tetovo, in the afternoon and evening. The 6th day could consist in going south, stopping in the beautiful Kruševo to discover the Vlachs (and their architecture) and then visiting the nice city of Prilep (in the center of the country) known for Marko's Towers. On the 7th day, close to the border with Greece, you can visit North Macedonia's 2nd largest city, Bitola, the "City of Consuls" and with a long history (Heraklea Lynkestis should be visited). On the 5rd day you may go on a day trip to discover lake Prespa and Pelister National Park, a mountainous park with the unique molika (Macedonian pine). The last stop, for the 9th day, should be the most important sightseeing place in North Macedonia, Ohrid (Cultural and Natural World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1979 and 1980). Its traditional architecture and its very important old churches by lake Ohrid will impress and make the visitor love this laid-back city. For the 10th and last day, a day trip to Galičica National Park can be organised. Located on the border with Albania and between lakes Prespa and Ohrid, this park has many nice beaches, routes to trail, cute villages to discover or churches and museum to visit.


How can I arrive and move within Albania?

 North Macedonia is well communicated with neightbouring countries such as Albania, Greece, Serbia, mainly via Skopje. Skopje and Ohrid are connected with most of the important destinations in the Western Balkans and in the rest of Europe. The best mean of transport to move in the country is the bus (high frequency) but train is also a good one because it is, at least, as fast as buses although the frequencies are lower.
    Train map of North Macedonia
  • Plane: there are international flights to Skopje International Airport (the most important one in North Macedonia) from many European cities and also to the airport in Ohrid. Most of the flights are from low cost companies.
  • Train: North Macedonia's railway system is a bit slow, with not many destinations available and unfrequent trains, although one of the nicest and most iconic ways to discover the country. The railway system connects Skopje with places like Tetovo, Kumanovo, Prilep or Bitola but not with Ohrid. There are also trains to international destinations like Pristina, Thessaloniki or Belgrade. A cheap way of travelling to or from North Macedonia might be the Balkan Flexipass.
  • Bus: this is the main and probably best mean of transport in all North Macedonia (and along Western Balkans). There are frequent buses from Skopje to all the main cities and towns of the country and there are also connections among them (although less frequent). There are buses to Skopje and Ohrid with places such as Pristina, Tirana, Belgrade, Sofia or Thessaloniki. The offer of bus trips in Skopje is larger, including destinations like Istambul, Liubliana or Zagreb.
  • Car: this is almost always the most comfortable way of moving for the lack of timetables to follow. It's required to have a green card (International Insurance Card). Most of the roads in North Macedonian are in good conditionsand driving in the country is easy. 

What can I eat and drink in Albania?

Tavče gravče
Macedonian cuisine is an aspect of traditional Balkan cuisinie that reflects the influences of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cusines. Some of the most important ingredients are vegetables herbs and fruites, dairy products and wines. Common dishes in North Macedonia include Ottoman receipes like kebab and sarma. The most popular dish in the country is tavče gravče (Тавче гравче), dish based on beans and onions baked and served in a traditional unglazed earthenware pot. Macedonian cuisine has many different of stews such as turli tava (турлитава, a vegetable and meat stew made of potatoes, rice, aubergine, tomatoes and meat), kompir mandza (компир манџа, potatoe and meat stew) or selsko meso (cелско месо, roast beef, pork and lamb with mushrooms, white wine and yellow cheese).
Turli tava
Other important dishes are moussaka (мусака, aubergine or potatoe Balkan dish that usually includes ground meat and isn't very different from lasagna), jufki (јуфки, Macedonian version of pasta), chorba od kopriva (хорба од коприва, creamy nettle soup), bakrdan (бакрдан, maize porridge known as kačamak in other countries), popara (попара, traditional Bulgarian dish based on bread and meat broth) and prženi lepčinja (fried slices of bread covered in beaten egg, usually eaten as breakfast). Some of the most popular regional and local dishes are ghomleze (ѓомлезе, diamon-shaped version of Turkish gozleme) and polneti piperki (полни пиперки, stuffed peppers filled with rice and/or meat), from Ohrid and Struga.
Šopska salad
Salads are also an important part of the diet in Kosovo; for example, makalo salad (salad mixed of cooked potatoes and red dry pepper) or šopska salad (salad made of tomatoe, onions, peppers covered in sierenje cheese). North Macedonia has also a large variety of  dishes and food based on meat, just like čevapi (чевапи, griled dish of minced meat traditional from Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia), mekici (мекици, fried lumps of dough), širden (ширден, kind of sausage typical from Prilep), pljeskavica (пјескавица, grilled dish of spiced meat patty mixture of pork, beef and lamb); all over the countries different variesties of cheese are produced such as kashkaval (кашкавал) from Šar Mountains and bieno sierenje (бијоно сирење, similar to halloumi) from the south of the country.
Pastrmalija
The country has also pies: burek (бурек, pie made of pastry layers filled with minced meat, white cheese, spinach), pastrmalija (пастрмајлија, oval-shaped pie made from dough and meat), zelnik (зелник, Macedonian pie similar to burek). North Macedonia isn't in touch with the sea but has many lakes so therefor there are some dished based on fish, mainly on Ohrid trout (caution: this specie is endangered of dying out so it's highly unrecommended trying it on restaurants, even if it's offered). Many dishes can be condimented with malidzano (малиџано, spread based on aubergine, peppers), ajvar (aјвар, roasted red pepper spread), pindjur (пинџур, relish based on red peppers, aubergine, tomatoes, garlic, oil and salt) or tarator (таратор, tzatziki) and the most popular bread is pita bread.
Tulumba
Traditional desserts of North Macedonia are normally based on honey (med, мед). Some of the most popular ones are kadaif (кадаиф, Macedonian version of kanafeh), tulumba (тулумба, deep-fried batter soaked in syrup, similar to Spanish churros), palačinki (палачинки, Macedonian version of crêpe), Turkish delight (named as lokum, локум), baklava (баклава) or slatko (слатко, fruit preserve made of fruit, normally berries, or rose petals). Like in many former Ottoman countries, kefir (кефир) is also a popular consumed yogurt.
Talking about drinking, the visitor has to know the importance of the culture of coffee (kafe, кафе) in North Macedonia (and in general, all over the Balkans), being widely consumed and served. There are specialised bars on coffe called kafana (кафеана) Tea (čaj, чај) is also quite popular in the country.
Mastika
North Macedonia has a large variety of non-alcoholic drinks such as kompot (компот, sweet beverage obtained by cooking fruits, usually strawberries, apricots or peaches) or salep (салеп), beverage based on flour made of the tubers of orchids. The country has an important winery culture, particulary focused in the central and eastern part of the country (around Kavadarci), using the following grape varieties: stanusina crna, vranec, traminec, alexandria or smederevka. There are also local beers (pivo, пиво) in North Macedonia like Skopsko, Bitolsko or Makedonsko. The most important spirit in the country is mastika (мастика), liqueur seasoned with mastic (resin from mastic tree), traditional from the region of Strumica. Other very traditional drinks like rakija (ракија, grape brandy alcoholic beverage) or boza (боза, refreshing drink made of maize and wheat flour, traditional from ethnic Albanians).

Learn some Albanian

 Macedonian is the co-official language of North Macedonia, together with Albanian and other local languages, and is currently spoken by 2.5 million people aprox. Macedonian language is a south Slavic language and has a high degree of mutual intelligibility (some even argue that Macedonian is a dialect of Bulgarian) and it's related with Serbo-Croatian too, so visitors who speak any of those languages won't have problems of communication. Moreover Macedonian very widely spoken and understood all over North Macedonia, with less importance in the western and northwestern part of the country.
These are some basic words in Macedonian:

Macedonian
English
Macedonian
English
Здраво
/Zdravo/
Hello
Те молам 
 /Te molam/
Please
Како си?
/Kako si?/
How are you?
Благодарам /Blagodaram/
Thanks
Збогум!
/Zbogum!/
Goodbye!
Да   
/Da/
Yes
Добра ноќ!
/Dobra noḱ/
Good night!
Не 
 /Ne/
No
Извини ме
/Izvini me/

Excuse me
Јас не зборувам македонски /Jas ne zboruvam makedonski/

I don’t speak Macedonian

Useful links

 In case you want to look for more information about North Macedonia (https://macedonia-timeless.com/eng) or its cities, towns and places, here there's a list with some pages to get it:

 
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