The hook
A capital of two clashing faces: a genuine Ottoman old bazaar on one bank, and on the other a government-built fantasy of giant statues, fake-classical façades, and warrior fountains that has to be seen to be believed.
01Why it's worth it
Skopje is fascinating partly for how strange it is. Across the Vardar river from the old town sits the "Skopje 2014" project, a state building spree that plastered the centre with enormous statues of national heroes, mock-antique museums, triumphal columns, and a colossal warrior on a fountain, an attempt to manufacture grandeur that critics call kitsch and locals argue over. Whatever you make of it, it is unforgettable and unlike any other city centre. Cross the old Stone Bridge, though, and you reach the Čaršija, one of the largest and most authentic Ottoman bazaars in the Balkans, full of mosques, a caravanserai, teahouses, and craftsmen, a real and human counterweight to the spectacle. Mother Teresa was born here, and a memorial marks the spot. It is a city that provokes rather than charms.
02How to experience it
Walk the old bazaar for the genuine article, then cross the Stone Bridge to gawp at the statue-city and make up your own mind. See the Mother Teresa memorial house. Use it as a base for the Matka Canyon nearby.