Macedonia Nuts - Part 3 - Rajika and Ruins

Another short but scenic bus journey took us down towards the Greek Border, to Macedonia’s second largest city, Bitola.  Called “The City of Consuls” , due to…well it having a significant number of European consulates, dating from its Ottoman days.  It did feel strangely “European” as we wandered down the main drag, the Shirok Sokak (try saying that when you’ve had a few rajikas!).

Settled into our lovely little ground floor apartment in the family home, we sat on the sunny terrace admiring the beautiful garden.  Macedonians seem to take a huge pride in their houses and are obviously keen gardeners, filling their front yards with a huge variety of shrubs and flowers, which seem to thrive in this climate. Many even grow and sell their own fruit and veg, and we passed many small stalls set up outside houses along the roadside.

Once again, we were impressed by the number of bars and restaurants lining the Shirok, all full to the brim with locals enjoying the sunshine and vibes.  We discovered that it was actually a public holiday (yes, another one!) and it felt like we’d landed in Italy judging by the number of coffee shops and pizza parlours.  Bitoleans had definitely embraced café culture in a big way!

The following day we made our way to the town’s main attraction, the impressively preserved Greek/Macedonian ruins of the ancient city of Heraclea Lyncestis. Founded by Philip of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s old man) in the 4^th century BC, and later conquered by the Romans, the excavations uncovered some amazingly preserved mosaics, and an almost complete Roman amphitheatre built by the Emperor Hadrian (he’d obviously improved his brick laying skills since building his “wall”!). Animal cages discovered beneath the stalls suggest the theatre was used for gladiatorial contests before they were outlawed.  Even the Romans lost their appetite for “blood sports” eventually…

We couldn’t get over how few visitors there were and how little they charged to visit – 150 denars (this seemed to be standard for most “sights” in Macedonia) – at around £2.50 this was a bargain.

Every bar and restaurant in the centre seemed to be showing the Arsenal/PSG Champions League Final that evening, so we strolled across one of the many bridges over the Dragor river to the old bazaar (there had to be one!). Sadly, the once thriving commercial centre had been usurped by the trendy Shirok Sokak and it felt quite desolate and run down.

Another night, after dinner we took a walk through the city park, situated at the end of the Shirok walking street.  This beautiful park was full of wide, tree-lined paths, and on this early summer evening, was in great use by locals and families.  The main thoroughfare was lined by ice-cream and snack vendors and the park contained several large play areas for children.  It created a wonderful atmosphere that I’ve rarely seen elsewhere and was a fitting end to our last night in this fascinating country.

We loved Macedonia – it surpassed all expectations.  The scenery was amazing, prices were incredibly reasonable, the food was to die for and the people so welcoming and accepting – perhaps due to the succession of different cultures and empires that have influenced and occupied the country.  They are proudly independent (and highly sociable from what we saw!), and in the vibrant towns we visited, seemed fairly affluent.  We feel so grateful to have visited before the onset of mass tourism, which I’m sure will ensue in the near future.

Next stop: Walking with gods…