Macedonia

Basic Information

• area ... 25,713 km2
• capital ... Skopje (Скопје)
• population ... 2.11 million
• highest point ... Mount Korab (Голем Кораб), 2,764 m.a.s.l.
• length of the railway network ... 699 km

Main railway carriers:

• MŽ (Makedonski Železnici) – МЖ (Македонски Железници)

Macedonia is an inland country in the south of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering on Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece. The country offers dramatic mountain ranges, especially in the Šar and Osogovo-Belasica regions. It is thus an ideal destination, especially for hiking enthusiasts.

On a visit to the country it would be a pity to miss the capital Skopje with its 500,000 inhabitants, lying on the Vardar. Here you can admire in the Stone Bridge dating from the mid-15th century, the Old Bazaar as well as several churches and mosques, in particular the Mustapha Pasha Mosque dating from the end of the 15th century.

Outside the capital the greatest tourist attraction is Macedonia’s mountains, in particular the Šar Mountains and neighbouring Korab Mountains, including Mount Korab – the tallest mountain in the country, also forming part of the border with Albania. In addition to mountain peaks there are several notable leaks in this region, e.g. Mavrovo Lake.

Notice

In connection with the cessation of international traffic on the part of the TRAINOSE (Greece’s national railway company), there is no direct train connection available in the 2011/2012 timetable between the Czech Republic and Macedonia. It is possible, of course, to make use of a connection with a transfer in Belgrade. Train EC 271 Avala departs Prague at 5:42, and after transferring in Belgrade to train NZ 335 you will arrive in the Macedonian capital of Skopje at 7:22 on the following day. A parallel connection can be used for the return journey, departing Skopje at 20:10 and arriving in Prague at 22:18 on the second day.

You can obtain more detailed information about train journeys to Macedonia from our Search for a Connection page.

How Much to Macedonia

For a trip to Macedonia you can use e.g. the CityStar discount. Fare for two persons from Prague to Skopje and return costs c. CZK 6,613 (EUR 255.30). If you are going to travel in the summer season aboard the direct carriage from the Czech Republic, it is necessary to purchase a couchette supplement for each person and direction as well.

For your trip to Macedonia, select the offer that suits your needs – where and what discount in Europe.