Things to Do in North Macedonia: City Guides & Audio Tours

The best things to do in North Macedonia include exploring historic cities, Orthodox churches, mosques, monasteries and landscapes shaped by centuries of Balkan history. Landlocked between Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia, the country offers a compact journey through several languages, faiths, climates and cultural traditions. Neywo has free audio guides for 5 cities in North Macedonia, with 206 narrated places in total and 15 walking tours.

What to see in North Macedonia

North Macedonia’s present-day territory has been shaped by a long sequence of kingdoms, empires and borders. Ancient Paeonia and Pelagonia, the kingdom of Macedonia, Rome, Byzantium, the Bulgarian and Serbian empires, the Ottoman Empire and communist Yugoslavia all left their mark here. The country peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991, while its current name followed the Prespa Agreement of 2018.

The country’s cities are the best starting points for understanding this layered past. Each has its own collection of religious buildings, museums and historic sites, while together they show the variety of North Macedonia’s cultural life.

Skopje

The capital has the largest selection of narrated places on Neywo in North Macedonia, with 89. Its highlights include the Church of St. Clement of Ohrid, the Mother Teresa Memorial House and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Skopje also reflects the country’s religious and cultural diversity. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the most widely practiced faith, while Muslims form another large part of the population. The city is a useful introduction to the different traditions that shape North Macedonia today.

Ohrid

Ohrid has 50 narrated places on Neywo and is one of the country’s most important destinations for religious and historic architecture. Among its notable sites are the Church of St. Sophia, the Church of St. John at Kaneo, the Church of St. Nicholas Bolnichki and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church.

The city belongs on any list of the best cities to visit in North Macedonia for its concentration of churches and protected religious heritage. Ohrid also represents the country’s long connection with Byzantine traditions: Macedonian music developed under the strong influence of Byzantine church music, and Orthodox Christianity remains central to cultural life.

Bitola

Bitola has 36 narrated places, including the Gazi Hajdar Kadi Mosque, Holy Trinity Church and the People’s Museum. Its sites illustrate the coexistence of Islamic and Christian traditions that characterises North Macedonia.

Bitola also has a special place in the history of cinema. The first film produced in the territory of present-day North Macedonia was made in Bitola by Janaki and Milton Manaki in 1895. Filmmaking in the country therefore reaches back more than a century.

Prilep

Prilep has 19 narrated places, with the Treskavec Monastery, St. Nicholas Church in Varoš, Markovi Kuli and the Saints Peter and Paul Church among its highlights.

The city is a good choice for combining urban history with religious heritage. The churches and monastery show the continuing importance of Orthodox sites, while Markovi Kuli adds another dimension to Prilep’s historic landscape.

Tetovo

Tetovo has 12 narrated places. The Šarena Mosque, Arabati Baba Teḱe, the Saints Cyril and Methodius Cathedral and Tetovo Municipality are among the places covered by Neywo.

Tetovo is particularly useful for seeing the country’s cultural variety. Albanian is an official language at state level alongside Macedonian, with some exceptions, and Albanian communities form a significant part of North Macedonia’s population. Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks and Aromanians also contribute to the country’s social fabric.

A country of different languages, faiths and climates

Macedonian is the national and official language across North Macedonia and in international relations. Albanian has also been an official language at state level since 2019, with some exceptions. This linguistic variety is part of everyday life, alongside the country’s religious diversity.

Most residents are ethnic Macedonians, a South Slavic people. The population also includes Albanians, Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks and Aromanians. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the most widely practised faith, and most Orthodox Christians belong to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Muslims make up another large part of the population, alongside other Christian denominations.

The country’s cultural calendar includes festivals of poetry, cinema and music. Its artistic traditions range from Byzantine-influenced music to a filmmaking history that began in Bitola in 1895.

North Macedonia’s geography adds further variety. It occupies roughly the northern third of the wider geographical region of Macedonia and has no coastline. The north has a mildly continental climate, the south a temperate Mediterranean climate, and higher areas a mountain climate. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are moderately cold and snowy. Around 3,700 plant species have been recorded across the country, an impressive range for a landlocked country of modest size.

Explore North Macedonia with Neywo

Download Neywo to explore North Macedonia through 15 self-guided walking tours across 5 cities: Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep and Tetovo. The app covers 206 narrated places in total, with narration available in 11 languages.

Choose a city, start walking and let Neywo tell the story of each place as you reach it. You explore at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Discover Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep or Tetovo with a free audio guide in your ears.