Custom tour packagesNorth Macedonia

North Macedonia's cuisine reflects its location near the Mediterranean and Middle East. While it shares many of the foods of its neighbors, it's known for its dairy and wine. The ubiquitous national dish is Tavce Gravce, a simple dish of beans, onions, and spices that are boiled, then baked in a traditional clay pot. Grilled meats are the (often literal) backbone of North Macedonian cuisine, although the country is also known for its dairy. If you find yourself in Ohrid, be sure to try local fish, especially the trout.

A popular aperitif is Mastika, a liqueur seasoned with the resin of the evergreen mastic tree. North Macedonians can rightfully boast about their wines, especially the reds, but are also fond of their Rakija, a strong grape brandy. It’s generally best to drink bottled water.

"Macedonia" refers to a historic region that has vague boundaries that can include Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia. The word also refers to Macedon, Alexander the Great's ancient Greek kingdom. Long after Alexander the Great's death, Slavic people related to the Serbs, Croats, and other neighboring peoples moved to the area, and eventually formed their own "Macedonian" culture. When Yugoslavia was founded after World War I, what is now the country of North Macedonia was formed, as one of Yugoslavia's six parts. After Yugoslavia broke up, it became its own country, the Republic of Macedonia.

Greek nationalists consider themselves to be the descendants of Alexander the Great and Macedon, and see Macedonia as a threat to this legacy, as the country’s name could be seen as implying that the modern country of Macedonia is Alexander’s modern heir. Greeks also feared that Macedonia could try to claim the neighboring territory of “Greek Macedonia,” which sits within Greece. As absurd as this may seem, the Macedonian government did not help things by building a grand neoclassical downtown in Skopje, complete with a giant statue of Alexander the Great! Macedonia found a compromise by officially calling itself the awkward term "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM). This term was used everywhere from the UN to the EU and NATO.

In 2018, Macedonia and Greece came to an agreement: Macedonia would change its name, and Greece would finally let the former start the process of joining NATO. Thanks to this treaty, as of February 2019, Macedonia is now the Republic of North Macedonia. North Macedonians still use “Macedonia” in conversation, and this remains a bad topic to bring up in Greece.

North Macedonia is a safe country, although you should take the usual precautions against pickpockets in crowded areas.