Well my guide book described Skopje as “bonkers” which I thought was a bit tough until I got here. It is indeed bonkers but in a kind of Disney meets Soviet meets Europe meets “Honey I shrunk the kids”.
As you walk around Skopje – which is quite small – you come across statues and massive buildings at every turn – really at every turn. Most were built in the past 10 years and don’t serve much purpose except, as I understand it, as a form of building national pride in what is still a very new country, although a very old civilisation (this is where Alexander the Great hails from, allegedly). At first you don’t know what to make of it and then it becomes quite entertaining to see if you can walk for more than a minute without spotting a new fountain or statue or massive building or funky bridge- you can’t. I’m beginning to quite like it!
Here’s what I mean and check out the people in some of the photos (actually there are not that many people around in this city) to get an idea of scale
The central square fountain – almost competes with Bellagio in Vegas
That’s my Marriott Hotel at the top – they are not usually quite so fancy. Also, is that the Arc de Triomphe?
Not sure who these folk are but I wouldn’t mess with them.
The stone bridge, the mother and child fountain and another bridge with lots of famous North Macedonian writers leading to the Archaealogical Museum – whose inside is much tinier than its outside!
Behind the stone bridge is the old citadel of Skopje. And another bridge with famous Macedonians
Sometimes you come across some smaller pieces along the street that are quite sweet. The singers outside the Bank – maybe singing “buddy can you spare me a dime”? And the so-called “glitzy girl”
Some of my favourite smaller sculptures in Skopje
And they are still building like crazy – see below
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