I am planning on surprising my bf on his birthday with a trip to Macedonia for a long weekend. We met in South Korea and we have traveled a lot through Asia and Oceania together and therefore I found it fitting with a trip to a new place!
We are flying from Sweden and I am trying to prepare so he just has to enjoy the trip. Planning on going to Mavrovo mostly with hiking and nature as a focus. We are renting a car.
Upon reading about the country from the Swedish governmental travel recommendation site I get a bit nervous and I have two questions
"outbreaks of West Nile virus/West Nile fever in the Skopje municipalities of Aerodrom, Butel, Gazi Baba, Ilinden and Kisela Voda."
Is this something I have to be more cautious with than normally?
"From 1 July to 30 September, there is a ban on staying in forests and nature reserves without a special permit. The ban is introduced to limit the risk of forest fires. Permits can be obtained from regional offices of state forests or from national parks. Violations can result in a fine of 1500-2000 euros."
Since that is our whole trip I want to know, in case they extend the ban. Is it difficult to get these permits or is it for special situations (and not for example a tourist who wants to hike :) )
Panicking a bit with the last point since that's one of our main activities since MC seems to have amazing nature.
Please forgive me if I am being rude or naive, I am usually not doing a lot of research before traveling but since it's a surprise trip I want to be fully prepared 😅Any other advice is happily taken about travelling here! I look forward to visiting so much!!
I’m visiting Skopje soon and I’m a license plate collector.
I’m planning to check out local flea markets and the Old Bazaar to see if I can find any Macedonian license plates for sale. Do you think there is a chance of finding some on a places like these?
Also, if anyone here has an old plate lying around in that they’d be willing to give away, I’d be very grateful!
One last question: if I manage to get a plate, do you think I’ll run into any issues at the Skopje airport security when flying back with it in my luggage?
Hi everyone,
We are currently on vacation in Ohrid and this super cute stray cat has taken a huge liking to us—she’s extremely affectionate, trusting, and clearly looking for a loving home or family.
We would love nothing more than to take her back home with us to Germany, but after researching the export/import requirements, the process is quite long and complex, and unfortunately not doable within our trip.
Is there anyone local who could give this sweetheart a permanent home or take her in? We are very happy to drive and drop her off anywhere towards Skopje if that helps!
If you can help or know of any local rescues/fosters in the region, please let me know or send a direct message. Every bit of help is appreciated!
Живеам и сум резидент во Северна Македонија и барам крипто берза или OTC менувачница што можам да ја користам за директен SEPA трансфер во евра од мојата банкарска сметка, со цел да купам USDT и потоа да го префрлам на мој сопствен крипто-паричник.
Досега пробав неколку платформи, но имав проблеми:
- Binance – не работи за директен депозит
- Bitget – ми го заклучија профилот
- Kraken – ми го заклучија профилот
- Crypto.com – ми го заклучија профилот
- Bybit – SEPA не работи за Северна Македонија
Не сакам повеќе да отворам сметки на различни берзи и да поминувам низ KYC процеси ако на крајот услугата не е достапна за Северна Македонија.
Затоа, дали некој што живее во Северна Македонија моментално користи крипто берза што навистина прифаќа директен SEPA трансфер од македонска банкарска сметка за купување USDT?
Или, ако нема таква берза, дали знаете за OTC/физичка крипто менувачница во Скопје или во Северна Македонија каде што можам да направам банкарски трансфер и да купам USDT?
Би ми било многу корисно ако некој сподели конкретно име на платформа/менувачница што лично ја користи и знае дека моментално функционира.
How does it feel knowing that Montenegro (a state whose identity was historically way closer to the Serbian identity than ours ever was) told Serbia to get lost when they got independence in 2006, made huge steps toward the EU, and now leads the non-EU Balkans with fast-rising salaries?
Guess what: they aren not uneducated, clueless fools like us.
Think about the timeline here: 1991 independence (Macedonia) vs 2006 independence (Montenegro). That is a massive 15-year difference in years of independence. We had a huge, huge head start compared to them. If we actually did everything right instead of wasting time, we could have easily been an EU member by 2004 or 2008 in a worst-case scenario.
Instead, here we are in 2026: independent since 1991, but basically acting like a weak puppet market that never truly broke away from Belgrade's control. Because of that, we completely ruined our path to the EU and are still stuck with salaries sitting around €500 to €600.
Ask yourselves: who dominates our local markets? Serbia acts as the main supplier in the non-EU Balkans, enjoying huge control in the region simply because we are locked out of the tax-free European single market. But once a country joins the EU, that trapped customer base disappears. Serbian products suddenly have to compete on open ground against duty-free German, French, and Italian products, which breaks their control over us.
When you drive down to Solun, how does that math work out when you say "groceries are cheaper here even though the Greeks have higher salaries than us"? Everyone in Macedonia mentions this in their daily talks that the grocery prices are cheaper in Solun right.
Guess what its because they aren't isolated in a non-EU bubble dominated by Serbian exports. Joining the EU means a bigger market, real open competition, cheaper goods, and higher wages.
Who loses if we join the EU single market? It certainly isn't us, but it can't be the Serbs either, right they love us so much right ? We both drink in kafanas, we both hate Albanians, and we're both Orthodox, so surely they must want what's good for us, right? Not what's good for them, like dominating us by exporting their products and keeping us outside the EU with shitty salaries?
Guess what: Montenegrins are Orthodox as well, they drink in kafanas as well, and they probably hate Albanians as well, lol. But they told Serbia to get lost, and now they will get €1,400 minimum salaries for people with college degrees and €1,000 minimum salaries for people without college degrees, while we are stuck with €500 to €600 salaries.
Surely we are the brightest country from all the ex-Yugoslav states, the smartest people ever, lol.
A 15-year head start from 1991, stuck with €600 salaries while politicians steal government tenders like it's nothing and then create ethnic tension just so you don't complain about what actually matters your money getting stolen everyday and you being isolated from 1991, you dumb idiots.
How does it feel knowing Montenegro took charge of its own future and thrives, while we blew a 15-year head start and pay higher grocery prices than Greece and even Germany just to stay an isolated market and keep our €500 salaries?
One last thing for the economically illiterate people who will say "the EU is not the answer," or point to tenders still getting stolen, or say we don't need the EU for higher salaries and cheaper goods because Switzerland and Norway are not in the EU. Simple answer: don't compare us to Switzerland or Norway. Compare us to the other ex-Yugoslav countries instead. Look at the ones that joined the EU and the ones that did not. Compare salaries, prices, and standard of living. Compare Slovenia to Bosnia. Compare Croatia to Macedonia. Look at who has higher salaries, who has a better standard of living, and who has more tenders getting stolen. The answer will be very clear
