>>2814188 (OP)
I went to N. Macedonia last summer. I visited the western part of the country, namely:
>Skopje
>the Matka canyon hiking area
>Tetovo
>the St. Jovan Bigorski monastery
>Ohrid and the surroundings
>Bitola and the Roman ruins in the Heraclea Lyncestis archaeological site
It kind of is a hidden gem. I really liked my time there and there's plenty of little known sites that are well worth visiting (picrel is the Painted Mosque in Tetovo, probably the most interesting example of Islamic art in all of the Western Balkan region). Ohrid is of course also fantastic - so is the St. Jovan Bigorski monastery (if you go, say hello to Tabor from me - just ask around and you'll find him).
>I've heard Skopje is boring, what do you think?
I didn't think it was boring - I actually found it rather charming, but it is a pretty small city. Apart from the old town area with the bazaar which of course caters mostly to tourists, I found that most pubs / hangout spots are in the Debar Maalo neighborhood. The weird kitsch giant monuments just add to the charme.
>Also I won't have a car.
I guess being carless is doable if you only want to see the main places (Skopje and Ohrid), but getting to the more out of the way areas (St. Jovan Bigorski, Matka etc.) might be difficult.
