Everyday practical information for North Macedonia

Skopje 2014

• Central Skopje was rebuilt between 2010 and 2014 with dozens of neoclassical facades, bridges and enormous statues.
• It is startling in person and locals' opinions of it range from affection to open contempt.
• The old bazaar behind it is genuinely old and is the better half of the city.

Power and language

• 230 V, 50 Hz, sockets type C and F.
• Macedonian is written in Cyrillic. Albanian is co-official and widely spoken in the west and in parts of Skopje.
• English is common among younger people.
• "Dobar den" is hello, "blagodaram" is thank you.

Manners

• Coffee is a long social event.
• Take your shoes off indoors.
• Mosques and Orthodox churches both expect covered shoulders and knees.