This post sees us leave Albania (Country 3) and enter North Macedonia (Country 4) starting with Bitola in the south. Like Montenegro and Albania, North Macedonia is not a member of the European Community but wants to join.
The Republic of North Macedonia (Pop 2.1m) is a landlocked country with two very large freshwater lakes, bordering Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. North Macedonia was liberated from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and comprises 58% ethnic Macedonians and 24% Albanians. Macedonians speak Macedonian – a variation of the Russian-Serbian dialect and descended from a Southern Slavic race. The country is 70% Orthodox (under the Serbian Patriarchate) and 29% Muslim as a carry-over from Ottoman occupation. Economically, it is ahead of Albania and closer to Greece. Many speak Greek in the country.
Our 152km journey to from Pogradec in Albania to Bitola in North Macedonia was dominated by fertile valleys bursting with local produce, mainly due to the very large freshwater, snow-fed lakes of Ohrid and Prespa. We drove most of the western side of Prespa from Korce Albania in the south, which featured a National Park of the same name and Galicica National Park. The highlight was the strange shaped island of Golem Grad which marks the border of 3 countries: North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. The island itself is in North Macedonia. Small villages dot the lake and finally give way to a pine-covered valley leading to the city of Bitola where we stayed overnight.
Bitola (Pop 85,164, Elev 650m) was founded in the 4th Century as the Greek town of Heraclea Lyncestis built by Greek King Phillip II, the father of Alexander the Great. We visited the archaeological site of Heraclea Lyncestis just next to modern Bitola where the Via Egnatia also passes through that connected ancient Rome with Constantinople. The ruins have very well preserved coloured mosaics again forcing me to ask myself why we have to paint our houses every 10 years when these little coloured tiles have never been painted in hundreds of years.
Bitola is not immediately striking on entry. It has many classical buildings of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-classic origins but many are unkept and falling apart. The real appeal of the city can be found in one long street called Sirok Sokak, fall of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and other shops. There are many young, well-dressed people here and there is a good vibe flowing in the streets. Saturday night in this street was like a hundred Easter Shows – people EVERYWHERE and mostly teens in gangs !
Our apartment in Bitola was next to the Greek Consulate and my morning run took me halfway to the border with Greece – only 9km more. Bitola is flooded with stray-homeless dogs, some of which chase me on my run in my 96th Run-UN-Country.
Agios Dimitrios (St James) in Bitola had the BIGGEST and most ORNATE Iconostasis (Icon Screen) I have ever seen - North Macedonia Orthodoxy is AUTOCEPHALOUS or Independent which means it does not fall under any Orthodox Patriarchate in the World but the Archbishop of North Macedonia is invited to all the Synods or Pan-Orthodox Councils that make important decision on matters of Faith and Life in the World - this we learned from a local Priest at St James after we visited the Church.
Please enjoy our triumphant Roman entry into North Macedonia (even if it is all Greek anyway! Ha Ha Ha)…
POGRADEC ALBANIA TO BITOLA MACEDONIA:
BITOLA:
Heraclea Lyncestis:
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