Skopje/Centar

Centar (Macedonian: Центар) is the modern commercial and political hub of Skopje, capital of North Macedonia. It is one of the 10 municipalities that make up the City of Skopje. To the northeast is the Old Bazaar and Čair Municipality, Gazi Baba Municipality is to the east, Aerodrom and Kisela Voda municipalities are to the southeast, and Karpoš Municipality is to the west. Centar includes the Parliament and Government of North Macedonia, the ever-changing Macedonia Square, quality museums, and the country's largest stadium.

Understand
Centar primarily sits on the south bank of the Vardar River, though portions of the north bank are also included. For simpler presentation, although large portions of the Old Bazaar fall within Centar, the Old Bazaar in its entirety is covered on one guide. Centar extends to the foot of Mount Vodno to the southwest, roughly to the train tracks in the east, and roughly to the City Park in the west.

Historically, the Vardar River divided the Christian and Muslim populations of Skopje with the former on the south bank and the latter on the north bank. What is now Centar was largely the Christian side of the city. As the Ottoman influence left Skopje, political and commercial power began to shift from the Stara Čaršija to the south bank of the river. Various neoclassical buildings were constructed to house these functions. In 1963, an earthquake devastated the city and cleared out most of the neoclassical buildings of Centar. Decades of socialist-style urban planning left Skopje's most important district looking cold, bland, and unwelcoming; Macedonia Square was a vast concrete space for years.

In 2010, the ruling populist coalition announced a plan to give the capital a new look, primarily affecting Centar. The plan consisted of rebuilding some buildings lost in the earthquake, as well as erecting completely new buildings in Baroque and neoclassical styles. In addition, countless monuments of various sizes were to be placed throughout the city but mostly in Centar. Despite much controversy, most of the plan is complete and Skopje looks like a different city than just a few years ago (less than half of the "See" listings below existed before the project). Whatever your thoughts on the architectural choices seen in project, it has made Centar a more visually-pleasing place with more cultural institutions and places of interest.

By bus
Essentially all bus lines in the city pass through and make stops in Centar (map).

By car
Many major boulevards lead to Centar. From the west, Ilinden, Partizanski Odredi, and Mitropolit Teodosij Gologanov can be used. From the south, Mother Teresa and Boris Trajkovski boulevards lead to Centar. From the east, Kuzman Josifovski-Pitu and 3rd Macedonian Brigade boulevards can be used. From the Stara Čaršija, Goce Delčev, Philip II, and Krste Misirikov boulevards cross the Vardar into Centar.

See

 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.
 * Other smaller monuments include those of Goce Delčev, Dame Gruev, the Gemidži, Dimitar Popgeorgiev, and others.

Museums
Within the past decade, Skopje has stepped up its game with museums. On the north bank of the Vardar, just south of the Stara Čaršija area, are multiple new museums that received a great deal of funding. This includes the Museum of Archaeology, the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, and the Holocaust Museum.

Do

 * Casinos. There over a dozen, primarily electronic, casinos throughout the area.
 * Casinos. There over a dozen, primarily electronic, casinos throughout the area.
 * Casinos. There over a dozen, primarily electronic, casinos throughout the area.
 * Casinos. There over a dozen, primarily electronic, casinos throughout the area.
 * Casinos. There over a dozen, primarily electronic, casinos throughout the area.



Buy

 * Souvenirs can be found for sale around many of the major sites.
 * Souvenirs can be found for sale around many of the major sites.
 * Souvenirs can be found for sale around many of the major sites.
 * Souvenirs can be found for sale around many of the major sites.

Eat
There are restaurants all over central Skopje. As with most cities in Macedonia, the specialty of most of these restaurants is the traditional "skara" (barbeque). Skopje does, of course, offer other types of cuisine one would expect to find in a modern capital city.

Debar Maalo
Debar Maalo, Skopje's Bohemian neighbourhood, is a great place for a traditional Macedonian meal, though the neighbourhood also offers more options these days. Most of the restaurants are found on or near Rade Končar Street.

Drink
This part of Skopje has an abundance of places to get a drink, whether at a nightclub or a more laid-back setting.