If you ever get a chance to visit North Macedonia, and don’t want to stay at a hotel, Airbnb is a great option. There are over 500 booking accommodations online to support tourism in Skopje, Ohrid, and the rest of North Macedonia.
But where should you stay? Is it clean and safe? Being uneasy when booking your accommodation is only natural. We all have doubts and questions. Sometimes it takes a recommendation from a friend to help you along.
So, here is my recommendation – book a room at my friend’s place on Airbnb. Milena is a very welcoming, and warm person that will personalize and make your stay in Skopje unique. She has a cozy Airbnb apartment in the Debar Maalo neighborhood, which is close to the center of the city.
And, she has been a superhost on Airbnb for over a year now.
Here is more information about her Airbnb rental in Skopje and the city in general.
The Airbnb Skopje, North Macedonia Rental
There is a spare room for rent or you can rent the whole apartment.
Included in the Stay
- Use of Kitchen,
- Use of Bathroom,
- Use of Living Room.
Skopje Location
It’s located in the Debar Maalo neighborhood of the City Center. The apartment is about 22 km from the Skopje International Airport and 1 km from the center.
About the Host
Milena is a friendly Sagittarius who loves to write and travel. She loves sharing her trendy apartment with curious travelers and giving insider info on the wonderful city of Skopje.
Grab a $25-credit on us for your next booking on Airbnb.
Getting Around Skopje
There are several walking routes to the City Center (the square and boulevard Makedonija), which you can reach in 10 or 15 minutes.
Generally, all important things in Skopje are at a walking distance from here. There is a pharmacy, small market, fast food place, café bar, and a restaurant right across the accommodation.
Yet, if you don’t like walking getting a taxi is quite easy. Usually the price from the apartment to the City Square is between €1.50 and €2 (80 – 100 MKD).
If you want to use public transportation the boulevards Partizanska and Ilindenska have many bus stops. These run parallel to the apartment.
You will need an electronic bus card that will act as your bus ticket. You can get a bus card from the main bus station (Transporten Center) or you can get one on boulevard Partizanska at a JSP kiosk.
Read our travel guide to Skopje for more detailed information, and be sure to check out Skopje for Free.
About Debar Maalo
Many know Debar Maalo as the heart of Skopje. You will find the city’s prime places for having coffee or drinks located in this neighborhood. Some even refer it to as the Williamsburg of Brooklyn.
This is the neighborhood that holds a lot of bars in Skopje. From Vinyl, Radio Bar, Kalderma, Van Gough, you have plenty of options to stay entertained.
The atmosphere is always outgoing yet laid back and welcoming to tourists. The neighborhood does get busy during sport events and concerts. The soccer stadium and Boris Trajkovski Arena are nearby.
Food in Skopje and Debar Maalo
Many of the local and traditional restaurants (Macedonian: kafana, plural: kafani) are in Debar Maalo on the Bohemian streets. The Bohemian streets are where you want to go to taste some traditional Macedonian barbecue (Macedonian: skara).
Few of the popular kafani include Nadzak, Chardak, and Skopski Merak.
Some ideas include uvijac (pork rolled in bacon and filled with yellow cheese), sharska (burger filled with yellow cheese in the middle), skewers, kjebapchinja (ground beef shaped like a sausage), and even the prime-ribs.
Take note that the meat is well-done in Macedonia, so let your waiter know if you want your meat cooked rarer. And, for the vegetarians or vegans, don’t worry there is plenty to eat in Skopje. Click to find where to get the best vegan and vegetarian food in Skopje.
Gostilnici are like kafani except with accommodation. Back in the day they were inns for travelers passing through and provided food/drinks. Now some gostilnici don’t have accommodations, but still serve food and drinks.
Find a Skopje Shopping Center
Skopje has several shopping centers. The well-known are City Mall, Ramstore Mall, and Gradski Trgovski Centar (GTC).
GTC is an open mall, meaning the building structure is not enclosed. The main pathway of the mall connects the City Square by the Skopje Alexander the Great statue to the Holiday Inn hotel. On the east side of GTC you will find restaurants and café bars along the Vardar River, (Macedonian: kej).
The Cinneplex movie theater is in City Mall. Another movie theater in Skopje is Kino Milenium in GTC.
Day Trip Ideas from Skopje
If you have a few days to spare when in Skopje, here are my recommendations for day trips from Skopje:
Canyon Matka
It’s about a 45-minute drive from the center, but a beautiful canyon with a lake, caves, and nature to see. You can read more about Matka, and even get our free travel guide for Canyon Matka here to learn how to get there.
And, if Canyon Matka is already on you bucket list be sure to check out Cave Vrelo. It’s the only tourist cave in Matka out of ten known caves in the canyon. [add cave Vrelo]
Kuklica
This is an archiological monument in the village Kuklica near Kratovo, Macedonia. The major attraction is Kuklica are the stone pillars with a human figure or doll shapes. From a scientific perspective, this is all due to climate changes and erosion. There is even an old folktale about Kuklici involving a happy wedding with a tragic ending.
If you enjoy booking your accommodations on airbnb, why not consider becoming an Airbnb host? Here are some tips to being a successful super host on Airbnb.
