Historical and geographical Macedonia is divided between the Republic of Macedonia, the Greek province of Macedonia and a corner of Bulgaria called Pirin Macedonia. The largest portion of the historic Macedonia region is now Greek territory, a point that Greeks are always quick to make when disputing Macedonia’s use of the name, as they invariably do. In any case, the region was the homeland of Alexander the Great, who sallied forth to conquer the ancient world in the 4th century BC.

Rarely independent, the territory of the Republic of Macedonia has often been a staging post for invaders. Roman rule was entrenched after the conquest of Macedonia in 168 BC, and over the next 500 years the ancestors of the Vlach people developed a Latin dialect. Today’s Vlach community speak a language called Aromanian, which, as the names suggests, is related to Romanian and Latin.
» Continue Reading

For the adventure travelers out there, Macedonia offers a treasure trove of little-visited destinations to discover all on your own. Guidebooks barely cover Macedonia, the land-locked country in Eastern Europe, so even visiting the main cities might feel like an off-road adventure. Here are a few ideas to really get out and see the country when you visit. It might just seem like you have the whole place to yourself.

Any part of the country outside Skopje and Ohrid. These two cities are about all that is covered by guidebooks or articles on what to do and see in Macedonia. There is the whole rest of the country ready to be discovered. Albeit, it is one of the smaller countries in the region. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, historical sites and others catering to tourists are eagerly investing in the tourist business, bringing new enthusiasm to little-visited towns and cities.
» Continue Reading