Bitola

Bitola, the former capital of the balkan part of the ottoman empire… city of consules, city of many generations. I’m proud to say i live here, considering the fact that bitola’s inabitants have been, ever since ancient times, descendants of the greatest of civilizations. Have in mind that the the romans settled here (so you can visit archeological sites around bitola), the slavs, and the turks (for an entire 5 centuries) so the city’s architecture has been greatly influenced by oriental turkish elements, but the most typical buildings are in socialist-communist style, since tito’s time. The most specific places are the old bazaar, and the main pedestrian street where you can find TOO many cafes, boutiques and of course fast food parlours where you can try anything you would like, just like home (from wherever you may be). And of course, restaurants scattered all over town are most definately worth visiting, because the macedonian cousine is a must try thing. Bitola is also known as a host of many cultural manifestations, such as the Manaki film festival (which has lately become world renowned with participations of many well-known directors). There are many music festival around the year. And Bitola’s mountains located just 20 kilometeres from the city core, are the natural habitat of the rarest pine tree in the world, also known as the white pine, and can only be found in Macedonia and Canada. The 2600 meter high mountain, and it’s hotels and skiing slopes are another place to visit, as in the winter time, so in the summer time. And, I think the aforementioned, plus the hospitality of the macedonian people makes Bitola a more attractive place to visit, but the only problem you will find here is the traffic congestion and the garbage which you can find anywhere except in a trash can. But that’s just a small minus in comparison to all the qualities you can get here in Bitola. Trust me, definately worth visiting!