Highlights of Macedonia (9 Days)

SKOPJE - PRILEP - BITOLA
Drive through the Canyon of the Vardar River and town of Veles to reach the ancient city of Stobi. This archaeological site offers sweeping views of the central Macedonian plain and contains buildings such as the 2nd century amphitheatre, the Theodoosia Palace and early Christian ruins with extensive and ornate mosaic floors.

Drive on to Prilep and enjoy a short walk through the bazaar, before continuing to Bitola, Macedonia's second largest town. Check-in to hotel in Bitola for 2 nights.

BITOLA
A morning tour of Bitola, known as the 'City of the Consuls, as during the Ottoman rule, it had consulates from twelve countries situated there. Bitola is an extraordinary mixture of old and new and a meeting point of different cultures and civilisations. Here, for many centuries, Christians, Muslims and Jews have lived together in harmony just as the sky-scraping minarets towering above the Catholic or Orthodox churches stand together side by side.

The church of St. Demetrius is one of the biggest Orthodox temples in Macedonia, whilst the Bezisten (covered Turkish Market) is amongst the best preserved in the country. In the afternoon visit the Roman ruins of Heraclea Linkestis, famous for its dazzling mosaics, ancient theatre and Roman baths, Heraclea is the most vividly preserved city from the ancient Macedonian Empire.

BITOLA - PRESPA - OHRID
Drive to Pelister National Park, rich in springs, streams and rivers and containing two glacial lakes known locally as the 'Mountain's Eyes'. The journey continues to Resen, over glorious tree-covered mountains with a stop at the village of Kurbinovo, where the 12th century Church of St. George can be found. Whilst the church itself is a modest building, it houses magnificent frescoes painted in 1191. Drive further along the shores of Lake Pespa and continue to Ohrid for 3 nights stay.

OHRID
Morning walking tour of Ohrid, one of the oldest settlements in Europe, located on the shores of lake Ohrid. Visits include the churches of St. Sophia, built between the 11th and 14th century and St. Clement, a classic Orthodox Byzantine church, dominating the Old Town and demonstrating the link between Byzantine and Italian Renaissance art. In Plaoshnik, in the 9th century, St. Clement of Ohrid founded the first university of Europe. The church of St. John at Kaneo, stands alone on a small promontory jutting out into the lake at the western end of the Old Town and provides spectacular panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains.

Day 8

OHRID TO SKOPJE VIA STRUGA AND MAVROVO
Drive back to Skopje with stops in Struga and the Mavrovo National Park. Struga is famous for its wall of water, where the Black Drim River flows out of Lake Ohrid on its way to the Adriatic. Struga today is a popular summer destination for Macedonians and is
interspersed with alleyways and shops where products are still crafted by hand. The town has many churches, the oldest dating from the 12th century and wooden framed houses characteristic of 18th & 19th century Macedonian architecture. Continue to the canyon of
the River Radika and visit the monastery of St John Bigorski. Drive through the Mavrovo National Park, where the highest peaks in Macedonia can be found. Arrive Skopje and transfer to hotel for overnight stay.