Best Time to Visit Macedonia

Geographical location

Macedonia is located in south-eastern Europe and borders Albania to the west, Kosovo and Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east and Greece to the south.

The capital of the landlocked state is Skopje. About 2.1 million people live in Macedonia, covering an area of 16000 square miles. This results in a population density of about 80 inhabitants per square kilometre.

The former Yugoslav Republic has been independent since 1991 and has been considered a potential candidate for accession to the European Union since 2005. The landscape is characterised by several mountains and high altitudes, which make up almost 80% of the total area.

Macedonia belongs to the historic region of Macedonia, which belongs mainly to the northern part of Greece. The Greeks are therefore still angry about the naming of Macedonia, even though economic and political cooperation between the two countries has improved significantly.

Climate in Macedonia

The southern Balkan state is characterised by a continental climate with cold and rather humid winters and hot and dry summers. The spring and autumn months are quite cold and also characterised by occasional precipitation of up to 2.2 in, for example in southern Bitola. The highest temperatures occur in the north and northeast of Macedonia.

In the capital Skopje the months July and August reach up to 30 °C. In southern Bitola, as in large parts of Macedonia, temperatures can reach 29 °C in July. In winter, most areas are below freezing and snowfall occurs. In the mountains the climate is even rougher. A lot of snow falls here in the months of November to April in icy temperatures.